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Powermatic 80 vs 6R

Tissot Powermatic 80 vs Seiko 6R

The two mid-range automatic movements on this site with published service prices. One gives you 80 hours; the other gives you a published accuracy figure and a third year of warranty.

By Sawyer V. · Published

The short answer

The Powermatic 80 gives you more reserve — 80 hours against 70-72 — and a cheaper published service, $210 against $296. Seiko's 6R gives you a published accuracy tolerance of +25/-15 seconds a day and three years of warranty against two. For a watch that sits on weekends, the Powermatic; for published paperwork, the 6R.

The Powermatic 80 and Seiko's 6R family sit between the entry automatics and the expensive ones, and both come from makers that publish what a service costs. That makes them unusually easy to compare on ownership rather than reputation.

Side by side

Tissot Powermatic 80Seiko 6R (6R35, 6R55, 6R5J)
Power reserve80 hours70-72 hours
Published accuracyNot found+25/-15 sec/day
Published US service$210, 24 months on the work$296
Warranty on the watch2 years3 years
Watches hereTissot PRX, PRX 35, Le LocleSeiko Alpinist SPB317, SPB453, Presage SPB471

On prices: we publish no figure we have not verified today, so every buy button reads "Check price on Amazon". Service prices quoted here are the manufacturers' own published figures.

How we picked

We have not worn these watches. What follows is what we checked instead, on documents you can open yourself — the same criteria, in the same order, on every roundup on this site. The full method is on the methodology page.

  1. 01Power reserve

    Powermatic 80: 80 hours. Seiko 6R35: 70 hours; 6R55 and 6R5J: 72.

  2. 02Published accuracy

    Seiko publishes +25/-15 seconds a day for the 6R. We did not find a figure on the Tissot pages we read.

  3. 03Service

    Tissot $210 for a complete mechanical service, with 24 months on the work. Seiko $296 for a 6R overhaul.

  4. 04Warranty

    Seiko three years; Tissot two.

  5. 05Where you find them

    The Powermatic 80 in the PRX, PRX 35 and Le Locle here; the 6R in the Alpinist, the SPB453 and the Presage SPB471.

Disclosure · Some links below are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through one we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not decide what goes on this page or in what order — here is exactly how that works.

Quick picks

Ranked on the Keep Score below — six published specifications, weighted identically on every page. The last row is the one we would not buy.

#WatchBest forKeep ScorePrice
1

Seiko Prospex Alpinist SPB317J1

6R35, 70 hours, sapphire, 200m.

The 6R to buy9.6/10
Check price
2

Seiko Prospex SPB453J1

6R55, 72 hours, 300m, 40mm.

The 6R with the most depth9.6/10
Check price
3

Seiko Presage Classic Series SPB471J1

6R5J, 72 hours, sapphire, 100m.

The 6R in a dress case9.1/10
Check price
4

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 40mm T137.407.11.041.00

80 hours, sapphire, 100m, $210 service.

The Powermatic 80 to buy8.0/10
Check price
5

Tissot PRX 35mm Powermatic 80 T137.207.11.041.00

80 hours, 35mm, sapphire, 100m.

The Powermatic 80 at 35mm8.0/10
Check price
6

Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80 39.3mm T006.407.22.093.00

80 hours, 9.75mm, Nivachron, 30m.

The Powermatic 80 in a dress watch7.6/10
Check price
—

Seiko Presage Cocktail Time SRPE15J1

A Presage on the 4R35 — 41 hours, no published tolerance.

Skip this one

Not if you want the 6R7.5/10
Check price

Keep Score is arithmetic, not opinion — six published specifications, weighted the same way on every page. The formula is on our methodology page, so you can re-run it yourself.

01

Seiko Prospex Alpinist SPB317J1

Best for: The 6R to buy

9.6/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
1.5/1.5
Warranty
1.05/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
1/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

The 6R35, with its published accuracy tolerance and $296 overhaul, in a 41mm, 200m case with sapphire and three years of warranty.

70 hours — the shortest reserve of the 6Rs here.

This is where Seiko starts publishing an accuracy figure (+25/-15 seconds a day) and fits sapphire. A 6R35 overhaul is $296 against $176 for a 4R36 — a real difference, and one you can plan for.

Manufacturer specifications for the Seiko Prospex Alpinist SPB317J1
MovementSeiko 6R35, automatic with manual winding, 24 jewels, +25/-15 sec per day
Power reserve70 hours
Case41mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lug46.9mm
Thickness12.3mm
Lug width20mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance200m
Warranty3 years

Specifications read from Seiko Watch Corporation product page, SPB317J1.

02

Seiko Prospex SPB453J1

Best for: The 6R with the most depth

9.6/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
1.5/1.5
Warranty
1.05/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
1/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

The 6R55's 72 hours in a 40mm, 300m diver's watch with sapphire.

13mm thick.

300m and a 46.4mm lug-to-lug in the same watch is unusual. The extender in the clasp is the detail that says Seiko still expects this one to be dived, not just worn.

Manufacturer specifications for the Seiko Prospex SPB453J1
MovementSeiko 6R55, automatic with manual winding, 24 jewels, +25/-15 sec per day
Power reserve72 hours
Case40mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lug46.4mm
Thickness13mm
Lug width20mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance300m
Warranty3 years

Specifications read from Seiko Watch Corporation product page, SPB453J1.

03

Seiko Presage Classic Series SPB471J1

Best for: The 6R in a dress case

9.1/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
1.05/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
1/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

The 6R5J — 72 hours and the same published tolerance — in a Presage case with dual-curved sapphire and 100m.

13mm thick.

