I wanted a Swiss mechanical for the longest time, but like the experience of many, I got sticker shock from some of the more widely known high end Swiss watch makers. I'm sure they are worth it, but wow are they pricey. After researching Swiss mechanicals for weeks (including many websites devoted to detecting forgeries), I found the Tissot brand and began reading further.

Going into December of 2011, I decided to pull the trigger on a Tissot PRS516 automatic. To date, I could not be more pleased.

The watch itself is a hefty, 42mm hunk of gorgeous stainless steel, housing the ETA 2836-2 movement. I absolutely love the way it feels on my wrist.

My experience with mechanical watches prior to the Tissot was a Japanese Seiko diver I purchased in 2008. After bringing the Seiko home and wearing overnight I was not impressed by the fact it could not hack (second hand didn't stop when crown was extended) and the time was off by several minutes overnight (no slight to Seiko, I could have bought a lemon).

The PRS516 is everything I expected of a well made Swiss time piece but without the stratospheric price tag. Accuracy wise, my watch is staying within 15 seconds of a known time source (time.gov) over a two week period. If you are accustomed to the traditional day/date switch-over of watches taking hours (date switches at midnight and 'day' taking another three to four hours), that is all by the wayside in this design. Both the day AND date switch at 3 minutes until midnight...COOL!

All in all I could not recommend a watch more highly. If you are a lover of mechanical marvels of yore, want to plunk down some cash on mechanical that is both stylish and functional, this watch is for you.