Dive Deep With The Sized-Down Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional Powermatic 80

There is always something to learn. For instance, did you know that sea stars have a massive depth range, living everywhere from shallow, sunlit intertidal zones to the pitch-black ocean floor? Many species prefer tide pools, but some deep-sea varieties thrive at astonishing depths of up to 9,000 meters (29,500 feet)! Not even the new Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional can go this deep, as it “only” keeps ticking to a depth of 2,000 feet, or 609.6 meters. It will, however, be able to dive to where the common sea star (Asterias rubens) lives. This adaptable predator dwells in both shallow and deep coastal waters, thriving at depths of up to 600 meters. Wearing Tissot’s latest “sea monster,” an impressive tool watch even though it has been sized down from 46 × 16.25 to 44 × 15.29 millimeters, will ensure you get back to the surface in time.

Since size matters now more than ever, it seems, let’s talk about the 44mm case diameter of the new Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional. Is a 44mm watch still relevant in times when people often claim that 39mm watches are too big? I will bluntly state that a 44mm-diameter case for a watch designed to work at a depth of 2,000 feet is perfectly fine, makes total sense, and is therefore relevant. For this watch to perform flawlessly in terms of readability and water resistance, a sturdy case with ample space for a large, utilitarian dial is essential.

Hands-on with the sized-down Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional

Will the Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional look big on your wrist while wearing swim shorts poolside? Absolutely. Was it made for lounging by the pool? Not really. But, indeed, most of the Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional watches sold won’t ever see a sea star at a depth of 2,000 feet. But we’re still going hands-on with three variations of Tissot’s latest “monster diver.”

Tissot sent us three of the five new Seastar 2000 Professional references. All three have steel cases; the two missing are also steel but have a black coating. The version with the stormy gray dial costs €995, and the ones with a blue or orange fumé dial paired with a rubber strap cost €975. The two absent, black-coated versions, one with a blue dial and the other with a black dial, are slightly more expensive at €1,025.

Spec list? Check!

You could say you get a lot of depth for around €1k. If you look only at the specifications, the Seastar 2000 Professional is hard to beat. This watch, like its bigger predecessor, complies with the ISO 6425 standard and has a helium escape valve at 9 o’clock. Furthermore, the steel case with crown guards has brushed and polished surfaces, lending it a touch of luxurious allure. The dials are legible and subtly decorated, and there’s a unidirectional bezel featuring a ceramic insert and an engraved 60-minute scale, as you would expect from an upscale diver. The presence of a see-through case back makes sense in this price category, which is just one step above most quartz watches. It reassures the wearer and helps the watch owner tell a story about his deep-diving micromachine that powers itself through wrist movement.

Powering the watch is Tissot’s Powermatic 80 caliber, an evolution of the tried-and-true ETA 2824-2. The Seastar 2000 Professional’s owner can boast of the Nivachron balance spring, which protects the movement against magnetic fields and everyday shocks. Also, there’s the brag-worthy fact that the movement, which beats at 21,600 vph, delivers an impressive 80-hour power reserve. But there is more to this watch than just specs.

Chunky but not bulky

With 44 × 15.29mm dimensions, the Seastar 2000 Professional is an XL watch, but it’s not disproportionately large. I would say its proportions are chunky but not bulky. It’s a substantial deep-diving timekeeper that wears surprisingly easily.

Now, my 44mm Chronoswiss Timemaster wears much bigger because of the length and the positioning of the lugs. The short, 22mm-spaced lugs of the new Seastar help the large diver fit on a medium-sized 18cm wrist like mine. I apologize for not measuring the lug-to-lug length, but trust me when I say it is comfortably short.

Like all Seastars, the latest one has large luminous hands and indexes. Those are straightforward features but also necessities for a dive watch that wants to be taken seriously. The decorative dial pattern is the only frivolity Tissot has allowed this diving instrument. Luckily, the color orange is both functional and fun. The blue version looks the most sophisticated with its matching blue Tropic-style strap, while the gray-dial version on a bracelet is strictly business. Well, it doesn’t have the word “Professional” in its name for nothing, now does it?

Speaking of the bracelet, it features a new diver’s clasp with a security lock and a push-button extension. Yes, this tweak is minor. Still, it’s a practical improvement you’ll appreciate whether you’re sizing the bracelet over a wetsuit or making small adjustments throughout the day. As before, Tissot’s quick-change strap system makes it easy to swap the bracelet for a rubber strap and vice versa.

Wearing the Seastar 2000 Professional

As I said, the Seastar 2000 Professional feels big when you’re in shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops. But when you wear it over the sleeve of a wetsuit, it doesn’t. Still, a large sporty watch combined with a casual outfit doesn’t have to look weird or out of place. I mean, chunky sneakers, wide-leg pants, and oversized shirts are also a thing. Wearing a sizable dive watch with an outfit like that doesn’t look out of place. And since the 44mm Seastar wears well — I prefer it on a rubber strap because it lightens the watch and looks a bit more sophisticated — because of the overall proportions, it won’t bother you during a day of either swimming, reading, bar-hopping, or whatever activities you do in the summer. The big new Seastar would look a bit silly if you wear it with a suit when you go back to the office after your vacation. But so do most 40mm+ dive watches, even when they cost multiples of this Seastar’s price.

Final thoughts

I need to mention another deep-diving watch that won’t break the bank. It’s the 43mm Grade 2 titanium Certina DS Super PH2000M, which has a whopping 2,000m depth rating. The Certina costs €1,395, which is a bit more than the Tissot, but it comes with both a three-row titanium bracelet and an extra strap. The Certina is the more retro-styled diver; the Tissot has a more contemporary look. Which one of these Swatch Group watches featuring the same movement is your favorite? You can tell me in the comments, and you can also vote in the upcoming edition of Sunday Morning Showdown.

Oh, and if you still think the Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional is too big for you, you can look at the 40mm Seastar 1000. That watch is water resistant to a depth of 1,000 feet (about 300 meters), as it reads on the dial. With the smaller Seastar model, you can still dive down to find the bat star (Patiria miniata), which is known for its webbed appearance. You can find this particular species from the shallows down to exactly 300 meters. Happy diving!