TISSOT releases their all-new PR516 collection, a reinterpretation of a highly popular model from the 1970s. And they’re giving people the choice of a quartz or mechanical version.
TISSOT is no stranger to sports watches and motorsport-themed timepieces. Just look at their long history with these pieces, and their current sponsorship of MotoGP. So it makes sense that the brand would revisit a nostalgic collection and give it a modern twist. Enter the PR516 Collection! And last week via a global video presentation, they launched these along with several other collections slated for this year.
The three quartz variants come in a range of colour variants to suit all styles, and to distinguish between these and the mechanical, TISSOT has designed the dials to look a little different with the placement of the sub-dials higher on the quartz, and in a more traditional position on the mechanical version.
The mechanical model has a classic sports chronograph dial layout with sub-dials at 3 and 6 o’clock to count the minutes and hours with a small seconds hand at 9 o’clock, which is distinguished with the silver hand as opposed to the chronograph counters in orange.
Flanking these is the tachymeter scale on the bezel with the first quarter being a fully lumed pulsation scale, making this piece quite versatile in measuring different elements of time and distance not to mention heart rate should you feel the need to! Adding to this, TISSOT has given the PR516 collection a vintage-styled glassbox crystal to aid in legibility when reading from an angle.
Another differentiating factor between the PR516 quartz vs the mechanical is the caseback. The quartz versions have a closed caseback with a racing steering wheel and winners wreath motif in positive relief on the back of the watch as a nod to TISSOT’s sporting and racing heritage. Whereas the mechanical has a display caseback to showcase the manual winding Valjoux A05 manual winding chronograph movement.
Whilst the case design overall is the same, the quartz versions are 1mm smaller at 40mm in diameter and being a quartz movement, is thinner at 11.9mm thick. The mechanical version comes in at 41mm and 13.7mm thick, so will wear slightly bigger and give the wearer more wrist presence.
All models come with a quick-change springbar mechanism on the bracelet, which allows you to quickly swap out the bracelet for a range of leather or rubber straps that TISSOT has made available for purchase. Whilst each model comes standard on the steel bracelet, you can add more straps to these for a fairly reasonable price point, as the straps with pin buckle start at approx A$55 for synthetic, A$70 on rubber, and for most leather options.
Final Thoughts
Many brands are and have headed back to the 60s and 70s for their inspiration of late. It’s not surprising though as this was a time when many watch brands were innovating and trying to get ahead in terms of design and style, TISSOT being no exception. The PR516 showcases this with a modern look. It’s a piece that doesn’t scream “I’m vintage!” and looks quite the part in 2024, but if you look closer, you can tell it’s got those lovely 70’s style cues, particularly the two tone version.
TISSOT has also done a great job of giving people several options in style and colour at different price points, depending on your budget. To have a manually wound mechanical chronograph at under A$3,000 is good value, and for those that don’t want to stretch it that far, the quartz models for A$900 depending on which variant you choose, again provide great value.
References
- T149.459.21.051.00 – Mechanical Steel
- T149.417.22.051.00 – Two Tone Quartz
- T149.417.11.041.00 – Blue Quartz
- T149.417.11.051.00 – Black Quartz
Specifications: Mechanical Steel
- Size: 41mm, 13.7mm thick
- Case: Polished and brushed finished stainless steel
- Dial: Black sunburst dial with minute and hour chronograph subdials and small seconds hand. Indices and hands plus bezel filled with SuperLuminova
- Crystal: Glassbox style scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Water resistance: 100m (10BAR)
- Movement: Valjoux A05 Manual winding chronograph movement
- Power reserve: 60 hours
- Bracelet: Brushed steel bracelet with quick release and folding clasp with safety and push-buttons
Australian Recommended Retail Price: AUD $2,925
Specifications: Quartz
- Size: 40mm, 11.9mm thick
- Case: Polished and brushed finished stainless steel or two-tone steel and yellow gold-plated PVD
- Dial: Black or blue matte dial with minute and hour chronograph subdials and small seconds hand. Indices and hands plus bezel filled with SuperLuminova
- Crystal: Glassbox style scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Water resistance: 100m (10BAR)
- Movement: Quartz G10.212 Powerdrive
- Bracelet: Brushed steel bracelet or two-tone steel and yellow gold-plated PVD. BNoth with quick release and folding clasp with safety and push-buttons
