Tissot Le Locle Review: The Best Entry-Level Swiss Automatic Watch

Tissot is hands down the best budget watchmaker from Switzerland. This brand has been going strong since 1853. With over 177 years of legacy, Tissot is a well-known name throughout the world.

Among all of the fascinating line-ups from Tissot, Le Locle holds a special place in the users’ hearts and Tissot itself. Tissot used the ‘Le Locle’ name to pay homage to their home and heritage.

Classic design and top-shelf craftsmanship are the two pillars of the success of this marvelous timepiece.

Like many others, you must have the urge to get your hands on this watch. But before you buy, it’s always better to take a deeper dive into the watch, isn’t it?

So, I present you the most comprehensive and detailed Tissot Le Locle Review. Let’s get to it, shall we?  

A Quick Overview of Tissot Le Locle

Tissot Le Locle

Tissot has launched a total of 17 variants of Le Locle. We’d take a closer look at the Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80, a.k.a. the T006.407.16.053.00.

On technical terms, Tissot Le Locle, the one we’re talking about, is an automatic mechanical watch — powered by the Tissot’s prestigious Powermatic 80 caliber.

This particular Tissot le Locle Powermatic is easily identifiable by the black patterned dial with the black leather strap. And, if you’re a savvy watch lover, you may recognize the watch by the see-through case-back.

The inclusion of the Powermatic 80 means that this Le Locle has a power reserve time of 80 hours. It’s a big deal as most of the automatic watches in this price point come with an average power reserve time of 40 hours.

What does it mean?

It means — the watch will continue functioning properly for up to 80 hours even if it doesn’t get any kinetic energy from the movement of your wrist.

So, you’re getting twice the performance!

One thing is for sure — the supreme craftsmanship will make you fall in love with the watch at first glance.

Well, you shouldn’t expect anything less from a brand like Tissot.

Also, the price offers a great value proposition. The official MSRP stands at $575 if you’re from the United States.

However, there’re many retailers; both online and offline can offer better deals. Check this out to find out the best price offering.

Things to Consider Before Buying an Automatic Watch

Automatic Watch

Things get very confusing if you don’t know much about the fundamentals of a watch. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

Okay, so the first thing that you need to know is about — movement or caliber.

Movement or caliber can be used in a vice-versa scenario. But in the general sense, the term ‘movement’ gives a broader idea.

For example, the type of movement is mostly referring to a quartz movement or a mechanical movement.

In a quartz movement, quartz crystals work as the electronic oscillators vibrating at a constant frequency of 32,768Hz. The biggest issue of the quartz movements is that mechanism is completely dependent on an electronic power source, namely a battery.

Although we have seen many innovations, like — solar-powered, light-powered, kinetic, and spring drives, all of them still need a battery.  

A mechanical movement, on the other hand, is not dependent on such an electronic power source. Rather, it gets power from a spiral torsional spring drive (mainspring). A user has to activate the mainspring by rotating the crown manually.

This dependence on manual effort is solved by the upgraded automatic movement that uses a rotor to use the motion of the users’ wrist to activate the spring drive.  

Automatic movements are superior to quartz movements in general.

Now, let’s come to the next point — the case.

The case houses the movement. You should aim at getting a strong case — hopefully, made of stainless steel. At the same time, the crown should feel sturdy and smooth at the same time.

Poor quality watches often come with a rattling or wobbly crown.

The case has a strap so that you can attach it to your wrist. There are some variations of the strap — leather, metal, nylon, or even plastic. Each of these types of straps has different use cases.

For example, leather or metal straps are more suitable for formal wear. Nylon or plastic, on the other hand, is better for swimming or during sports.

Features & Benefits of Tissot Le Locle

Movement – The Power of Powermatic!

Movement

As I said before, Tissot uses their custom Powermatic 80 calibers in this automatic watch. Tissot gets this caliber from ETA, which is a very well-known caliber manufacturer from Switzerland.

The name of the base caliber is ETA C07.111, which is again a custom variant of the common ETA 2824-2.

Yes, ETA 2824-2 is the most popular choice of caliber in the budget Swiss watches. This entry-level caliber offers all kinds of features that you’d look for in an automatic watch.

