Tissot Lobster - did these ever come with a red dial?

I've been looking out for a Tissot Lobster for more than a year because I quite fancied a bit of 70s funky style, and recently acquired one (silver dial with blue outer ring) in pretty decent condition, complete with the original bracelet, for a reasonable price. It's fast become a favourite.

But these things seem to be like buses, and another one popped up for sale on the 'bay just last week. I don't recall seeing one of these with a red dial before, or with a day-date on the ladies' version. Of course, that's not to say they don't exist, because there are a lot of different Seastar variants out there. But the dials on the lobsters largely tend to a combination of blue & silver if the case is stainless, although I have seen black / charcoal dials on a couple of gold plated examples.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126003242540



This one does look to have been relumed at some point, as I believe the pips should be on the ends of the indices. Not sure about the hands either (I don't think they're right) and the dial's outer ring doesn't seem to sit well around the day / date aperture. The dial itself looks a bit spotty, too.

It sold, and sold quite well.

Any thoughts?

As an aside, I rather like Tissot's Seastar range generally as (the ladies ones at any rate) are nice watches for very little money. I find I'm always keeping an eye out for them.

I cannot help with assessing the red dial but I found another funky variant of the same(?) reference. Unfortunately, the listing of the red dial variant does not show the inside of the case-back. The one below is allegedly marked 38669-02.

Source: https://uhren-kathke.de/uhren-schmuck/a155-tissot-automatik/

Adding a NOS example of a 38834 for posterity.

Source: https://www.chrono24.it/tissot/da-d...do-di-magazzino-nuovo-con-box--id27521233.htm

Yep, that's the "Hamburger Bun" dial version. I think there's a reverse version of this as well. It's brilliantly bonkers and so typically 1970s. 😎


This is the variant that I have, probably the subtlest (!) one of these, although the lume pips on mine are on the ends of the indices rather than on the dial itself. It does seem that they did it both ways, then.

A reverse version of this dial exists too, with a white outer ring and a blue dial. There's one currently for sale on C24, and I think someone on here also has one.

AFAIK the 2381 movement powered all of these.

Oh, and here's mine. Sorry, not the best photo as it's under artificial light, but I'll try and get some better daylight ones. I'm finding out that watches are not the easiest things to photograph well... 😟

Thanks for sharing your insights. I wouldn't mind some lobster on a hamburger bun. These are really neat watches, especially with the bracelet. I will keep an eye out for other dial variants, old catalogs, and advertisements.

That would be lovely @DirtyDozen12 😀

I'll keep my eyes peeled too. I'm thoroughly enjoying mine, it was worth the wait. The dials really pops in the sun, and the bracelet is something else - those solid curved bits are about 3mm thick, but surprisingly comfortable.

Here's a gents' one - ref 44670-1



Currently up for sale on the Birth Year Watches website: https://www.birthyearwatches.com/product/1972-tissot-seastar-lobster-with-box/

Have look in this thread
https://omegaforums.net/threads/vintage-tissot.63179/

My quick and humble guess is yes - because of the Tissot navigator from the time period did come in red.

Would like to call a friend and see if @Vitezi a passionate Tissot fan can help set the record straight.

Cheers
P

Supplementary/FYI Tissot red dial from JimJupiters mega post.
The more I look at the ''817" I got that wrong. Its not a 817 case.
Let me rephrase it like this for now......
An Cal 872 Navigator in Red

https://omegaforums.net/threads/vintage-tissot.63179/#post-814627

Ah, thanks for the heads up @tapaptpat and @Vitezi - muchly appreciated. 😀

I've seen a fair few gents' Tissots from that era with red dials, so I guess it would track that they made ladies' ones as well. That deep red is very attractive. 🥰

The date wheel on the ones both red lobsters posted here seem to be in Spanish, so perhaps the red dial day-date versions weren't made for the English-speaking market...

Adding more photos of the second red-dial example for posterity. Sort of intriguing that the bracelet is marked with 38834, which appears on the case-back of another example posted above, whereas this case-back is marked with 39834.

Mine has 2043-38670 stamped on the bracelet clasp. Which matches that of an identical watch up for sale on Chrono24 UK:

https://www.chrono24.co.uk/tissot/seastar-automatic-lady-lobster--id11089166.htm



So it seems to be that the difference between the 38670 and the 38834 posted upthread HERE is in the placement of the lume pips - on the ends of the indices for the former, and on the dial for the latter.

But it looks like the hands fitted to the blue ones are different to the hands fitted the red ones. And the hands on the hamburger bun dial variant are different still...