The superlative “professional grade” is tossed around so much that it almost has no meaning, and if it does, the criteria are very much dependent on the product. As far as dive watches are concerned, I believe “professional grade” requires a helium escape valve because it enables saturation diving — an inherently professional task.
Tissot is one of the few brands offering a diver with a helium escape valve, along with other professional-worthy features like a ceramic bezel insert, crown guard and 600m water resistance, for just over $1,000. The Seastar 2000 is a truly unbelievable deal in terms of pure performance, and now more wearable than ever.
Tissot upgraded the stainless steel Seastar 2000 with a 44mm case width, down 2mm from its 2021 debut, and a 15mm height, which is 1mm slimmer. It doesn’t sound like much on paper, but the new proportions transform it from an absolute leviathan to a daily-wearing option.
Adding to the wearability is a new lug shape with enhanced curvature, allowing the case to hug the wrist. This is complemented by a new midcase design with a sandblasted finish running from the crown guard to the end of the lugs.
Fortunately, none of these improvements impact the Seastar 2000’s performance specs or price. It is still water-resistant to 600m (2000ft, hence the name), thanks to a thick, domed sapphire crystal, a screw-down crown and a screw-on caseback.
Large fencepost hour and minute hands, a lollipop seconds hand and a classic triangle-dot-dash applied index set, all enhanced with Super-LumiNova, create strong lowlight legibility. The ceramic bezel insert features an etched and lacquered 60-minute track to enhance legibility and a lume dot pip.
