Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium: The Perfect Dress Watch Everyday Use

Tissot is a brand that has been in the watchmaking scene for centuries now. As a member of the expansive Swatch Group, Tissot has established a sweeping catalogue of stylish, reliable, and best-value-for-money timepieces. Whether you are looking for a classic, elegant dress watch or a durable and rugged sports piece, Tissot is sure to have you covered. 

Of all the watches in Tissot’s extensive arsenal, one that immediately caught the attention of both watch connoisseurs and the general public on release is the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium. This timepiece hails from the brand’s impressive Tissot T-Classic line, which offers a plethora of multi-purpose watches that boast refined and quintessential designs. The T-Classic timepieces are crafted to be the perfect everyday watch companions for virtually every possible occasion and outfit, and the same is true of the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium. 

In this article, we will be taking a closer look at the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium Ref. T127.407.11.041.00, its incredible features, and everything it has to offer. 

First Impressions

As we mentioned, the Tissot T-Classic series was designed to offer watches that would make for great everyday companions and the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium Ref. T127.407.11.041.00 is no different. The underlying concept behind this striking timepiece is quite simple: it has a sleek and straightforward design that is timeless and extremely versatile.

With its well-polished and brushed stainless steel exterior and its beguiling dial, the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium’s design manages to be robust yet elegant, toeing the line between a dress watch and a sports piece. Indeed, this makes it the ideal watch tool for everyday use. 

Anatomy of the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium

Case, Bezel, and Caseback

Crafted out of brushed stainless steel, the case of the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium Ref. T1274071104100 offers a sturdy, highly durable build. This case is available in a relatively slim 40mm diameter, with a thickness of just 11.5mm. It is combined with curved watch lugs, measuring just 21mm, that taper inwards towards the end for a more slender look. Thanks to its case and lugs, this timepiece is actually quite compact and is best suited for those with small-to-average-sized wrists. 

On top of the watch case is a nicely-polished fixed bezel, which goes well with the rest of the case and helps provide additional security to the watch face. On the right side of the watch is a matching push-pull crown that is also made of silver stainless steel. This crown is tightly screwed-down and has grooved edges, which provide wearers with a better grip with which to turn hold and turn the crown. The top of the crown is also embellished with Tissot’s classic “T” logo, which bolsters the watch’s refined air.

Flipping the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium over, you will be welcomed with a transparent caseback made of sapphire crystal. Through this see-through caseback, wearers can freely view and admire the beautiful movement inside the watch. The rim of the caseback is also carefully engraved with the watch’s information, including its brand name, reference code, and other such details, which you can view with just a glance.

Dial

With an everyday watch like this, Tissot has one goal in mind when designing the dial: to keep it straightforward and easy to read, focused on delivering the best timekeeping experience possible. But do not be fooled into assuming that simple equals boring! Indeed, the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium manages to pull off a dial that is both minimalistic and still absolutely alluring.

This watch’s dial comes with a beguiling, metallic dark blue colour. Its brushed sunray finish adds a certain depth and sophistication to the watch face, giving it an elegance that can compete with the best of dress watches. Aside from that, this dial is also adorned with silver applique indices, sweeping sword hands, a subtle minute track, and a date display at 3 o’clock. This date window is outlined with silver and comes with a stark white background, allowing it to stand out more clearly against the rest of the dial.

One of the best things about the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium is that it comes with a luminous display. Many dress watches, such as the ones from Grand Seiko, are not equipped with lume. As a result, their dials can often be hard to read in the dark. This is not a problem you will face with the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium, which has a bright blue lume filled in its hands and hour indices. This handy luminous display reinforces the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium’s qualities as an excellent everyday timepiece.

Finally, a layer of sapphire crystal is also used to protect the dial. Tissot has meticulously treated the sapphire crystal with numerous anti-reflective coatings. This helps prevent any visual distortions or glares when viewing the watch face, allowing wearers a clear and legible view of the dial.

Movement

Driving the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium Ref. T1274071104100 is a robust Tissot Powermatic 80 movement. One of Tissot’s most famous technological achievements, the Powermatic 80 calibre is an upgraded design based on the ETA 2842-2 movement. 

Held together by 23 jewels, the Powermatic 80 calibre beats at a standard frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3Hz). It also offers an outstanding 80-hour power reserve, which is one of the best in the industry. In addition, the Tissot Powermatic 80 calibre is equipped with a silicone hairspring, which helps heighten the overall performance and accuracy of the mechanism. While silicone hairsprings are getting more common in the horology industry, they are still considered quite unusual for watches in the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium’s price range. 

