ReviewRetro Revival: The Tissot Sideral S Makes A Groovy Summer Comeback

Let’s dial back to the sun-soaked beach days of 1971—when the need of the hour was for sports watches to become more robust as well as lighter in weight yet offer a refreshing design solution. Enter, the Tissot Sideral S, featuring the brand’s newly developed lightweight fibreglass case from 1969 but with a serious splash of summer hues, offering vibrant contrast against the monochromatic competition of the time. This instant watchmaking hit stood out thanks to the dial’s regatta timer along with an eye-catching red seconds hand and five-minute countdown indicators on its bezel and—a total horological triumph at the time. More so, it made headlines for being the world’s first fibreglass timepiece. Over 50 years later, the Tissot Sideral S has been revived, featuring the same regatta timer, a more refined silhouette, but with one special ingredient added into the mix. If you know Tissot, you know their penchant for experimenting with unique materials, especially among their flagship pieces and novelties. This time, it’s a case made from forged carbon and steel.

The Future Is Vintage–The Sideral S Is Proof

Evidently, of late, luxury maisons have been fond of digging through archives, rediscovering lost icons of the past and turning them into neo-age wonders. It’s certainly great. But it’s almost as if we see a new retro-inspired watch launch every fortnight. And well, most of these date back to the 1960s and 1970s – This ‘golden age’ of vintage watch design was a time when Royal Oaks, Nautiluses, and Monacos were fresh new market obsessions.

Perhaps one of the most refreshing retro revivals of 2023 is the Tissot Sideral S. Back in 1969, the Sideral was imagined as a timepiece that broke tradition. More so, it needed to be light, tough, and accessible—the same factors that led to its massive success. Two years later, the Sideral S debuted, featuring the iconic yellow rubber strap and an innovative fastening system, which were signature elements of the Sideral family. The title ‘Sideral’ refers to the stars, space and the great technological advances of the time—one of which was humankind setting its first steps on the moon that very year. Its sci-fi aesthetic, unique title, and coincidental timing with NASA’s Apollo 11 mission, developed a craze among young watch enthusiasts. The use of a single piece of Swedish fibreglass case was also alien to the world at the time, adding to its flair.

For the Sideral’s 2023 revival, Tissot brilliantly retain tons of tiny cues that made the original 1971 edition great. However, being a 50-year-old silhouette, a few modern tweaks simply enhanced what was already quite perfect. By modern tweaks, we mean a case in forged carbon and stainless steel and a heftier dose of summer colours. Regatta timers are odd ducks yet intriguing specimens. They were originally designed and crafted for counting down to the start of a sailing race. With each team bearing one, it ensured that they didn’t cross the start line before time. So yes, the Tissot Sideral S does have a use case, although niche but certainly interesting.

Sideral 50 Years Later—Still Summer Ready

While the dial’s black base remains the same, the ring sees more colour options—yellow, grey or blue. Arriving in three colour editions, two of the three—yellow and blue—editions boast straps that match the colour of the dial’s ring. The red-toned edition gets a grey dial ring, which allows it to stand out from the capsule. However, the mix-and-match option of coloured straps allows you to explore a range of combinations with a fresh burst of summer vibrancy.

The red variant comes with a stand-out grey ring on its dial

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Revived in red and ready for action

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Certainly loving how the blue accents spill into the carbon case

The strap options are in various hues

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Sideral And It’s Specifications

The case is undoubtedly the main attraction. Forged out of carbon and stainless steel, it measures 41mm by 46.5mm. The bezel, in textbook ‘sailor watch’ fashion, stretches 39mm in diameter, is made out of black PVD, and moves in a unidirectional manner. What’s interesting about the blue dial variant is that the forged carbon case boasts blue accents–quite a neat touch!

Inside, resides the mechanical, self-winding Powermatic 80 Nivachron calibre, which offers an 80-hour power reserve. It also boasts a new Tissot skeletonised rotor. The dial boasts luminescent hour and minute markers with a regatta countdown using Super-LumiNova—such a bonus! Additionally, there’s a date window at three o’clock. Finally, the strap… Tissot allow you to choose between options of yellow, blue, or red. However, instead of the traditional tang buckle clasp, the straps feature a pin that fits into perforations on the other strap. This creates an integrated design with fewer moving parts. This innovative approach and feat not only adds to the Sideral S’s visual appeal but also ensures a secure and comfortable fit. That’s form and function coming together—two birds, one stone!