watches Tissot PR516 Powermatic 80 T149.407.11.051.00

“Very attractive watch, with a design that clearly harks back to 1960s motorsport models. The dial and hands are exceptionally legible in all conditions, and the lume is reasonably good at night (still readable after an hour in complete darkness, provided it was exposed to light beforehand). I like that the dial isn’t completely black, but more charcoal grey, with a subtle grain that makes the minimalist design a little more interesting. I also appreciate that the lettering isn’t too legible in most conditions and tends to blend into the background a little; it’s most visible in contrasting light from the side. The case and bracelet are solidly made, and it has a sapphire crystal. Unfortunately, my watch runs very slowly—the slowest by far of all 12 watches I own. There’s little point comparing it with a COSC-certified Rolex or TAG Heuer Carreras, but it’s also slower than my Seiko Alpinist, San Martins with Miyota 9-series movements, Orient divers and even my basic Seiko Series 5. That one runs at around +9 seconds a day, but at least when a watch runs fast, you won’t be late.”

• Design and build. It’s very similar to the PR516 from James Bond, and especially to period adverts from the 1960s for watches aimed at motorsport enthusiasts and professionals. The build quality is good, although there aren’t many complicated details to judge it by. The bracelet feels solid, if a little rattly, but I immediately fitted the watch with a perforated leather “motorsport” strap, so I can’t say how the bracelet would hold up over time.

• It wasn’t very well regulated at the factory, or it was damaged while on display or being handled. On the first day, my timegrapher showed -12 seconds (even after a full wind). I thought I’d “give it time” for the lubricants to settle, but after five days on my wrist and overnight on the bedside table, dial up, it was at -35 seconds, or -7 seconds a day. It also occasionally shows a higher beat error (0.8 ms), but because the movement is so quiet, I’m not sure how much confidence to place in that reading. I find this pretty dire for a new watch, especially given that Tissot themselves reportedly boast that every Powermatic 80 is laser-regulated at the factory to a target of 0/+4 seconds (though the warranty allows a tolerance of up to -10 seconds). I’m inclined to believe that the factory laser regulation is real; there are plenty of people reporting excellent accuracy from their Tissot watches. So I think it’s more likely that the watch was knocked during shipping to the retailer or while on display in the shop window. Unfortunately, mine was a “display” model.