Words: Patrick
There are few things more technologically advanced and mechanically sound than a fine racing car. Take F1, for example. They rev to over 18,000 revolutions per minute, they can change gear 50 times faster than you can blink, and the oil film holding the gear teeth apart and protecting them is ~20?m thick – that’s about half the thickness of the thinnest human hair. Each and every one, even the donkeys at the back, are engineering marvels, pushing the boundaries of what is possible when man and machine work in tandem. Little wonder racing cars have become the muse of designers in other industries.
Tissot have long had a racing affiliation, appealing to motorsport devotees, and with ambassadors including Danica Patrick, the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing, and 2006 Moto GP World Champion Nicky Hayden.
Their new iteration, the PRS 516, references Tissot’s fabulous connection with the fast world of racecar driving, harking back to 1965 when the Tissot PR 516 paid homage to a racing car with the familiar holes in the steering wheel seen in the watch’s strap and immortalised in Tissot’s iconic advertisement ‘hand on the steering wheel’.
On the wrist this new model looks sharply modern but just as stylish, with a smooth banana shape case with black bezel and pushers that resemble the pistons of a car engine. Fans will be delighted original details remain, with the famous holes in the strap and floating indices with hands that pass underneath adding an authentic, vintage touch.
As with the cars that line up on the grid, the Tissot PRS 516 pays close attention to detail and have made tweaks in all areas to ensure the functionality is as reliable as the looks are striking. For the first time, it boasts a new movement for Tissot, that, as well as being highly performing, with its 60 hours of power reserve, also has a rotor shaped like a steering wheel for an adrenaline-fuelled finish. Additionally it uses materials that are both tough and opulent – with a new ceramic or carbon bezel which features a tachymeter, while a domed anti-reflective sapphire glass is not only luxurious but also brings the details to life.
There are those who argue that the thrill of F1 and motorsport has been quelled in recent seasons. This may be so. But while racing remains so intrinsic to Tissot’s ethos, we have great reasons to remain fans.
For more information, visit Tissot.
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