Arrows Vintage Watch Blog 8/20/25

Under the Loupe

Tissot Bond Watch photo courtesy of jamesbondlifestyle.com

Recently, I've been diving into a new obsession: Tissot vintage dive watches. This passion came out of the blue, sparked by a recent sale of a Croton diver, a pre-owned vintage watch that had a lot of charm and looked a lot like the famous James Bond Tissot diver. Before that, the Bond watch was really the only Tissot dive watchI knew anything about.

The Tissot Bond watch, or the Tissot PR 516, is in a league of its own. It boasts an almost turquoise dial, a bakelite bezel, and is often worn on an oyster-style bracelet. Some theories suggest it could have been Roger Moore's personal watch, as photos show him wearing it casually behind the scenes of Live and Let Die. Other accounts speculate that the watch was chosen simply because it looks a bit like the iconic Rolex Submariner. But honestly, if you put it next to a standard Submariner, I'd choose the Tissot every time. It's a completely unique and colorful watch that stands out from the crowd.

Tissot T-12 Seastar Visodate Super Compressor photo courtesy of wannabuyawatch.com

While there are countless vintage watches and variations to explore, I wanted to highlight a few that truly caught my eye. One is the 1970s Tissot T-12 Seastar Visodate Super Compressor listed by Wanna Buy a Watch. This is a wonderfully funky example. Its vibrant colors, cushion case, and generous size make it a standout. I'm also enormously biased toward any watch with a crosshair dial, a design element that adds a bit of an edge.

Tissot Seastar Chronograph photo courtesy of finewatchclub.co.uk

Another standout is a truly cool watch, this time a chronograph. This 1970s Tissot Seastar Chronograph from finewatchclub.co.uk is pure style. It features a Valjoux 7734 movement, a blue-accented sub-dial, a red seconds hand, and a date window at the 6 o'clock position. It's the kind of men's vintage accessory that makes a statement without trying too hard.

I haven't always been drawn to dive watches. For a long time, I thought they all looked too similar. It wasn't until I got my hands on (and subsequently sold) some amazing watches like the Benrus, Bulova Snorkel, Croton, and Timex divers that passed through my store, that my perspective shifted. I've realized that the dive watches I appreciate most are the ones with a dash of style. Whether it's a pop of color, a chronograph function, or a great-looking bezel (the last two Bulovas I had were so much fun to wear), I like a little bit of character in my dive watches.

Tissot PR516 Powermatic 80 photo courtesy of tissotwatches.com

Looking forward, I'm going to keep a keen eye out for any vintage Tissot dive watch that comes my way. I’m really into the examples with classic rally bracelets. I even took a look at some modern examples, like the Tissot PR516 Powermatic 80. While I do appreciate its design, vintage watches are more my speed. But I can totally understand the appeal of this modern watch.

Lastly, if you happen to come across a Tissot Bond watch, please send it my way, I would absolutely love one for my personal collection!

Editor’s Picks

Universal Geneve Polerouter Sub photo courtesy of Loupe This

Loupe This has a Universal Geneve Polerouter Sub up for auction. I have a Polerouter Sub in my personal collection, although mine has a blue bakelite bezel and dosn’t have the deco dial. What this example does have is the Universal signed Gay Frères steel bracelet. Trust me from personal experience, these bracelets are hard to come across. Plus if you do happen to stumble upon one, get ready to pay up because from what I’ve seen the bracelet alone goes for over $1000. Something to keep in mind if you’re bidding, especially given the bidding is only at $2000 as of the time I’m writing this.

Movado Acvatic photo courtesy of @michaels.treasures

Next we have a lovely Movado Acvatic from @michaels.treasures on Instagram. I absolutely love the lugs on this watch. Given that this is a very old watch (1940s I believe) it is going to be a bit on the smaller side. With that being said the case design and lugs will make it seem like it wears larger than what you would typically imagine of a watch with a 28mm diameter. With a screwdown crown and being Movado’s first water-resistant case, this watch also carries a bit of historical significance.

Audemars Piguet Quantième Perpetual photo courtesy of @goodeveningvintage

Lastly, this watch is a bit more of a heavy hitter than my usual fare. An Audemars Piguet Quantième Perpetual ref 25657BA with an absolutely nutty perpetual calendar function. This example is from @goodeveningvintage on Instagram. Now I am self-admittedly not a huge fan of AP (especially modern AP which is now a Royal Oak factory) but this watch is absolutely gorgeous, no if ands or buts. What really got to me was the post’s caption, and how it was noted that Patek sells watches like these for three or four times the price. This leads to a larger question like what is “value” really. While I’m not going to go into that, what I will say is that this is one heck of a watch in absolute pristine condition.

In the Shop

This Driva remains what I consider one of the best value buys in the Arrows Vintage store at the moment. One of my big interests is in department store watches, which is exactly what this is. Drive being a small Swiss brand made watches for department stores since back in the day everybody wanted to sell swiss watches. Swiss was almost just to be used synonymous with quality. Anyways I love the sector dial and the clean condition and I think this is the perfect watch for someone who may not own a vintage watch at the moment and be looking to make a first purchase that is both affordable and stylish.

This Pierre Cardin is almost the exact opposite of the Driva. Wouldn’t recommend it as a first watch, but definitely the kind of watch to buy once you already have a few more standard ones in your collection. It’s like saying what do you get the watch collector that has everything, well I’d get him something so unique and space age that it is sure to impress.

A Few More Minutes

Screenshot from whatref.ai

Lastly, and this is not a paid advertisement, I do want to mention a site I've been using recently called Whatref.ai. A friend of mine who, like me, is a fellow collector of Universal Geneve vintage watches (@uni.genie on Instagram), told me he was working on a site that can identify key things about a watch. The site can help with the model, reference number, year, and I've watched it grow since he first told me about it. He made a few tweaks and updates recently that made the site a lot faster and more accurate, so I figured I'd give it a shout out!

The tool is totally free for the most part, but for those who are serious about their watch collection, there are extra bonus features for paid users. For example, there's a "Dial Detector" that can tell you if a dial has been refinished or not. As someone who appreciates original dials on vintage watches, I know how valuable this feature is for watch collectors. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how the site grows in the future!

For a free month of Pro feature use code “FREEMONTH” at checkout, and definitely give my buddy a shout if you like the site!