Tissot Knocks It Out Of the Park Again with the PR 516 Automatic Chronograph

Lately, it seems that Tissot can do little wrong. Release after release shows an impressive sense of style, historical inspiration and solid mechanics, all the while remaining true to the brand’s relatively affordable pricing strategy. Following the immense success of the PRX Powermatic 80 and subsequent PRX Chronograph collections, Tissot is now pushing the PR 516 into the spotlight. Things started with a handsome manually wound PR 516 Chronograph, followed by the equally cool PR 516 Powermatic 80. While the expansion of the range might not be as fast and widespread as its PRX counterpart, next up is an automatic version of the PR 516 Chronograph, in sporty white and blue trim. 

A little under a year ago, the PR 516 Chronograph Mechanical made its debut, based on a historic racing chronograph from the 1970s. It featured a larger yet similarly proportioned architecture with a predominantly black colour scheme, just like the original. That specific watch even gained big screen fame on the wrist of Roger Moore in the James Bond movie Live and Let Die. Now, though, things have taken a slightly more contemporary turn with the PR 516 Automatic Chronograph.

Starting off with the exterior, the diameter has remained unchanged at 41mm across. Adding automatic winding to a movement also adds a bit of height, and although Tissot hasn’t confirmed it, the 13.7mm of the manually wound PR 516 is a solid reference point for this one. Usually, it comes down to about a millimetre, so this one should top out at 14-and-a-bit in height. At the time of the shoot, we did not have a chance to measure the overall thickness, but we’ll update the story if we get the exact height. The case has a brushed and polished finish and is topped with a steel bezel fitted with a blue mineral glass tachymeter/pulsometer insert. On the right, a pair of simple yet effective pump-style pushers flank the knurled crown.

The dial now comes in white, with blue details throughout instead of black. The sleek base dial has a blue minute track, for instance, and the sub-dials have a blue outline as well. The markers are applied to the dial, adding a touch of depth. It relies on the same boxy baton-style hour and minute hands to tell time, and Super-LumiNova on both the hands and markers ensures night-time visibility. What’s also worth mentioning is the blue stem for the hands, matching the blue finish on the chronograph central seconds hand and the hands for the subdials.

Visible through the transparent caseback is Swatch Group’s Valjoux A05.231 automatic chronograph movement, which is an upgraded version of the Valjoux 7753. Running at 28,800vph, it promises to keep ticking for up to 68 hours when fully wound by the central rotor. The chronograph is a cam-operated one, starting and stopping with the top pusher and reset with the bottom one. The skeletonized rotor is a nice touch, yet the overall finishing of the movement remains industrial.

Where the manually wound Tissot PR 516 Automatic Chronograph came on a three-link steel bracelet and a folding clasp (that could do with an upgrade, to be honest), this PR 516 Automatic Chronograph comes on a multi-link steel bracelet with an integrated butterfly clasp and quick-release push pins. Personally, I think it fits the style of the watch perfectly and adds even more charm to it. The watch retails for EUR 2,145, which shows that Tissot is at the height of its game yet again. The PRX and the PR 516, in automatic or chronograph form, are all smashingly good watches!

For more information, please visit Tissot-Watches.com.