Tissot Adds Two Fresh New Colours to its PR516 38mm Powermatic 80

Far from being a recently-introduced collection, Tissot’s PR516 represents the brand’s racing-oriented option. First seen in 1956 with the PR letters originally denoting Particulièrement Robustes, the collection underwent a remarkable transformation in 1965 to become what we know today. As time progressed, the PR516 underwent various iterations, and came back in great shape in 2024 as a mechanical chronograph, followed by a highly appealing automatic chrono version. But that wasn’t all, as the brand also delivered identical flair in a more compact and more accessible time-and-date package, with a collection that made quite an impression on us. Building on the success of these inaugural models, Tissot now launches new editions of the PR516 38mm Powermatic 80 in fresh new colours. 

What do we know about the PR516 38mm Powermatic 80? Well, it is a watch that revives the racing spirit of the 1960s, with a modernised design and contemporary tech. And yes, as you’d expect from Tissot, it comes at an attainable price with few compromises on quality and specs. It looks cool, feels good on the wrist and delivers on the technical side too. But that’s nothing new from Tissot. It’s actually its speciality. Stylish with just the right retro touch, well-proportioned, with a discreet motorsport feel, overall robustness and a winning formula of time-and-date display with automatic movement and fair price.

The inaugural models, 4 of them to be precise, were all built around the same concept: a compact, well-equipped, nicely designed watch with racing vibe, a mix of retro-inspired design with modern construction, a powerful and economical automatic movement and enough clever features to make it a great value proposition. As for the case, nothing new for this year. The PR516 Powermatic 80 takes most cues from the chronograph editions, in a more compact 38mm version with decent thickness of 11.2mm and a short 44mm lug-to-lug. The case is made of steel, with mostly brushed surfaces and nice polished lateral bevels. It’s topped by a fixed and black-coated bezel with a 60-minute scale protected by a mineral crystal insert, mimicking the look of vintage plexiglass bezels. A sapphire crystal protects the dial and the watch is 100m water-resistant.

New this year are the colours. First is a classic matte white dial, which contrasts nicely with the black bezel. The lumed hands and applied markers have been given a dark grey coating to enhance legibility. Second is an appealing and fresh take for the collection, with a gradient aqua blue dial, here with silver-toned applied markers and hands, and a white date disc (a matching blue or even a black disc would have been better, though). Contrary to the first versions of 2024, the second hand is here treated identically to the rest of the dial’s hardware and not in a bright colour anymore.

Under the see-through caseback is the now-familiar Powermatic 80 movement, an evolution of the ETA 2824 revised with a 3Hz frequency, a reworked kinetic chain and a Nivachron hairspring. This results in a comfortable 80-hour power reserve and a movement with superior resistance to magnetism. Both new editions of the PR516 38mm are worn on a cool-looking and comfortable 5-link Jubilee-style bracelet, with brushed and polished surfaces and a butterfly clasp.

Now accessible from the brand and retailers, these new editions of the Tissot PR516 38mm Powermatic 80 retain the same accessible price as before, meaning EUR 745, CHF 685 or USD 825. For more details, please visit www.tissotwatches.com.