20 million Swiss Francs is a lot of money to spend on developing a technology you can barely even see with the naked eye. But that’s exactly what The Swatch Group has done. Tissot’s new PRC 100 Solar presents a revolutionary new way of harvesting light and turning it into reliable, sustainable precision.
The days of dial-integrated solar panels in Swiss watches are no more. At the heart of Tissot’s PRC 100 Solar is a subtly integrated photovoltaic cell – a near-invisible honeycomb layer just beneath the watch’s sapphire glass that captures light from both natural and artificial sources.
That energy is then funnelled into a rechargeable accumulator that powers a Lightmaster Solar Quartz movement, eliminating the need for battery replacements while delivering up to 14 months of autonomy on a full charge – and that’s assuming it criminally stays in the drawer for that long. No plugs. No winding. Just light.
And if there’s one thing we know intimately down here in Australia, it’s sunlight, in all its intense and relentless glory. It’s unforgiving as it is iconic, so why not embrace it? As a guest of Tissot, I travelled to the country’s Red Centre to do exactly that.
Unlike most solar-powered tech that leans a little too hard into the utilitarian aesthetic, Tissot’s PRC 100 Solar means you can do so without sacrificing a smart package on the wrist.
The watch itself is supremely handsome in design, matching all occasions in a tidy 39mm case size. The depth of the case, given its lack of a regular automatic movement, is flush and slim, ensuring it can slip under any shirt cuff with surprising ease.
During our time with the new piece under the harsh desert sky, the silver sunray dial on steel stole the show against the rich textures of the landscape. If you’re after a more colourful display of personality, the sunburst blue would be our pick, offering a striking interplay of textures and reflections. The black, as expected, allows for a moodier after-hours aesthetic. You can also unlock added versatility with the option of an easily changeable leather strap.
It’s highly unlikely you’ll ever see it light up, but the PRC 100 Solar also has the added function of what Tissot calls an End-of-Energy (EOE) indicator – a feature baked into the movement that gives you a subtle heads-up when your power reserve is running low.
In an era where overcomplication is par for the course, the PRC 100 Solar stands out by keeping things simple and sustainable – and that’s exactly why it works, Australia of all places, perhaps a little too well.
Yours from a surprise and delight price point of $840.
