The Tissot Le Locle | family history
The Tissot Le Locle is named for the Swiss watchmaking city where Tissot has made watches since 1853, and it carries the brand's dress-watch identity. The Powermatic 80 caliber (80-hour power reserve, silicon balance spring) inside a classical round case with applied indices and a solid caseback at under $700 street represents the best-value Swiss dress automatic the catalog tracks. The skeletonized variant is a separate choice; the clean-dial version is the correct one for dress wear.
Tissot’s long-running dress line, named for the Neuchâtel-Jura town the brand has been based in since 1853. The Powermatic 80 version is the modern reference, with the 80-hour-reserve caliber that gave the line its name.
2009-2018 · ETA generation
The original Le Locle carried the ETA 2824-2, a movement with strong service records and wide availability. The classical 39mm case and applied-index dial were unchanged through this period. The solid caseback was a deliberate choice against the trend for exhibition casebacks at this price tier.
No references from this era in the catalog yet.
2018-present · Powermatic 80 upgrade
Tissot moved the Le Locle to the Powermatic 80 caliber with silicon balance spring and 80-hour reserve, maintaining the same case and dial vocabulary. The upgrade improved the watch without changing what made it attractive. Current production is consistent and reliable.
No references from this era in the catalog yet.
How to read this family
Two honest questions for any Le Locle buyer:
- Le Locle or Heritage Visodate at a similar price? The Le Locle is the cleaner, more conventional dress watch, appropriate for conservative dress environments. The Visodate has the more interesting dial design. Buy the Le Locle if you need dress-watch credibility across contexts; buy the Visodate if design distinctiveness is the priority.
- Clean dial or skeleton? The skeleton variant exposes the Powermatic 80 movement from the dial side. It is a different aesthetic entirely, more casual and more watch-enthusiast signaling. The clean dial is the correct choice for dress wear. The skeleton is for buyers who want to see the movement and don't care about dress-watch conventions.
Related families: Tissot Heritage Visodate · Longines Master Collection
References in this family
Which ref to buy
The Le Locle is Tissot's traditional Swiss dress watch: 39mm round case, Roman numeral dial variants, date at 6, sapphire caseback. Named after the Swiss watchmaking town. Powered by Powermatic 80 (ETA 2824 derivative).
- 1Open
Le Locle Powermatic 80 -- Swiss dress watch at entry price, Powermatic 80, 80-hour reserve.
- The case for it:
- The Le Locle is a properly proportioned Swiss dress watch at a price most Swiss dress watches cannot approach. The Powermatic 80 with its 80-hour reserve is a practical daily wear movement.
- Consider instead if:
- In the dress watch space at the Tissot price point, the Longines Master Collection offers better finishing and a stronger brand story for the same money. The Le Locle is the correct buy if Tissot is the preference.
Rankings last reviewed 2026-06-07. Editorial perspective only. Not financial advice.