Tissot Classic Dream Powermatic 80 Introduction – Why Are They Almost Absurdly Good?

Tags: Presentation | Tissot | Men's | Classic | Elegance | Traditional

9.1.2026 | 4 MIN

A gateway into the world of automatic watches. Until recently, that role rightfully belonged mostly to the Japanese. But Tissot came up with something that shuffled the deck and started an entirely new game. So why are the Tissot Classic Dream Powermatic 80 actually so good?

The Classic Dream line is not new; it has been in Tissot’s collection for as long as I can remember. Their reputation, however, was… well. The quartz versions offended no one (nor did they exactly excite), but the automatic ones could rub some watch enthusiasts the wrong way. The original movement was called Swissmatic, and it occupies a slightly controversial position.

The Swissmatic movement essentially derives from Swatch’s Sistem 51 technology. It uses some metal components rather than synthetics, most notably a metal rotor. It’s a very bare-bones, efficiency-driven movement that’s produced entirely by machines and, importantly, it’s “disposable.” In the event of any malfunction, Tissot simply swaps it for another unit. And it doesn’t even feature hacking seconds.

The Swissmatic’s main advantage was undeniably its affordability, and thus a kind of competitiveness against Japanese automatics (though it never quite matched them—just look at the Bambino or the Tsuyosa…).

Then at the end of 2025, Tissot released the Classic Dream again. And better. Much better.

Swissmatic was sidelined, and the Classic Dream got the far superior Powermatic 80 movement. What’s more—they’re even cheaper! And also thinner, smaller, better finished, better looking… in short, everything here is just right. Only now can we say with a clear conscience that Tissot qualifies as an excellent candidate if you’re after your first truly affordable and reliable automatic watch.

You’d think we could have seen it coming. A few years ago, the Gentleman saw a similar upgrade. But those didn’t get such dramatically more attractive pricing and finishing over the previous version.

The Classic Dream now comes in a more contemporary 40 mm diameter, which suits its elegant, dressy design far better than 42 mm. On the wrist it wears balanced, likely thanks to the graceful proportions and solid construction (height comes in at just 10.23 mm). Tissot also gave the simple sunburst dial room to breathe, and the bezel is reduced to a thin ribbon of stainless steel.

Add to the positives the increased 50 m water resistance, of course a sapphire crystal, and also a wide choice of dial colors and metals (PVD). Besides steel there’s yellow gold, rose gold, bicolor, plus blue, silver and black sunburst dials—take your pick. Each watch is available on a leather strap or a steel bracelet.

The sharply faceted applied indices and dauphine hands also make a fine impression, and what we have here is a design that works brilliantly as a dress watch yet just as well for daily wear—made even more attractive by an impressively accurate mechanical movement with a long power reserve at this price point.

The movement takes center stage

As a rule, if you want to spend less than around €600 on an automatic watch, you have to accept certain compromises in accuracy. Looking at the usual Japanese brands that dominate the mechanical segment at this price—Seiko, Citizen and Orient—you know their movements will run within ±20 to ±40 seconds per day. That’s just how it is.

Mechanical watches from the big Swiss brands at such low prices hardly exist (Entry models typically sit around €800; among the more affordable options you’ll find at most something with a Sellita SW-200, which has a stated base accuracy of ±12 to ±30 seconds per day).

With the Tissot Classic Dream, however, we get a movement with an 80-hour power reserve, an anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring, and a stated, impressive accuracy of -4 to +10 seconds per day… The average deviation thus amounts to just ±7 seconds per day, which nearly reaches COSC-level precision.

There isn’t much to discuss in terms of decoration with this movement, so Tissot cleverly covered it with a solid caseback that practically begs for a personal engraving.

How is it possible that we’re looking at Swiss watches this affordable with no technical or design concessions made? The whole thing borders on the absurd.

The answer likely rests with Tissot’s management. But given the steep price increases across the Swiss watch industry in response to the 39% tariff President Trump imposed on U.S. importers of goods made in Switzerland, Tissot appears to have deliberately chosen a different approach. Who knows.

What do you think? Have you tried them on yet?

Photo credits: Official manufacturer images, Monochrome Watches

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