Tissot revives the trailblazing Sideral with a new forged carbon case (live pics)
Borna BošnjakThe 1970s were a spawning ground for all things weird and wonderful in design, leaving behind the classical, restrained designs of the mid-century aesthetic. Bullhead chronographs, TV cases and the idea of steel as a luxury material emerged in the watch world, along with some truly unique trailblazers getting lost amid the flurry of change. One such watch was the Tissot Sideral. Sporting a monobloc case made of fibreglass and Bakelite, the Sideral family was home to a variety of watches, with a 1971 addition inspiring the Sideral’s revival today. Rather than using a fibreglass-Bakelite mix, however, Tissot has plumped for forged carbon instead, opting for a much more resilient and modern material that acknowledges the 50-year gap between the model’s releases.
The Time+Tide Shop is the exclusive launch partner for the launch of the Tissot Sideral collection.
First of all, what the heck is this thing?
The 2023 revival of the Tissot Sideral is inspired by that first-ever fibreglass and Bakelite case watch that Tissot launched in 1971. The monobloc case, unique strap fastening system and the regatta-timing rotating bezel and dial markings were a truly novel blend for Tissot. The Sideral family as a whole featured funky shapes – from lugless bullhead chronographs to tiny 33mm monobloc-cased watches. For its time, the Sideral S was somewhat of a giant measuring in at 42mm. The hidden lugs of the case certainly helped with that, although its selection of bold colours didn’t make it stand out any less. Accessible only through the front due to its monobloc design, the watches were powered by the Tissot 784 calibre, a low-beat 18,000vph movement with a respectable 35-45 hour power reserve.
Young materials for a young watch
That is the very tagline that Tissot used to market the Sideral’s innovative case material back in the ’70s, and I could see them easily being repurposed for the model’s revival. The forged carbon cases measure in at 41mm in diameter and 46.5mm lug-to-lug, making for a relatively compact wear on the wrist, and one that will be helped by the lightweight nature of the material. Stepping inwards from the case is the black PVD bezel, measuring in at 39mm and reducing the visual bulk further, graduated with a hybrid of regatta timing and dive time scales. Its monobloc construction and stainless-steel screw-down crown ensure 300 metres of water resistance. Finally, the blue Sideral model deserves special mention here, as Tissot imbued the forged carbon composite with streaks of blue which, not gonna lie, looks so damn cool.
Even though the dials are lifted from the Sideral S from 1971, Tissot has done a good job of staying true to the `70s feel of the Sideral, complete with the period-correct Tissot logo, but cleaning it up a bit by removing the Sideral logo. The rest of the dial is pretty much a one-to-one copy of the original, with a coloured railroad minute track (colour-matched in the blue and yellow models, grey in the red model) and regatta timing indication in the first 10 minutes. Another small change is the addition of a T-shaped counterbalance to the seconds hand. While I’m not exactly a fan of this on some Tissot models, it’s perfectly quirky for a very quirky 1970s-inspired watch, and a great fit in my opinion.
The final update is round the back. Tissot, and its Swatch group counterparts at a similar price point, have been the frontrunners in terms of the movement game, as the Powermatic 80 offers excellent performance for the money. Visible through a see-through, screw-down, stainless-steel caseback, the Powermatic 80 Nivachron calibre gets a new semi-skeletonised rotor, though there is no other decoration to speak of.
Tissot Sideral 2023 collection pricing and availability:
The Tissot Sideral collection is available now, currently exclusively available from the Time+Tide Shop (Australia only) and Tissot boutiques. Price: A$1,550
| Brand | Tissot |
| Model | Sideral |
| Reference Number | T145.407.97.057.00 (yellow) T145.407.97.057.01 (blue) T145.407.97.057.02 (red) |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 46.5mm (L2L) |
| Case Material | Forged carbon and stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 300 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Black with regatta timer indication |
| Strap | Perforated rubber with Tissot Sideral fastening system |
| Movement | Powermatic 80 Nivachron, automatic, ETA-produced |
| Power Reserve | 80 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | T+T Shop and Tissot boutiques |
| Price | A$1,550 |