Tissot PRS 516 Chronograph Black Dial Men’s Watch (T100.417.16.051.00): Review

Tissot is a brand that is well known for their luxury timepieces as well as their quality watches for the everyman and woman. Some of their designs are for dress and some are more businesslike — but the PRS 516 Chronograph features a bold and incredible sports design that is inspired by racing automobiles.
Brand: Tissot
Type: PRS 516 Chronograph Black Dial Men’s Watch
Model: T100.417.16.051.00
Purchase Link: http://www.jomashop.com/tissot-watch-t100-417-16-051-00.html
Size/Specs/Design
We’re not lying when we say that the Tissot PRS 516 Chronograph men’s timepiece is one of the best quality timepieces, at such a great price, that we have reviewed so far. The 42mm stainless steel case has a solid backing and a scratch resistant Sapphire crystal, which makes this watch ideal for superior water resistance. With 100 meter / 330 feet water resistance and a solid construction made from high quality materials, this Tissot has all the design features of a sports-style, rally watch that is attractive for casual wear.
Technical Specifications and Features:
- Case Size: 42mm
- Case Shape: Round
- Movement: Swiss Quartz
- Engine: ETA G10.212
- Dial Type: Analog
- Dial Color: Black
- Crystal: Scratch Resistant Sapphire
- Case Material: Stainless Steel
- Case Back: Solid
- Case Thickness: 12.12mm
- Dial Hands: Luminous, Silver-tone / Minute Markers around Outer Rim / Index Hour Markers
- Subdials: 3 — 60 second, 30 minute, and 1/10th of a second
- Bezel: Fixed
- Bezel Material/Color: Black Ceramic with Tachymeter Markings
- Band Type: Strap
- Band Material/Color: Black Leather
- Clasp: Butterfly
- Features: Calendar, Chronograph, Ceramic, Stainless Steel, Leather
- Functions: Chronograph, Tachymeter, Date, Hour, Minute, Second
- Calendar: Date Display at 4 o’clock Position
- Water Resistance: 100 meters / 330 feet
Power Source
The PRS 516 Tissot uses a Swiss made Quartz movement and an ETA G10.212 engine. With 4 jewels, this movement is pure quality. The ETA engine is very well known is and is excellent in quality and function.
This is advantageous since this timepiece has a range of functions that must be powered with precision, from a Chronograph, Tachymeter, Calendar Window, Hour, Minute, and Second.
The Good
The incredible-looking black dial has a horizontal design, which, when matched with the black leather Rally strap and the steering wheel design etched into the back casing, offers a look that is inspired by racing and automobiles.
Powered by a Swiss made Quartz movement with an ETA G10.212 engine, this Tissot has plenty of power to run the various functions: three subdials (a 60 second/Chronograph, 30 minute, and 1/10th of a second); a date window at 4 o’clock; and the gorgeous main hour, minute, and red second hand.
The stainless steel case is the perfect size at 42mm, which is not too large or small for most men. As a sports watch, the polished stainless steel case looks incredible against the black textured race-inspired dial. The ceramic bezel features Tachymeter markings and looks of quality that Tissot is known for.
The stainless steel dial hands are silver-tone and feature luminous fill in the hour and minute hands. The second hand is designed as a racing-inspired thin red hand that touches the silver-tone hour stick indexes. With two subdials (at 2 and 10 o’clock) bearing red subdial hands and the 6 o’clock subdial featuring a silver-tone hand, this racing design follows through with the black and red accent tones against the stainless steel casing.
The Bad
There are no negative features of this stunning sports Tissot — this PRS 516 Chronograph checks all of the boxes that prove its quality, with a huge plus being the affordability factor.
Functionality
The functionality of this Tissot model is surprisingly solid, with no complaints so far. The water resistance of 100 meters / 330 feet is excellent in this sports watch, the stainless steel construction is solid, the design is race-inspired and follows through from the strap to the face design.
With a high quality Swiss quartz movement and three subdial features in addition to a chronograph feature, this watch is fully functional and has the build and protection (such as the Sapphire crystal) to last for years without apparent wear and tear.
Highlights
One of the best decisions Tissot made with this timepiece was to choose scratch resistant Sapphire crystal to protect the gorgeous dial (as opposed to mineral crystal). In a timepiece of this price, most brands would have settled for mineral to keep their profit margins up, but Tissot made sure to give their customers quality. With this Sapphire crystal, you have a tough and durable (and scratch resistant) glass that will withstand the elements and give you an incredibly clear view of your watch face.
Speaking of quality material, the ceramic bezel is absolutely gorgeous itself — with a charcoal grey color to it, the bezel really catches the eye while still maintaining the integrity of the race design. Again, it is unusual for a timepiece under $500 to feature a ceramic bezel — typically, this is for high end sports watches or for diving watches. So, the inclusion of ceramic is another aspect that Tissot really came through with in terms of quality.
Finishing off the design aspect, the race-inspired Rally strap is what makes this timepiece what it is — as opposed to a boring or typical black strap, this PRS 516 Tissot opts for a black Rally leather strap that is bold and completes the sports design of this masculine men’s watch.
The dial design and functions of this PRS 516 series Tissot are impressive because of their combination with flawless design — the Swiss movement is plenty powerful and of excellent quality to not only keep traditional three-hand time, but five additional functions: a calendar date window at 4 o’clock, a 1/10th of a second subdial at 2 o’clock, a 30 minute subdial at 10 o’clock, and a 60 second / Chronograph subdial at 6 o’clock.
In addition to the stunning black, red, and stainless steel design of this sports watch with Rally strap, the Tissot PRS 516 has high quality materials, a solid construction, and a bold and masculine design for men who love race-inspired wrist watches.
Last, but not lease on this exhausted list of highlights, is the water resistance — there are many diving watches out there that opt for a divers design but don’t come through with good water resistance. However, Tissot offers an incredible 100 meter / 330 feet water resistance in a sports watch that is intended for casual and everyday use.
Pricing
This sports-style Tissot PRS 516 Chronograph retails for $595.00. You can purchase it brand new at the trustworthy watch retailer, Jomashop.com for only $359.00.
Jomashop Purchase Link: http://www.jomashop.com/tissot-watch-t100-417-16-051-00.html