Vintage Tissot watches give you Swiss watchmaking from 1853 onward at prices that start well under a thousand dollars. The brand shared an owner and movements with Omega from 1930, so an old Tissot sits closer to an Omega than its price suggests. Here's what to look for, model by model, with prices from the 32 Tissots we've listed.
Old Tissot watches are worth something, and the median price of the Tissots we've listed is $801. Everyday models such as the Seastar sit between about $490 and $600, while 1940s dress watches with the caliber 27 reach $1,370. Rare pieces go far higher, and our Tissot monopusher chronograph from the 1940s sold for $7,498.
The models to know are the Antimagnetique, the Art Deco tanks, the Visodate and Navigator of 1953, the PR 516 and the Seastar. Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son founded the company in 1853 in Le Locle, Switzerland, and Tissot joined Omega in 1930.
Below we start with Tissot's history and then go through the vintage models one by one, with prices and a buying checklist near the end. Every example comes from a Tissot we've sold or have in our shop now.
When someone wants a first Swiss mechanical watch on a small budget, we point them to a 1940s Tissot. You get a hand-wound caliber from the same group as Omega for about half the price of a comparable Omega.
How Old Is Tissot?
Tissot is more than 170 years old. Charles-Félicien Tissot, a case maker, and his son Charles-Émile, a watchmaker, founded the company in Le Locle in 1853. In 1858 Charles-Émile went to Russia and sold Tissot pocket watches across the Russian Empire, which became the company's largest market.
The dates come from Wikipedia's history of Tissot and from Jamais Vulgaire's guide to vintage Tissot. Tissot also says it made the first mass-produced pocket watch with two time zones in 1853, which is the company's own claim.
Vintage Tissot Models at a Glance
The table lists the vintage Tissot families collectors look for. Our prices cover Tissots we've sold or have in stock, as of October 2026, and a dash means we haven't had that model yet.
| Model | Era | Known For | Our Prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antimagnetique | 1930s–1950s | Antimagnetic dress watches, sector dials | $435 – $938 |
| Art Deco tanks | 1930s | Small rectangular cases, cal. 20F | $926 – $1,041 |
| Dress watches, cal. 27 | 1940s | Hand-wound, small seconds | $801 – $1,372 |
| Visodate | From 1953 | Automatic with date, made for the centenary | — |
| Navigator | From 1953 | World-time watch for the centenary | — |
| PR 516 | From 1956 | Robust sports watch, later chronographs | — |
| Seastar | 1960s–1990s | Automatic everyday watch, day-date models | $492 – $1,932 |
| Heritage reissues | 1990s | Quartz Art Deco tanks | $703 – $2,275 |
The Vintage Tissot Models One by One
Each family has its own character and price range. Where we've had one in our shop, we show it below the entry.
Antimagnetique
Tissot says it introduced the first antimagnetic watch in 1929–30, and "Antimagnetique" became a word you'll find on Tissot dials for decades. These are simple hand-wound dress watches, and the best of them have sector or two-tone dials. We've sold them between $435 and $938, which makes them the cheapest way into a 1930s to 1950s Swiss watch.
Art Deco Tanks
Like Omega, Tissot made small rectangular tanks in the 1930s. Our two-tone tank with a sector dial and the caliber 20F measured 22mm across and sold for $926, and a plain 1930s Art Deco tank sold for $1,041.
1940s Dress Watches With the Caliber 27
The hand-wound caliber 27 appears in the 1940s Tissots we like best. We've sold a Calatrava-style watch, ref. 6702-15, with a silver dial for $1,372. A two-tone "bullseye" went for $1,246, and we sold two early waterproof models from the 1940s for $801 each.
Visodate and Navigator
Tissot launched both in 1953 to mark its hundredth year. The Visodate is an automatic with a date window, and the Navigator is a world-time watch with city names around the dial. Jamais Vulgaire puts a vintage Visodate at around €400 to €600 and a Navigator at €800 to €1,200. We haven't had either in our shop yet.
PR 516
The PR 516 came out in 1956 as a robust everyday watch, and from 1965 Tissot linked it to motor racing. Later chronograph versions used the Lemania 1873 movement, the same base found in other Swiss chronographs of the time. Jamais Vulgaire estimates a vintage PR 516 at €500 to €800.
Seastar
The Seastar is the easiest vintage Tissot to find, with models from the 1960s to the 1990s. The Seastars we've had are automatics with a date or day-date, and they cost between about $490 and $600 in our shop. The 1970s Seastar Seven "UFO" stands apart, and our new-old-stock example with the automatic caliber 781-2 and a 40mm case sold for $1,932.