Bracelet

The Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium Ref. T1274071104100 robust build is finished off with a simple three-link stainless steel bracelet. The bracelet is made up of gleaming, polished centre links and sleekly brushed outer links. This creates a visual interplay of textures that is incredibly satisfying to look at, enhancing the dressiness of this timepiece. It also comes with a simple, subtle butterfly clasp, which provides the bracelet with a consistent display and keeps it firmly secured on your wrist. 

Water Resistance

As we have mentioned, despite being as elegant as a dress watch, the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium Ref. T1274071104100 has a very hardy and durable construction. One of the ways this is delivered is through its depth rating.

As opposed to true dress watches, which typically come with sub-par water resistance capacities, the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium comes with a solid depth rating of 100 metres. This is quite impressive, as it even passes the ISO 6425 standard for dive watches. With this depth rating, you can easily bring the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium with you on all your water-based activities like snorkelling and swimming. 

Price

Perhaps the greatest thing about the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium Ref. T1274071104100 is its very budget-friendly price tag. Despite its stylish looks, reliable features, and powerhouse mechanism, this watch retails at just $669 USD. If you are looking for entry-level watches that look like a million bucks, the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium Ref. T1274071104100 should definitely be on your list. 

Alternatives to the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium

1. TAG Heuer Carrera Ref. WBN2012.BA0640

Perhaps the best alternative to the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium is the understated TAG Heuer Carrera Ref. WBN2012.BA0640. This TAG Heuer timepiece looks incredibly similar to the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium. It comes in a 41mm stainless steel case and a three-link bracelet made of the same material. Coupled with slender, slanting watch lugs, this timepiece has a streamlined, well-polished aesthetic that looks great on the wrist. 

Like the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium, this watch’s all-silver exterior is contrasted sharply by a smart blue dial. However, this TAG Heuer Carrera watch differs in offering a dial with a simpler matte blue finish. This dial consists of rectangular applique indices, silver skeletal hands, and a minute track on the rim of the dial. At 3 o’clock, a handy day-date complication, outlined in silver, can also be found.

On the underside of this watch, you can find a transparent caseback. This caseback is used to guard a powerful TAG Heuer Calibre 5 movement. Held together by 25 jewels, this self-winding movement beats at an efficient 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz) and possesses an average 38-hour power supply. Finally, this watch also has a depth rating of 100 metres, matching the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium.

The TAG Heuer Carrera Ref. WBN2012.BA0640 sells at around $2,299 USD.

2. Seiko Prospex Ref. SRPB41J1

For an alternative to the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium with a different, more sophisticated style, check out the Seiko Prospex Ref. SRPB41J1. This watch utilises a 40.5mm stainless steel case, along with a matching five-link stainless steel bracelet. 

Even at a glance, you can probably guess that the dial is the true highlight of this watch. This watch is part of the Seiko Cocktail Time collection, which offers a series of refined timepieces, all of which are inspired by different cocktail drinks. The Ref. SRPB41J1, in particular, is also known as the Blue Moon, and its dial is inspired by the cocktail of the same name.

This dial shows off an exquisite blue-black finish with a mesmerising sunburst pattern. It is also adorned with pointed applique indices, bevelled dauphine hands, and a date aperture outlined in silver, all of which flawlessly complement the dark watch face. A scratch-resistant Hardlex crystal is added on top of the dial, guarding it against any external threats.

Underneath this gorgeous watch face, you can find an in-house Calibre 4R35. You can also admire this automatic Seiko movement at work through the watch’s see-through caseback. Held together by 23 jewels, it beats at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3Hz) and possesses a solid 41-hour power reserve. One downside to this watch, however, is that as a dress piece, it comes with a depth rating of just 50 metres, which is much less than the water resistance offered by the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium. 

This Seiko Prospex watch costs just $439 USD.

Final Thoughts

Tissot is easily one of the brands at the top of the watchmaking game, designing rugged, stylish, and long-lasting watches for its patrons and the general public. The release of the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium Ref. T127.407.11.041.00 once again proves the brand’s excellent craftsmanship and superior designs. This timepiece possesses a classic, robust build, while also being fitted with top-tier features. Despite being built like a hardy sports watch, its dressier style adds a lot of versatility to this timepiece, making this one of the best casual, everyday timepieces that money can buy. 

All images courtesy of Amazon.com unless otherwise stated.

Featured image courtesy of Amazon.com.

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