ETA · Powermatic 80

Tissot PRX, Gentleman and Seastar power reserve: inside the Powermatic 80

The Tissot PRX, Gentleman, Seastar 1000 and most other modern Tissots run on the Powermatic 80, which lasts about 80 hours off the wrist. That's three and a third days, enough to sit out a full weekend in a drawer.

Updated September 2026 · Based on manufacturer specs, published reviews and watchmaker/owner reports

Watches that use the Powermatic 80

If you own a mechanical Tissot bought in the last decade, it very likely has a Powermatic 80 inside. The same ETA C07 family also powers watches from Certina, Mido and Hamilton, sometimes under a different name. Hamilton's version has its own page as the H-10.

Specs at a glance

History and where it came from

Tissot announced the Powermatic 80 at Baselworld 2012, and Monochrome dates the underlying ETA C07.111 to 2011. Underneath, it's a heavily reworked descendant of the ETA 2824-2 and keeps the same 25.6 mm footprint. The big change is the power reserve: 80 hours instead of the 2824's roughly 38.

ETA got there in two ways. The mainspring and barrel were redesigned to store more energy, and the balance was slowed from 4 Hz to 3 Hz, so every hour of running uses less of it. To keep timekeeping stable at the lower beat, ETA dropped the regulator arm in favor of a balance that's adjusted at the factory. That's a layout more common in watches costing several times as much.

The movement is supplied only to Swatch Group brands. Tissot and Certina call it the Powermatic 80, Hamilton calls its version the H-10, and Mido calls its version the Caliber 80. Part of the reason it exists is that the 2824's patents had expired and clones like the Sellita SW200-1 were everywhere.

"Powermatic 80" covers a family, and the differences matter. The base C07.111 has 23 jewels because its escape wheel and pallet fork are made of a synthetic polymer; its rotor usually reads "High-Tech Escapement". The 25-jewel C07.6xx versions, used by Hamilton and Mido, have a traditional metal escapement with ruby pallet stones. The C07.8xx versions add a silicon balance spring, as in the Tissot Gentleman Silicium. Rotor engravings ("Twenty-Three Jewels" versus "Twenty-Five Jewels") are the quickest way to tell them apart.

Accuracy in the real world

Tissot doesn't publish an accuracy spec for a standard PRX, Seastar or Le Locle. Owner reports on watch forums are generally good: many describe single-digit daily rates out of the box, and silicon-spring versions like the Gentleman often stay within a few seconds a day for years. Monochrome quoted +3/-5 seconds a day for the Gentleman Silicium, though Tissot doesn't list that figure on every reference. Some owners report worse, so there's variation from watch to watch.

In theory a 3 Hz balance is slightly less stable than a 4 Hz one. In practice the free-sprung balance helps: with no regulator pins touching the hairspring, the rate holds up better as the mainspring runs down, which is exactly when a long weekend tests a watch.

The catch is adjustment. There's no regulator arm to nudge. A watchmaker regulates it with the small screws on the balance rim, which takes more skill, and some independent shops won't touch it. That's where the "can't be regulated" reputation comes from. It can be regulated, just not by everyone.

Reliability and servicing

The architecture is proven, and there's no known systemic failure. The question owners raise is servicing, not reliability.

• Brand service. Tissot and the other Swatch Group brands service it, and often swap in a new or refurbished movement rather than rebuilding yours.
• Independents. Swatch Group restricts parts to its own network and to certified watchmakers. A good independent can service a PRX, but finding one who will takes more asking around than it would for an ETA 2824.
• Worst case. The C07 shares the 2824's footprint, and watchmakers report that a 2824 or SW200 can be fitted in a Powermatic 80 case, so a watch is unlikely to be left unrepairable.

The polymer escapement in the C07.111 draws a lot of debate. Critics see cost-cutting. Supporters point out that it needs no oil and isn't affected by magnetism. There's no strong evidence yet that it wears out faster in normal use. If it bothers you, buy a 25-jewel version.

Quirks worth knowing

• Slower sweep. At six beats a second, the seconds hand looks slightly less smooth than a 4 Hz Swiss movement's. You'll notice it side by side; most people don't otherwise.
• Takes a while to fill. An 80-hour mainspring has a lot to wind. From stopped, give it 30 to 40 turns of the crown rather than relying on a morning at your desk.
• The date. It has a quickset date. As with most date movements, don't set it late at night. Here's why.
• Name confusion. Tissot's product pages often list only "Swiss automatic" or the size "11½'''", not the caliber number. Check caseback photos if the version matters to you.