This is the Presage with the Prospex specification sheet: dual-curved sapphire, 100m, 72 hours and a published +25 to -15 seconds a day, on the 6R family's published $296 service path. It is 13mm thick, which is the price of all that on a dress watch.

Manufacturer specifications for the Seiko Presage Classic Series SPB471J1
MovementSeiko 6R5J, automatic with manual winding, +25/-15 sec per day
Power reserve72 hours
Case40.2mm stainless steel with super hard coating
Lug-to-lug46mm
Thickness13mm
Lug width20mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance100m
Warranty3 years

Specifications read from Seiko Watch Corporation product page, SPB471J1.

04

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 40mm T137.407.11.041.00

Best for: The Powermatic 80 to buy

8.0/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
0.7/1.5
Strap standard
0.2/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
1/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

The Powermatic 80 in its best-known case: 80 hours, sapphire, 100m and Tissot's published $210 service.

The integrated bracelet's 12mm fitting is not a strap size.

Tissot publishes a US complete-service price of $210 for a mechanical two-or-three-hand watch, which makes this the most predictable Swiss automatic here to own. The 12mm lug width is not a strap size — the bracelet is part of the case.

Manufacturer specifications for the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 40mm T137.407.11.041.00
MovementSwiss automatic, Powermatic 80
Power reserve80 hours
Case40mm 316l stainless steel
Lug-to-lugNot published
Thickness10.93mm
Lug width12mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance100m
Warranty2 years

Specifications read from Tissot product page, T137.407.11.041.00.

05

Tissot PRX 35mm Powermatic 80 T137.207.11.041.00

Best for: The Powermatic 80 at 35mm

8.0/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
0.7/1.5
Strap standard
0.2/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
1/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

The same 80 hours and the same service price at 35mm.

An 11mm bracelet fitting.

An 80-hour Swiss automatic at 35mm with sapphire and 100m, backed by Tissot's published $210 service price. The integrated bracelet is the long-term trade — an 11mm fitting is not a strap size, so you keep the bracelet the watch came with or you keep nothing.

Manufacturer specifications for the Tissot PRX 35mm Powermatic 80 T137.207.11.041.00
MovementTissot Powermatic 80, automatic
Power reserve80 hours
Case35mm 316l stainless steel
Lug-to-lugNot published
Thickness10.93mm
Lug width11mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance100m
Warranty2 years

Specifications read from Tissot product page, T137.207.11.041.00.

06

Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80 39.3mm T006.407.22.093.00

Best for: The Powermatic 80 in a dress watch

7.6/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
0.3/1.5
Warranty
0.7/1.5
Strap standard
0.6/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
1/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

The Powermatic 80 with a Nivachron balance spring in a 9.75mm dress case — the reserve matters most on a watch worn occasionally.

Rated 30m.

Under 10mm thick with 80 hours of reserve is the combination that makes a dress watch practical — put it down on Friday and it is still running Monday. 30m means keep it off in the shower.

Manufacturer specifications for the Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80 39.3mm T006.407.22.093.00
MovementSwiss automatic, Powermatic 80, Nivachron balance spring
Power reserve80 hours
Case39.3mm 316l stainless steel with pvd coating
Lug-to-lugNot published
Thickness9.75mm
Lug width19mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance30m
Warranty2 years

Specifications read from Tissot product page, T006.407.22.093.00.

Skip this one

Seiko Presage Cocktail Time SRPE15J1

Best for: Not if you want the 6R

7.5/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1.3/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
0.6/1.5
Warranty
1.05/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
1/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

The Cocktail Time is the Presage most people see first, and it is easy to assume it shares the SPB471's movement.

It uses the 4R35: 41 hours, no published accuracy figure and Hardlex. It is a very good watch on a $176 overhaul, but not the 6R this page is about. For the 6R's figures in a Presage, the SPB471 above has them.

The same 4R35 and the same $176 published overhaul as the rest of the Cocktail Time line, with the lug-to-lug published — 47.5mm — so you can check the fit before buying. 50m and Hardlex are the dress-watch trade.

Manufacturer specifications for the Seiko Presage Cocktail Time SRPE15J1
MovementSeiko 4R35, automatic with manual winding, 23 jewels
Power reserve41 hours
Case40.5mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lug47.5mm
Thickness11.8mm
Lug width20mm
Crystalhardlex
Water resistance50m
Warranty3 years

Specifications read from Seiko Watch Corporation product page, SRPE15J1.

Which to buy around

  • The Powermatic 80 if the watch will sit from Friday to Monday, or if a lower published service price matters: $210 against $296.
  • The 6R if you want the paperwork — a published accuracy tolerance and a third year of warranty — and more depth: 200m or 300m on the Prospex models.

At the level of whole brands, Tissot vs Seiko covers the same ground. Within Seiko, the 4R vs 6R comparison explains what the step to a 6R buys.

Questions people actually ask

Is the Powermatic 80 better than the Seiko 6R?

It has the longer reserve — 80 hours against 70-72 — and the cheaper published service, $210 against $296. The 6R has a published accuracy tolerance and comes in watches with three years of warranty.

How accurate is the Seiko 6R?

Seiko publishes +25/-15 seconds a day for the 6R35, 6R55 and 6R5J in the watches here.

Which is cheaper to service?

The Powermatic 80, at Tissot's published $210 with 24 months of warranty on the work. Seiko's 6R overhaul is $296.

Which watches use the Powermatic 80?

On this site, the Tissot PRX, PRX 35 and Le Locle.

Sources

Every specification and figure on this page came from one of these documents. Where a manufacturer does not publish something, the page says so rather than filling the gap.

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