Heritage Reissues
In the 1990s Tissot brought back the Art Deco tank as the Heritage line, with quartz movements. The ones we've had were well made and easy to wear, even though they're reissues of the 1930s designs. Our Heritage tank ref. Z173K with a two-tone dial and its original box sold for $2,275, and the curved "Banana" sold for $1,029.
Tissot and Omega: The Shared Movements
From 1930 Tissot and Omega belonged to the same group, SSIH, and the two brands shared movements. Jamais Vulgaire notes that the Tissot caliber 2481 in the Seastar also served Omega as the 1481. Our Tissot monopusher chronograph from the 1940s ran on the caliber 15TL, the same base as Omega's caliber 33.3.
In practice, that means a vintage Tissot can carry the same engineering as an Omega of the same years for a lower price. Our article on 10 vintage Omega watches every collector should know shows the Omega side of the family.
What Are Old Tissot Watches Worth?
We've listed 32 vintage Tissots. Their prices run from $435 to $7,498, and the median is $801. Three of them are in stock as of October 2026.
| Type of Tissot | Our Price Range |
|---|---|
| Antimagnetique and 1950s mechanical | $435 – $938 |
| Seastar automatics | $492 – $789 |
| 1990s Heritage quartz tanks | $703 – $2,275 |
| 1940s dress watches, cal. 27 | $801 – $1,372 |
| Rare pieces (Seastar Seven NOS, chronograph) | $1,932 – $7,498 |
The dial and the movement have the biggest effect on a Tissot's price. We'd pay more for an original dial in good condition than for a freshly polished case, and a hand-wound 1940s caliber or a rare chronograph pushes a Tissot well above the median. Gold-plated cases with heavy wear sit at the bottom of the range.
Tissot prices have stayed modest next to vintage Omega and Rolex sports models. We'd suggest buying one because you like it, since we aren't financial advisers and prices can move either way.
How to Tell How Old Your Tissot Is
If you have an old Tissot in front of you, the movement is the best clue to its age. Open the caseback, or ask a watchmaker to do it, and look for the caliber number. In our shop the caliber 20F has turned up in 1930s tanks and the caliber 27 in 1940s dress watches. Our 1970s Seastar Seven ran on the automatic 781-2. A quartz movement points to the 1980s or 1990s.
The dial and the case help too. "Antimagnetique" on the dial suggests a watch from the 1930s to the 1950s, and a Seastar name places it after the 1950s. A reference number inside the caseback, such as 6702-15 on our 1940s Tissot, lets you compare the watch with others from the same period.
Vintage Tissot Watches for Women
Tissot made small watches for women alongside its men's models, and the 1980s and 1990s tanks are the easiest to find today. We sold a 1980s Tank A222 with a salmon dial for $949 and a women's Heritage tank for $703. Our guide to the best affordable vintage watches for women compares Tissot with Omega, Longines and others.
What to Check Before Buying
A vintage Tissot makes a good first vintage watch, and a few checks will help you pay the right price for one.
- The dial. Sector and two-tone dials get refinished. Look for crisp printing and aging that matches the hands.
- The case. Gold-plated cases wear through at the edges and lugs. Check those spots in the photos.
- Vintage or Heritage. A Heritage tank from the 1990s is a quartz reissue, not a 1930s original, so check the movement and the date in the listing.
- The movement. Ask what's inside. A 1940s Tissot should have a hand-wound caliber such as the 27, and a Seastar should be an automatic unless the listing says otherwise.
The Tissot we still talk about is the 1940s monopusher chronograph with the black enamel snail dial. It sold for $7,498, nearly ten times our median Tissot, and it showed us how far a rare dial and a chronograph movement can lift a brand people think of as affordable.
Our new-old-stock Seastar Seven "UFO" from the 1970s was another surprise. Unworn, it sold for $1,932, more than three times what an everyday Seastar brings.
Vintage Tissots We've Sold
Every watch we list stays on our site after it's sold, so you can still see the photos and details. These are some of the Tissots that have found new owners, with the prices they sold for.
Tissot · Seastar
Seastar Seven "UFO", NOS, 1970s
Sold · $1,932
Tissot · Cal. 27
Bullseye Two-Tone Dial, 1940s
Sold · $1,246
Tissot · Heritage
"Banana" Curved Tank
Sold · $1,029
Tissot · Cal. 27
Early Waterproof Model, 1940s
Sold · $801
Tissot · PR 50
Titanium Case, Day Calendar
Sold · $515
You can see the vintage Swiss watches we have now in our Swiss watch collection, with prices as of October 2026.
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