Revival of the Tissot Sideral with Forged Carbon Case and Retro Aesthetic

The Tissot Sideral S is one of those historical watches that’s remembered with fondness for its quirky retro qualities. Specifically, it had a fibreglass case and was designed to be bright and colourful in order to appeal to the youth of the 1970s. Now, Tissot have brought the model into the 21^st century with a new collection that pays homage to original’s cutting edge (for the time) design and style. Meet the modern Tissot Sideral.

Naturally, with the original being produced in fibreglass there’s a big question mark as to what material is appropriate for the modern version. Tissot’s answer is pretty elegant: forged carbon. In many respects forged carbon is the modern equivalent of fibreglass, they’re both super lightweight materials that help to push design forwards in their respective eras. In terms of the case itself, the forged carbon has a tonneau shape measuring 41mm in diameter with smooth, curved surfaces. It’s almost reminiscent of the Seiko Turtle, a comparison that’s also emphasised by the Sideral’s 300m water resistance.

Beyond the updated case, the modern Sideral’s design remains surprisingly faithful to the original. The black, unidirectional diving bezel is practically identical to the 1970 version, although there’s a slight technical upgrade in the form of a PVD coating. The dial then features a pronounced minute scale with regatta indication in green and red familiar to the 70s. The minute scale is available in three colours, yellow, grey and blue, with the first two being nods to the original colourways and the blue being a modern addition to the collection.

Another way in which the Tissot Sideral pays tribute to the original is the strap options available. Specifically, it has a perforated rubber strap that is ideal for sports and diving with its comfortable, lightweight and waterproof qualities. More than that, the straps use the original fastening method from the 70s involving twin pins on both ends of the strap that correlate to the central perforations. They’re available in yellow, red, blue, green, black and orange.

Beneath the surface, the watch houses the Powermatic 80 Nivachron automatic movement, Tissot’s premier mechanical movement the same one as used in the revamped PRX from last year.. It has a really solid power reserve of 80-hours and features a new skeletonised rotor that’s visible through the exhibition sapphire caseback. What makes the movement particularly impressive is the value for money, with the Sideral priced at £915. It proves that the Sideral is a great retro watch and one that’s ideal for summer adventures.