Don't miss the next drop
Tissot has always occupied a fascinating place in the Swiss hierarchy. Founded in Le Locle in 1853, the house has consistently punched above its price point, delivering genuinely well-made watches with movements and finishing that rival brands charging considerably more. The Seastar line, introduced in the late 1950s, became one of Tissot’s most enduring families, a versatile collection spanning everything from dressy automatics to capable sport watches. By the 1970s, the Seastar was Tissot’s workhorse, and the ref. 44660 is a quintessential example of what the brand did best during this era: clean, confident design powered by reliable in-house calibers.
Inside this example beats the cal. 786-2, a robust automatic movement signed “Cie Tissot & Fils” on the rotor. The movement is visible with the caseback removed for photography and shows the warm rose gold toned rotor and plates that Tissot used across its automatic range during this period. It’s a dependable, well-proven caliber with a date complication at 3 o’clock, and the “T Swiss Made T” designation on the dial confirms tritium luminous material on the hands and markers.
This particular example has a story to tell, and it starts with the dial. The silver sunburst surface is scattered with a distinctive red speckle, concentrated most heavily around the center of the dial and radiating outward. This is lume particulate, tiny fragments of the original tritium compound that have slowly released from the gold handset over the course of decades, settling on the dial surface like a fine dusting of rust-colored pollen. It’s entirely organic, entirely irreversible, and entirely fascinating. To us, it gives this Seastar a character that no factory finish could replicate. The applied gold stick markers remain crisp throughout, and the “Automatic Seastar” script with Tissot’s starburst emblem sits cleanly in the lower half of the dial. The gold tone case shows honest wear at the edges and lugs consistent with a watch that was worn proudly and regularly.
The caseback tells its own story. Engraved in clean block letters: “Harry F. Rau, 21 Years Service, Bell Transit Co.” This was a presentation piece, a reward for more than two decades of dedication. There’s something genuinely appealing about a watch that carries this kind of provenance. It wasn’t bought on a whim or tucked in a drawer. It was earned, and the lume dust on the dial is proof it was worn for years afterward. The inner caseback carries the Tissot shield, “Fond Acier Inoxydable,” and the ref. 44660-1X designation.
As a complete package, this Seastar offers warm gold tones, a dial unlike any other example you’ll find, and a human story etched into the steel. Paired here on a forest green OTTUHR strap that plays beautifully against the gold case, it’s a watch with real soul at a very approachable price point.
