Tap the image to enlarge
Tissot PRS516 Powermatic 80 38mm Mens Watch Black
Ref. T1494071105100
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 310 Tissot watches in stock.The PR516 began in 1965 as Tissot's answer to motorsport — built for people who needed a watch to keep up with them, and named to say so: Precision and Resistance, the 16th model in the fifth water-resistant series. It appeared on Roger Moore's wrist in *Live and Let Die*, and then faded. The 2024 revival returns to the original proportions rather than the chronograph variants that bookend the range, producing a cleaner, three-hand automatic that sits closer to the 1965 brief than most of what carries the PR516 name today. At 38mm with an 11.18mm profile, this wears compactly — not a watch that announces itself on the wrist, but one that disappears under a cuff while still reading clearly. The black dial and matching bezel give the case a unified look; the red seconds hand provides the only interruption, which is enough. The Powermatic 80 calibre, developed with ETA, delivers an 80-hour reserve through a Nivachron balance spring that resists magnetic interference — practically, it means leaving it on the nightstand Friday evening and finding it still running Monday morning. The exhibition caseback shows the movement through mineral glass rather than sapphire, a small compromise for a watch at this level, but one that matters less given how seldom most owners look there.
- Reference
- T1494071105100
- Brand
- Tissot
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case thickness
- 11.18mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- ETA C07.111
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Weight
- 146g
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 4 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,007), Stainless Steel Watches (2,833), Automatic Watches (1,417) and Chronograph Watches (1,131).
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
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Tissot's more premium watches
Tissot PRS516 Powermatic 80 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | T1494071105100 | 68000Q77 | H70455733 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £675 | £685 | £640 |
| Case size | 38mm | 38mm | 38mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | — | — | 80 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | 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 comparedWhat size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
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
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
More Tissot watches like the PRS516 Powermatic 80
In stock, and close on style and price
