Tressa
Tressa Saltomatic | Silver Dial
A silver-dial Tressa Saltomatic combining a mechanical digital display with unmistakable 1970s styling.
- Movement
- AS 2072, automatic
- Year
- c. 1970s
- Case
- Stainless steel
- Condition
- Good
- Gender
- Men / Unisex
Condition
Silver dial with visible signs of age and use. Case and bracelet show wear while the digital display remains legible.
Why I bought it
I like having different versions of the same watch because the change in dial color can alter its character considerably. The silver Saltomatic feels more restrained than the blue version while retaining exactly the kind of 1970s case and mechanical digital display that I collect.
This silver Tressa Saltomatic shares the same basic architecture as my other Saltomatic examples, but the monochromatic dial gives it a very different appearance. The hour is shown in a separate rectangular aperture, while the rotating minute disc is read against the fixed marker to its right.
The large brushed stainless-steel case is very much a product of its period. Rather than trying to disguise the size of the case, the design makes the broad metal surface part of the watch's identity.
Inside is the automatic AS 2072, one of the movements I encounter repeatedly in 1970s jumping-hour watches. I have examples of the same caliber in watches that look completely different, as well as closely related Saltomatic-style watches carrying other brand names. That makes these watches useful examples of how the Swiss industry operated during this period.