# Tissot Prs516 Retrogade - Worth Having ?



## Stamforder (May 16, 2011)

The first time I heard about Tissot watches must have been about 50 years ago, overheard in a discussion between my father and an uncle & thus I gained a favourable impression of the brand.

Possibly about to actually own one, viz topic title. Described as being "Mint" with a two year warranty for Â£150; the watch with warranty, that is 

Too good to miss ?


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## Drum2000 (Apr 2, 2010)

From where does this watch hail? Automatic or quartz?


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

I really like mine...

*Tissot T-Sport PRS-516, Retrograde T91.1.488.41, ETA cal.G51.261 6 Jewels.*




























A well built good looking watch & with the retrograde chrono second hand somewhat unusual especially at their price range, Â£150 sounds good to me, would that be with boxes & documents?


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## Stamforder (May 16, 2011)

Drum2000 said:


> From where does this watch hail? Automatic or quartz?


on Ebay......Quartz


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## Stamforder (May 16, 2011)

mach 0.0013137 said:


> I really like mine...
> 
> *Tissot T-Sport PRS-516, Retrograde T91.1.488.41, ETA cal.G51.261 6 Jewels.*
> 
> ...


Neither a box, nor documents; although I subsequently found a User Manual of sorts at http://support.tissot.ch/usersmanual/144-en.pdf


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## Chromejob (Jul 28, 2006)

That does look great, I'm feeling the temptation -- but don't worry Stamforder I'm not sniping your opp.

I read the manual, and it seems like quite an operation just to reset the hands ... or was that complex 'crown out, push A, push B, crown in' for setting the hands' flyback positions, as you can with the Seiko 7A48 (7A38, too IIRC)?

Also, the manual doesn't seem to explain how the sweep second hand works, and what the tiny markings between nine and twelve o'clock indicate. Could you give us a primer, Mach?


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

David Spalding said:


> That does look great, I'm feeling the temptation -- but don't worry Stamforder I'm not sniping your opp.
> 
> I read the manual, and it seems like quite an operation just to reset the hands ... or was that complex 'crown out, push A, push B, crown in' for setting the hands' flyback positions, as you can with the Seiko 7A48 (7A38, too IIRC)?
> 
> Also, the manual doesn't seem to explain how the sweep second hand works, and what the tiny markings between nine and twelve o'clock indicate. Could you give us a primer, Mach?


The start position for the sweep hand is at nine o`clock, you can see the zero below it`s tip. When running it goes round to the 29 second marker then zips back to the start for the next sweep, the movement from 29 - zero represents the 30th second. The crescent dial next to two o`clock counts up to 5 minutes then resets back to zero, at which point the hand on the minute dial at ten o`clock moves one marker up to an hour total. I can`t see any advantage of this system over the more common type of chrono but it`s different & it is cool watching the second hand count up & zip back B)










As to the markings between nine & twelve, like the checkered ones between twelve & three they are purely decorative, simply arrows with `Go`. One reason I went for the blue dial version rather then the other colours is that these are less noticeable on this model, IMO they look somewhat daft on the others


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## taffyman (Apr 26, 2011)

never seen that model before but it looks a great buy ....njoy


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## GASHEAD (Aug 27, 2009)

Stamforder said:


> Drum2000 said:
> 
> 
> > From where does this watch hail? Automatic or quartz?
> ...


just my twopenneth but why not save up a bit more and get the automatic version... also gives you time to decide whether you really want one!


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## Stamforder (May 16, 2011)

Mach wrote :

"The start position for the sweep hand is at nine o`clock, you can see the zero below it`s tip. When running it goes round to the 29 second marker then zips back to the start for the next sweep, the movement from 29 - zero represents the 30th second. The crescent dial next to two o`clock counts up to 5 minutes then resets back to zero, at which point the hand on the minute dial at ten o`clock moves one marker up to an hour total. I can`t see any advantage of this system over the more common type of chrono but it`s different & it is cool watching the second hand count up & zip back"

Thanks for the explanation .... as I was baffled why it only has half a tachymeter scale. Very peculiar. Still hovering on the brink of indecision, as the vendor (despite describing as Mint on the page) told me there is a small scratch on one side "which should polish out" or words to that effect.

Still, t'is well under half the price of a new one AFIK.

ps Just how could the scratch be polished out ?


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## Chromejob (Jul 28, 2006)

"Mint" doesn't include scratches. I think the seller could pay to have it polished out, or add the disclosure to the auction. Probably can't alter the description after bids have been placed.


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## Stamforder (May 16, 2011)

Earlier today David wrote (about the watch I've been watching) : "That does look great, I'm feeling the temptation -- but don't worry Stamforder I'm not sniping your opp."

Feel free to snipe, should the temptation overcome you :man_in_love: as I have looked elsewhere and by the end of the month expect to have a new one (yellow on black with fancy matching strap). Incedentally it seems (after surfing UK dealers webpages for a new one) that this Model has been discontinued.


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

GASHEAD said:


> Stamforder said:
> 
> 
> > Drum2000 said:
> ...


As far as I know Tissot don`t make an automatic Retrograde chronograph :wink2:


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## Chromejob (Jul 28, 2006)

mach 0.0013137 said:


> As far as I know Tissot don`t make an automatic Retrograde chronograph :wink2:


I did a very quick, cursory search on eBay last night (with eyelids getting heavy) and saw automatics, before checking Amazon and finding the T91148831, T91148841, and T91148851 (white, blue, black) all with SS bracelet. Perhaps what I saw on the fleabay was similar-looking T911487XXs, but not with the flyback 30 second counter.

The more I think on it, the more I suspect that the flyback sweep second hand would be difficult for a mechanical movement, or subject to significant wear and tear.

What I really don't understand is what "PRS516" means where there are so many different chrono watches bearing this marque. :huh:


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

David Spalding said:


> mach 0.0013137 said:
> 
> 
> > As far as I know Tissot don`t make an automatic Retrograde chronograph :wink2:
> ...


I don`t know the origins of the PRS-516 but I seem to remember that the range goes back to at least the 1970s & included both chronos & non-chronos as does the present range such as my pair...

*Tissot T-Sport PRS-516, T91.1.483.31 ETA cal.2836-2 25 Jewels & T91.1.488.41 Retrograde cal.G51.261.*


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