ETA 2824-2 offers the hacking and hand winding features that we don’t see in the competitive calibers, e.g., the Seiko 7SXX series.

Tissot just changed the power reserve element and replaced it with their proprietary Powermatic 80 feature.  Overall, this is a reliable movement that will serve you for a long time.

Case and the Crystal

Crystal

The round 39.30mm case is made of 316L surgical grade stainless steel. As for those who don’t know, 316L stainless steel is one of the best choices of material for the case.

The matte silver-tone bezel and vertical brushed finish on the side look very premium.

However, the main attraction is the case-back. First of all, this is a clear case-back that allows you to see all the beautiful movement working inside the case. Also, there are some decorations curved in the back. You can find some information about the watch too.

To protect the dial or the watch face, Tissot has included scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, which is the best thing that you can get your hands on.

Tissot has used all the neat little tricks on the book to make the case look and feel premium. There’s nothing to complain about.   

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Dial

Dial

Tissot has kept the dial very simple and elegant — there’s nothing too fancy here. There are two special features of the dial – Tapisserie patterns on the middle of the dial and Roman numerals at the hour markers.

The rich black color complements the silver-tone on the case and bezel.

I find this dial to be simple, elegant, and classic.

Strap

Strap

The strap of the Tissot Le Locle is quite impressive too. The strap is a two-part variant, meaning the topside of the strap is made of genuine leather, and the inside part is made of synthetic material.

Although this is the common practice seen in most of the budget watches, manufacturers often tend to hide the synthetic part.

The good news is that Tissot is not one of those companies disclosing the information in plain words on their website.

Also, the strap is made of cow leather that imitates the looks of the crocodile skin. Upon using it, I felt that the strap is quite plush and feels very comfortable.

I loved the fact that Tissot included a butterfly strap. Butterfly straps are a variant of the deployant straps the fold inside and are kept hidden. The use of a tang and buckle style clasp can’t offer the level of premiumness like a deployant one.

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Detailed Specifications of Tissot Le Locle and What to Expect?

Feature Type Feature Specs What to Expect?
Movement Automatic Mechanical A desirable choice of movement, definitely superior to the quartz counterpart
Caliber No. Powermatic 80.111 Impressive accuracy with a long 80 hours of power reserve time
Base Caliber ETA C07.111 (Based on ETA 2824-2) A reliable choice of caliber coming from an original Swiss manufacturer
Case and Bezel Material 316L Surgical-Grade Stainless Steel One of the best choices of material for the case. Silver-tone color complexion offers better design
Case size 39.3mm Diameter and 9.8mm Thickness Very sleek form factor that complements the classic look
Band Width 18mm Standard size, the strap can be replaced with aftermarket custom straps
Band Material Genuine leather, crocodile lookalike Comfortable and plush
Water-Resistance 30m/99ft. A bit disappointing, but no one’ll probably take a dress watch to the swimming pool
Dial Protection Scratch-Resistant Sapphire The best-in-class; offers the highest level of sturdiness
Weight 67 Grams Lightweight and comfortable to wear

Social Proof: What Other Customer Says About Tissot Le Locle?

Tissot Le Locle is a very popular name in the watch communities. The premium looks and features, combined with the competitive pricing, make a strong case for the watch.

There is hardly any complaint against this masterpiece.

More: Casio Duro Review: Cheap Doesn’t Mean Bad!

Here are some of the reviews coming from genuine buyers –

Social Proof 1
Social Proof 2
Social Proof 3
Social Proof 4
Social Proof 5
Social Proof 6

Alternatives of Tissot Le Locle

Despite the fact that Tissot Le Locle sits in a great position with a great price and fascinating features, there are some viable alternatives.

For example, the Seiko Presage and Hamilton Jazzmaster are some of the best alternatives. Both of these watches offer the same classy, elegant looks, just the Le Locle.

Even the Tissot Chemin des Tourelles, another watch from the same manufacturer, is a greats alternative.

Let’s compare all these watches head-to-head.

