A Secret Bond Watch Returns
While the Tissot PR-516 will never have as strong of a connection to James Bond as an Omega Seamaster or Rolex Submariner, the affordable dive watch was still worn by 007 in a movie, and that makes it a Bond watch in my book.
Recently, with zero fanfare, Tissot effectively remade the PR-516 from Live and Let Die. The new model, the Tissot PR516 Powermatic 80, bears a strong resemblance to the original diver with its fully-marked bezel, identical handset, old-school case shape, lack of crown guards, and bright red seconds hand.
There are differences too, of course. The finishing is a touch fancier, with a polished chamfer added along the flanks of the case and brushed instead of polished sides. The case is also slightly larger, increasing in size from 36mm to 38mm. The watch keeps the date window at 3 o’clock, but it’s now color-matched to the dial.
The crystal has been changed from acrylic to sapphire, and the caseback now boasts a sapphire display window. The bezel insert has been swapped from bakelite to mineral glass, and it’s no longer lumed. Furthermore, the new bezel is fixed — the original had a friction-fit, bidirectional bezel. That stat, combined with a 100m water resistance rating, prevents the new PR516 from technically being classified as a dive watch.