How it compares

• ETA 2824-2 / Sellita SW200-1: a faster 4 Hz beat and any watchmaker can service them, but less than half the reserve. For people who rotate watches, the reserve matters more.
• Seiko 6R35: the closest rival on paper, also 3 Hz with a 70-hour reserve. Its official tolerance is looser (-15/+25 s/day).
• Seiko NH35: cheaper, simpler and easy to swap, but only 41 hours and a much wider tolerance.
• Tissot Swissmatic: Tissot's cheaper, sealed, 72-hour automatic. It can't be serviced the usual way.

Living with the 80-hour reserve

Eighty hours is the headline for a reason. Take your Tissot PRX off at 6pm on Friday and it's still running at 2am on Tuesday. A full weekend in a drawer won't stop it, which a 38-hour 2824 can't promise. It's why the PRX and Seastar suit a two- or three-watch rotation so well.

The thing to plan for is refilling it. A desk day adds less charge than you'd think, and a spring that went into the weekend half-empty won't last until Tuesday. If you've swapped to a diver for a week's holiday, the Gentleman at home will have stopped by the time you're back. Watch Winder counts down this 80-hour reserve for each watch you own and reminds you before it stops. To check a specific weekend, try the "Will my watch stop?" calculator.

Verdict

The Powermatic 80 is the most useful upgrade to an affordable Swiss movement in a generation, and it's the main reason the PRX and Gentleman are such easy recommendations. You get an 80-hour reserve, a free-sprung balance and, in current versions, good resistance to magnetism, at entry-level prices. The trade-offs are real: the base version has a polymer escapement, parts are restricted to Swatch Group, and fewer independents will regulate it. Buy a 25-jewel or Silicium version if you care, service it through the brand, and enjoy not resetting it every Monday.

FAQ

How long does a Tissot PRX run off the wrist?

A fully wound Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 runs for about 80 hours, roughly three and a third days. If it was only partly wound when you took it off, it will stop sooner.

Does the Tissot PRX hack and hand-wind?

Yes. The Powermatic 80 in the PRX stops the seconds hand when you pull the crown to set the time, and you can wind it by hand through the crown.

How accurate is the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80?

Tissot doesn't publish a single figure for every reference, but the Gentleman's silicon-spring version is widely reported to run within a few seconds a day. Monochrome quoted +3/-5 seconds a day for it.

Why did my Tissot Seastar stop after two days?

Most likely it wasn't fully wound. The 80-hour figure is from a full spring, and light wear or desk days may leave it well short of that. Wind it 30 to 40 turns by the crown to fill it.

Does the Powermatic 80 have plastic parts?

The base 23-jewel C07.111 uses a synthetic escape wheel and pallet fork. The 25-jewel versions, including the silicon-spring ones, use a conventional metal escapement with ruby pallets.

Is the Powermatic 80 the same as the Hamilton H-10 and Mido Caliber 80?

Broadly, yes. All three are ETA C07 movements with an 80-hour reserve. Hamilton and Mido typically use the 25-jewel metal-escapement versions.

Can a watchmaker regulate a Tissot PRX?

Yes. There's no regulator arm, so it's adjusted with screws on the balance rim, which takes more skill. Brand service centers do it routinely; some independents decline.

Sources

• Monochrome: Swatch Group's Powermatic movement, a powerful entry-level engine
• Monochrome: 3 watches from Certina, Hamilton and Tissot with Powermatic movement
• Tissot: PRX Powermatic 80 35mm product page
• Mido: Ocean Star 200C product page

Watches we've reviewed with the Powermatic 80

• Tissot Ballade Powermatic 80 COSC review (39mm)
• Tissot Chemin des Tourelles Powermatic 80 review
• Tissot Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium review
• Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80 review
• Tissot PR516 Powermatic 80 review
• Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 review
• Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80 review
• Tissot Visodate Powermatic 80 review (T157.407)

Keeping it running

• On an average day an automatic gains roughly 4 hours of reserve per hour on the wrist, so about 20 hours of wear fills the Powermatic 80. Desk days charge more slowly.
• Most automatics can also be wound by the crown. If yours has stopped, a few dozen turns gets it going before you put it on.
• Off the wrist it stops about 80 hours after it was last full. Stopped sooner?
• On a watch winder, start at about 650 turns per day, both directions. Winder settings for every movement.
• If it does stop, don't set the date between 9pm and 3am. Check if it's safe.

All ETA movements · Other 80-hour movements

Never let it stop

Watch Winder counts down the reserve of every watch you own and reminds you before one stops. It already knows the Powermatic 80: type your watch's name and the reserve fills itself in.

Manufacturer's published figure. Real reserve varies with the watch's age and service; check your manual.