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Tissot Le Locle vs. Tissot Chemin des Tourelles

Tissot Chemin des Tourelles

Interestingly, Tissot Chemin des Tourelles, another masterpiece from Tissot, is the best alternative of the Le Locle.

Both watches share about 80% of the same components, like — caliber, case material, strap material, crystal, and even the clasp.

However, Tissot Chemin des Tourelles is slightly better in some cases.

For example, it has better water resistance performance and has better dimensions. Even the dal looks a bit better than the Le Locle.

However, Tissot Chemin des Tourelles is quite expensive.

Tissot Le Locle vs. Tissot Chemin des Tourelles

Factors Tissot Le Locle Tissot Chemin des Tourelles
 Movement Automatic Mechanical   Automatic Mechanical
 Caliber  Powermatic 80.111  Powermatic 80.111
 Base Caliber  ETA C07.111 (Based on ETA 2824-2)  ETA C07.111(Based on ETA 2824-2)
 Case Size  39.3mm 42mm 
 Band Size  18mm 21mm 
Case Material   316L Surgical-Grade Stainless Steel  316L Surgical-Grade Stainless Steel
 Band Material Genuine Leather with Synthetic Inside  Genuine Leather with Synthetic Inside 
 Water Resistance 30m.  50m. 
 Weight 67 grams  79 grams 
 Crystal Scratch-Resistant Sapphire  Domed Scratch-Resistant Sapphire 

Tissot Le Locle vs. Seiko Presage

Seiko Presage

As I’ve suggested an expensive alternative in the previous one, I have added a budget alternative. Seiko Presage SRPB43 might fall behind the Tissot Le Locle, but there are certainly better options in the Seiko presage line-up.

Despite being a cheaper alternative, Seiko Presage is neck-on-neck in the specifications list and offers a similar kind of performance.

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Tissot Le Locle vs. Seiko Presage SRPB43

Factors Tissot Le Locle Seiko Presage SRPB43
 Movement Automatic Mechanical  Automatic Mechanical 
 Caliber  Powermatic 80.111  Seiko 4R36
 Base Caliber  ETA C07.111 (Based on ETA 2824-2)  ~
 Case Size  39.3mm  40.5mm
 Band Size  18mm  20mm
Case Material   316L Surgical-Grade Stainless Steel  Stainless Steel
 Band Material Genuine Leather with Synthetic Inside  Genuine Calfskin Leather 
 Water Resistance 30m.  50m. 
 Weight 67 grams  69 grams 
 Crystal Scratch-Resistant Sapphire   Anti-Reflective Hardlex

Tissot Le Locle vs. Hamilton Jazzmaster

Hamilton Jazzmaster

Both of these watches are extremely close — from design to functionality. In fact, both of them use the same base caliber that is capable of offering 80 hours of power reserve time.

The choice of material is kept the same too. You can see the same material on the case, on crystal, and even on the strap!

However, Hamilton Jazzmaster is a bit expensive option. So, our Tissot Le Locle might just be the better value option!

Tissot Le Locle vs. Hamilton Jazzmaster

Factors Tissot Le Locle Hamilton Jazzmaster
 Movement Automatic Mechanical  Automatic Mechanical 
 Caliber  Powermatic 80.111  Hamilton H-10
 Base Caliber  ETA C07.111 (Based on ETA 2824-2)  ETA C07.111(Based on ETA 2824-2)
 Case Size  39.3mm 40mm 
 Band Size  18mm 20mm 
Case Material   316L Surgical-Grade Stainless Steel  316L Surgical-Grade Stainless Steel
 Band Material Genuine Leather with Synthetic Inside  Genuine Calfskin Leather with Synthetic Inside 
 Water Resistance 30m.  50m. 
 Weight 67 grams  50 grams 
 Crystal Scratch-Resistant Sapphire  Anti-Reflective Sapphire 

Conclusion

We’re at the final leg of our Tissot Le Locle Powermatic automatic review. The quality that you’re getting from this budget swiss watch is astounding. In fact, it could be one of the best value Swiss automatic watches in the market.

So, don’t hesitate if you’re planning to buy this amazing watch — you’ll be proud of it!

If you have any further questions about this watch, let me know in the comments below.