Tissot Powermatic 80 (or ETA C07.111), which is both appreciated and criticized, is a watch movement that attracts attention with its 80-hour power reserve. Inspired by reader letters, this article is a review of the Powermatic 80.
Whether it is handmade from start to finish or produced automatically by robots, the result never changes: the mechanism is the heart and brain of the watch. As it is known, since mechanical watches are not battery-powered, they get their power from the user and show the time accurately thanks to the healthy functioning of the mechanism, and also ensure the operation of other complications such as date or power reserve, if any. The history of watchmaking also tells the history of the development of the mechanism. As can be expected, thousands, tens of thousands of mechanisms have come and gone until today. Now we are in an age where more different mechanisms are produced than ever before. For those who are interested, the mechanism of the watch is an important issue, like water and light. In the world of watches, everything goes round and round and ultimately it comes down to the mechanism. Except for some brands, the main topic of conversations mostly follows this path. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Powermatic 80 is one of the most talked about movements of recent years.
Exaggerated or incorrect information has been circulating among watch enthusiasts for a while about the Powermatic 80 movement, stating that it uses plastic in its structure and does not have a fine adjustment mechanism. I think that putting an end to the confusion experienced when the number of reader letters on this subject increases and taking a closer look at the good and bad aspects of the Powermatic 80 mechanism will help us see the truth.
Since the 1980s, Swatch Group has been surprising and delighting watch enthusiasts with every innovation it has made. The innovations in the PRX collection, which created a sensation as soon as it was released in 2021, especially the recently announced panda dial chronograph models, added a different dimension to PRX designs. However, our topic is about the rumors about the Powermatic 80 mechanism of the best-selling and most talked about models.
First, a definition: Tissot Powermatic 80 is an innovative watch mechanism that is also seen in other Swatch Group brands such as Certina and Mido and has various versions.
The first thing to know about the Powermatic 80 movement is that there is no single movement with this name. There are multiple Powermatic 80 movements with small but significant changes according to functions and material. The first group consists of the version with 23 jewels (80.111, 80.111 COSC, 80.121), and the second group consists of movements with 25 jewels (80.601, 80.661, 80.811 with silicon balance spring and 80.811 COSC). One of the topics of discussion is the use of delrin, a plastic derivative, in the mechanism. Plastic is a word that does not inspire confidence in people, but it is not one of the plastics we know. Delrin, produced by DuPont, is an engineering product that does not retain moisture, is hard, has low friction and high wear resistance, and is also resistant to high temperatures. Powermatic 80 movements with silicon hairspring or COSC feature do not have delrin.
