Tissot Seastar Seven information sought

rensvdberg · Jan 20, 2020

Hi,

I stumbled upon this Tissot Seastar Seven Automatic and I'm considering buying it. It is recently been serviced. The crown is original and I don't think it is a redial.
However I have one concern. At the 8 and 12 hands is some yellow tarnish forming. I assume this is the age of the watch since this watch was introduced in the early/mid 60s (right?). My question is, is the tarnish going to expend over time and how can this be stopped?
Also the watch is listed for 200 euros without box and papers. Is this a reasonable price for this particular watch?

dx009 · Jan 20, 2020

It's not mandatory that dials get such marks over time. It has to do with how the watch was used/stored/worn or, perhaps, various accidents.
The watch is from the 1970s btw.

The hands don't have any lume, apparently. Did it fall off or is this how it was designed ? (usually it should have had lume but I don't know this particular model) Tbh I wonder whether they are the original ones for the watch. Might be replacements...

I don't know what caused the marks. Usually if you take good care of it and if it has been cleaned/treated accordingly it shouldn't spread but sometimes the damage to the paint/laquer can cause it to flake as time goes by but those are pretty extreme cases of damage.

Is the seller based in India/South-America by any chance ? Be careful of those. Can't tell for sure if the dial is genuine. Seems a bit suspicious... The positioning of the swiss made... the ink...

Looks a bit like this one but there are slight differences. Seconds hand, dial font is a bit different... Case has been polised, definitely.

Vitezi · Jan 20, 2020

Hello @rensvdberg and welcome to the forum!

The Seastar Seven was introduced by Tissot in 1964. The "Seven" refers to seven "essential qualities" that Tissot felt set the watch apart from others in the same price range. It must have been true, as the model line was quite successful.

The yellow tarnish that you mention is probably a deterioration of the dial coatings. It's what watch collectors refer to as "patina." Some folks think patina adds a vintage charm to a watch while others hate it.

If the tarnish bothers you, you should look for another example. There are dozens of Seastar Seven models available on eBay (and many of them look brand new) so you should take your time to find one that is really nice.

If you choose to hunt for another example, look for one that has an unpolished case with crisp, sharp edges that look like it just left the factory. Also, look for an example that retains some lume on the hands. Even though the luminous material no longer glows, it's better than having a hole in the hands where the lume should be.

However, if you're happy with the example you found, €200 including a service is not out of line for a price on these. You can find cheaper prices on eBay but you will need to factor in the cost of a service if you intend to wear it as a timepiece.

Willbur · Jan 20, 2020

I don't know why but I'm not confortable with this dial....
Regarding the service, if there is no official bill from a watchmaker, let consider that it's not done.
It's may work properly or not .....

Be aware that SeastarSeven are front loader and that you will have to remove the crystal to have access to the movement.

If you want a SeastarSeven, let search for one with the engrave boat behind.

Spruce · Jan 20, 2020

I have a soft spot for the (long title alert) Tissot Visodate Automatic Seastar Seven. These have a less clunky case/profile than the other Seastar varieties I’ve owned and I’ve always enjoyed wearing them. The drawback is that they are front loaders and (in my experience) not every watch repairer is comfortable servicing them.

Willbur · Jan 20, 2020

No difficulties to manage front loader especially for a watchmaker.

rensvdberg · Jan 20, 2020

dx009
It's not mandatory that dials get such marks over time. It has to do with how the watch was used/stored/worn or, perhaps, various accidents.
The watch is from the 1970s btw.

The hands don't have any lume, apparently. Did it fall off or is this how it was designed ? (usually it should have had lume but I don't know this particular model) Tbh I wonder whether they are the original ones for the watch. Might be replacements...

I don't know what caused the marks. Usually if you take good care of it and if it has been cleaned/treated accordingly it shouldn't spread but sometimes the damage to the paint/laquer can cause it to flake as time goes by but those are pretty extreme cases of damage.

Is the seller based in India/South-America by any chance ? Be careful of those. Can't tell for sure if the dial is genuine. Seems a bit suspicious... The positioning of the swiss made... the ink...

Looks a bit like this one but there are slight differences. Seconds hand, dial font is a bit different... Case has been polised, definitely.

Thanks for all the info! Seller is based in The Netherlands. Good point about the lumen missing, I didn't notice that yet. I think it is better to look for another better example!
Thanks again!

rensvdberg · Jan 20, 2020

Thanks everyone for the help, It's really good to get a second opinion from other people because I didn't notice obvious flaws (like the lumen missing) because I was so excited about the watch.
Thanks everyone!

Etienne · Oct 22, 2021

Spruce

I have a soft spot for the (long title alert) Tissot Visodate Automatic Seastar Seven. These have a less clunky case/profile than the other Seastar varieties I’ve owned and I’ve always enjoyed wearing them. The drawback is that they are front loaders and (in my experience) not every watch repairer is comfortable servicing them.

I have the same one as yours ,I love it

Retro_Rabbit · Mar 12, 2022

The lume is Tritium, It's not uncommon for it to have been such a dried up, flaky state that a watchmaker/ jeweller would have removed it. Chances are it would be as useless as the lume that was in my '70s Omega Geneve. I wouldn't let 40 or 50 year old missing lume stop me buying a watch I like, for the right price.
I only comment on this post to maybe let people that don't know, know, having an old tritium lumed watch re-lumed at it's next service isn't an expensive thing, in fact, if you're willing to pop the crystal out (puff of air through the crown tube does it, crystal down on a cushion, to avoid sending it across the room) you can do it yourself for a couple of bucks... just, don't go mad with it. Also applies to models where you take the back off and pop the movement out, obviously.
When buying a watch from the '60s or '70s, I personally think factoring in the cost of a service is the best way to go.
Re-lume and a quick dial clean adds very little to the cost, if anything at all (depending who does it... I hear Rolex charges quite heavily for it).

TIMElyBehaviour · Mar 12, 2022

I had a 1960’s one. Loved it but it was a tad too small for the wrist. I do miss it though.

b-lilja · Mar 12, 2022

Those photos aren't great. On Ebay, that can sometimes be a plus but a roll of the dice in terms of getting something for a lower price - I have gotten a number of great deals that way. Otherwise, I would want to see better photos - hard to tell if been polished, etc..

Tissot Seastar Seven information sought

rensvdberg

dx009

Vitezi

Willbur

Spruce

Willbur

rensvdberg

rensvdberg

Etienne

Retro_Rabbit

TIMElyBehaviour

b-lilja

Similar threads

Got a Tissot SeaStar for 8$ USD

Vintage Tissot Seastar Navigator Panda Valjoux 7734 Chronograph

Vintage Tissot Seastar chronograph from the 60's

Anyone seen other Tissot Seastar wrist 'Alarm' dials vs 'Sonorous'?

Rare Tissot Seastar Automatic from the 70's

Tissot Seastar Alarm - c1969 mechanical wrist alarm - reduced $595