If you’ve been following the watch world for the past few years, you already know the Tissot Gentleman. It’s been one of the most talked-about entry-level mechanical watches since it first landed in 2019. Hell, even I wanted one, but didn’t had the money back then. It is a clean, honest, well-made watch, and priced so fairly it almost feels wrong. The only real problem with the model people had? It only came in 40mm. Well, that complaint just became history. Meet the Tissot Gentleman 38mm.
I know I said recently when I spoked about the DOXA SUB 200 II that people want smaller watches, and in the comments people just bashed me for this, saying I’m not right. Well… Tissot must know something if they came with this launch.
A Smaller Case That Makes a Big Difference
Two millimetres doesn’t sound like much on paper, but anyone who’s ever put a 40mm watch on a smaller wrist knows exactly how much it matters. The new Gentleman 38 keeps everything people loved about the original: the clean proportions, the mix of brushed and polished surfaces, the elegant simplicity, and just makes it fit better on more wrists.
The stainless steel case measures 38mm across and 11.53mm thick, which is a perfectly reasonable profile for a daily-wear dress watch. The brushed case sides are contrasted by a polished, sloped bezel on top and a bevelled edge running around the case band. It’s subtle but effective, the kind of detail that makes a watch look more expensive than it is.
On front, we have a sapphire crystal, and flipping the watch over reveals a display caseback so you can see the movement. Water resistance sits at a very respectable 100 metres which I appreciate, this means this isn’t just a watch you baby at your desk, it can handle real life and rain.
This is the second 38mm release from Tissot if I’m not mistaken, the first resize was with the PRX Titanium and Damascus Steel release.
The Dial: Cleaner Than Its Bigger Brother
One small but notable change from the 40mm version: the new 38mm drops the subtle crosshair pattern that divided the dial on the larger model. Instead, you get a dial with a pyramidal sunray-brushed finish that splits it into four sections optically, without any printed lines. It’s a bit more refined, honestly.
The dial comes in four colours, silver, black, blue, and green. All four feature applied hour markers and hands filled with Super-LumiNova, a sloped flange with dotted markers running around the edge, and a framed date window at 3 o’clock. It’s a clean, readable layout that doesn’t try to do too much.Simple and elegant.
The Movement: Powermatic 80, With a Twist
Inside the Tissot Gentleman 38mm beats the Tissot Powermatic 80, based on the ETA C07.11, itself an upgraded ETA 2824-2, running at 21,600vph and delivering an 80-hour power reserve. That’s a very practical number. Wind it up on a Friday and it’ll still be running on Monday morning. I like this, I always say, we need at least 100 meters water resistance and at least 60 hours power reserve. Gentleman doesn’t disappoint here.
Now, here’s one thing worth noting if you’re comparing it to the existing 40mm Silicium version of the Gentleman: that model uses a silicon balance spring, while this 38mm uses a Nivachron hairspring. Nivachron is a titanium alloy that’s highly resistant to magnetism, temperature changes, and shocks, so it’s no slouch. Silicon is technically the more advanced material (fully antimagnetic, self-lubricating), but it’s also more expensive to produce, which is partly why the 38mm comes in at CHF 695 without a silicon spring. Fair trade-off, in my view.
On the Bracelet
The Gentleman 38 comes on a stainless steel three-link bracelet with brushed outer links and polished inner links, a classic combination that gives it just enough visual contrast. The folding clasp rounds things out nicely. For now, it’s bracelet only, but based on what happened with the 40mm version (which later got leather and rubber strap options), I’d expect more choices to follow.
Do we need this?
At CHF 695/754 EUR/873 USD, the Tissot Gentleman 38mm is just really hard to argue with. You get a proper mechanical movement with a useful 80-hour reserve, solid finishing, a sapphire crystal, a display caseback, and 100m water resistance. That’s a lot of watch for the money, and now it’s available in a size that actually fits a wider range of wrists.
If you were on the fence about the Gentleman because 40mm was just a touch too big for you, this is the version you’ve been waiting for. And if you’re looking for your first proper mechanical watch, this is about as good a starting point as you’ll find at this price.
Honestly, I’m still waiting for a proper Tissot Banana revival because they don’t really take advantage of their History.
You can’t go wrong with this watch. More details at tissotwatches.com.
Specifications
| Specification | Details |
| Case diameter | 38mm |
| Case thickness | 11.53mm |
| Case material | Stainless steel |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | See-through |
| Water resistance | 100 metres |
| Dial colours | Silver, black, blue, green |
| Dial finish | Pyramidal sunray-brushed |
| Markers & hands | Applied, with Super-LumiNova |
| Date | Yes (framed window) |
| Movement | Tissot Powermatic 80 (ETA C07.11) |
| Winding | Automatic |
| Frequency | 21,600 vph (3 Hz) |
| Power reserve | 80 hours |
| Jewels | 23 |
| Hairspring | Nivachron (titanium alloy, antimagnetic) |
| Bracelet | Stainless steel, three-link, brushed & polished |
| Clasp | Folding |
| References | T165.807.11.031.00 (silver) / T165.807.11.051.00 (black) / T165.807.11.041.00 (blue) / T165.807.11.091.00 (green) |
| Price | CHF 695/ 754 EUR/873 USD |
*prices in EUR and USD are converted and might not reflect the real price
