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Tissot PR516 38mm Mens Watch Blue
Ref. T1494071104100
Sits in Tissot’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Tissot watches we list, which start at £245.
Price range £245 to £1,875 across 349 Tissot watches in stock.The PR516 name reaches back to 1965, when Tissot built a sports watch around a case whose straight flanks and near-integrated lugs gave it a distinctly purposeful look. This generation revives that silhouette and pairs it with the Powermatic 80, an ETA movement constructed in-house at the Swatch Group level with a Nivachron balance spring — an alloy chosen specifically for its resistance to magnetic fields and temperature swings, which matter more on a wrist that moves through the world than in a controlled environment. The 80-hour reserve means three days off the wrist before it needs attention, and the power reserve indicator on the dial lets the owner know where they stand. At 38mm with a lug-to-lug of around 44mm, it sits close to the wrist and tucks under a cuff without negotiation — the square hands and gradient blue-to-black dial are clearly descended from the 1960s motorsport aesthetic, but the case is trim enough to read as something other than costume. The black fixed bezel tightens the silhouette visually, and the red seconds hand gives the dial a focal point that catches in peripheral vision. The bracelet swaps without tools, which makes the leather-strap sibling reference a genuinely practical alternative rather than a separate purchase decision.
- Reference
- T1494071104100
- Brand
- Tissot
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Powermatic 80
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Grey
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 80 hours
Learn more about Tissot
Charles-Félicien Tissot and his son Charles-Émile founded the company in Le Locle in 1853, assembling gold pocket watches and, unusually for the time, exporting aggressively — Russia became a major market within a decade.
Tissot's history is a sequence of firsts achieved through willingness to try materials and ideas the establishment considered unserious. The first mass-produced pocket watch with two time zones came in 1853. The first anti-magnetic wristwatch in 1930. The Astrolon of 1971 was the first watch with a movement made largely of injection-moulded plastic, and it worked. The RockWatch of 1985 used Alpine granite for the case, followed by watches in wood and mother-of-pearl.
The T-Touch of 1999 was the most significant: a tactile sapphire crystal allowing the wearer to access altimeter, barometer, compass, thermometer, and chronograph by touching the glass, years before touchscreens were commonplace.
Tissot merged with Omega in 1930 and both became founding members of what is now the Swatch Group. Its position in the group is volume and accessibility — Swiss mechanical and quartz watches at prices most people can reach, with the Powermatic 80 movement offering an eighty-hour reserve at entry level.
The company has held timekeeping roles across cycling, basketball, motorsport, and fencing.
- 1853
- Founded in Le Locle by Charles-Félicien and Charles-Émile Tissot.
- 1930
- Merges with Omega; releases the first anti-magnetic wristwatch.
- 1971
- The Astrolon uses a plastic movement.
- 1985
- The RockWatch is cased in Alpine granite.
- 1999
- The T-Touch introduces a tactile sapphire crystal.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (3,460), Stainless Steel Watches (2,531), Automatic Watches (1,573), Chronograph Watches (914) and Blue Dial Watches (701).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 38mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 80-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Tissot PR516 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | T1494071104100 | H70455533 | 32031A23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £675 | £640 | £860 |
| Case size | 38mm | 38mm | 38mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 80 hours | 80 hours | 38 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 80 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 38mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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