It’s not often that watchmakers tread the route of anime-inspired watches. Of course, Casio is a homegrown company that doesn’t mind taking a shot with Japanese pop-culture-inspired watches, but its not a domain much frequented by others. Now, Tissot is venturing into the arena with a timepiece inspired by the Japanese UFO Robot Grendizer – 70s show that was particularly famous in Europe and the Middle East.
The Japanese anime series, also referred to as the Goldorak, was aired between 1975 and 1977. Only 74 episodes were released then. For a watch to be inspired by a 70s anime may seem out of place in 2024, but as part of the PRX collection, the Tissot PXR Grendizer is a timely drop that falls in line with the July 2024 release of the original series as Gendizer U.
Designer: Tissot
For Grendizer fans or anime or manga fanatics for that matter, this iconic collaboration between Tissot and UFO Robot Grendizer is a special one. Not because the Tissot PRX UFO Robot Grendizer Watch merges the best of Swiss watchmaking and manga culture, but also because it is a new variant to the interesting PRX collection. The latest in the Tissot PRX collection, this inspiring timepiece comes in a sunburst blue dial within a 40mm steel case. The case measuring 10.9mm thick, and 44.25mm from lug-to-lug, has a lovely brushed finish and is topped by a flat sapphire crystal.
The blue dial of course is the most impressive bet about this classic PRX timepiece. It is more exciting because of the embossed bust of Grendizer, featuring the Tissot branding in the chest – like Superman’s ‘S’ emblem. On the rim, you get the original title for Grendizer branding toward the inside. To make the dial even more eye-catching, Tissot has filled the entire thing with Super-LumiNova. Of course, the Grendizer glows a little lesser (in the dark) than the hands and indices, but the entire charisma that’s created on the dial is worth your time. A standout again is the second hand, inspired by Grendizer’s Harken weapon rotating through the middle.
On the inside, the Tissot PRX UFO Robot Grendizer is powered by a Powermatic 80 movement, which is a staple in all automatic PRX watches. Visible in action through the mineral glass caseback, the movement provides 80 hours of power reserve and it beats at 21,600 vph. The special edition Tissot PRX UFO Robot Grendizer Watch is 100m water resistant and comes in a custom-designed case modeled after Grendizer’s UFO Spazer.
A collector item, this Tissot x UFO Grendizer watch is based on an angular integrated bracelet featuring a foldover clasp. If you don’t like what you get as stock, the bracelet comes with quick-release tabs so you can replace it with any option in the Tissot’s custom strap collection. Even besides all the goodness and the enticing anime inspiration, the Tissot is very reasonably priced at $825.
