Watches And Manga On Monday Morning — The New Tissot PRX UFO Robot Grendizer
Have you ever heard of Grendizer and Spazer? Grendizer, also known as Goldorak, is a giant monster robot that connects and synchronizes with Spazer, a flying saucer that enables the robot to fly. FYI, the robot and flying saucer are characters in the 1970s Japanese manga and anime series UFO Robot Grendizer. How do I explain this to a watch audience not up to speed with Japanese animation? Think of Louis Abraham Breguet’s world’s first “sympathique clock” first presented in 1798. It’s a system consisting of a clock and a pocket watch. When putting the watch in the clock’s cradle, it will automatically reset, adjust, and synchronize with the mother clock. Now you know how the robot and his flying saucer interact, but how did Grendizer end up on the dial of the Tissot PRX?
There are two possible answers to that question. The first is that it teamed up with Spazer, took off, and perfectly executed a precision landing on the dial of the 40mm watch. The second answer is a bit more lengthy but more realistic. To understand what Grendizer is, please check out the Wikipedia page on the anime series. That’s what I did, and it made me decide not to dive too deep into the complicated world of Duke Fleed, King Vega, and the flying saucer Spazer. Instead, I will just focus on the watch, the Tissot PRX UFO Robot Grendizer ref. T137.407.11.041.02.
Tissot PRX UFO Robot Grendizer — Who needs a 1970s glow-in-the-dark monster robot on a watch dial?
I need to stop asking questions before answering them. So let me get back to the second possible answer to the previous question: Grendizer appears on the dial of a PRX because the decision-makers at Tissot think manga and anime are cool. The Swiss watch and the Japanese manga and animated TV series originated in the 1970s, creating a timeline-correct connection. The PRX is a retro-hip watch embraced by a large audience. A PRX with a manga robot on the dial appeals to anime fans. I perceive the Tissot PRX UFO Robot Grendizer as a clever brand extension constructed to win retro-futurism enthusiasts’ hearts and minds. The Tissot marketing must have done extensive research on the target audience and how big it is.
Grendizer comes with Spazer
I am sure you don’t want a summary of all the technical details of this Grendizer watch because, apart from the styling, it is a 40mm PRX Powermatic 80 model you have been reading about on Fratello for quite a while now. The manga-inspired PRX presents itself with Grendizer’s Super-LumiNova-coated bust on the deep blue dial. The central seconds hand is modeled after the Harken weapon that Grendizer wields, and the robot’s image is engraved on the rotor visible through the transparent case back.
The Tissot PRX UFO Robot Grendizer landed on my desk, and that was some sort of miracle. Why? Because Grendizer did that without using Spazer. When you buy the watch, though, the box the watch comes in is shaped like Spazer. Maybe this is the coolest feature of the watch. Can the luminescent outline of Grendizer beat the hero’s legendary spacecraft doubling as a box? Maybe not, but the PRX does have some very neat details.
I already mentioned the central seconds hand with its weapon-like counterweight, but there’s also a thematic engraving on the flange. If you angle the watch and look closely, you can read “UFOロボ グレンダイザー” (Yūfō Robo Gurendaizā), the original Japanese title of the manga series.
Final thoughts on the Tissot PRX UFO Robot Grendizer
The agony of choice is a phenomenon that applies to Tissot’s PRX collection. There are more than plenty of variations to choose from. The Grendizer broadens the collection while simultaneously being a niche product. What I appreciate about the manga-inspired watch is that it doesn’t look too gimmicky. In the dark, the robot presents itself more prominently, but you will only discover his weapon turning around the dial once a minute after close observation. The same goes for the engraving on the flange and the rotor.
The standard steel versions of the 40mm PRX Powermatic 80 and the versions with the gradient “Chameleon” models cost €775. The PRX UFO Robot Grendizer is a special edition, not a limited one, and costs €895. You pay extra for the additional lume on the dial and some other details, including Grendizer’s Spazer doubling as a watch box. To be clear, putting the PRX in the box won’t automatically reset, adjust, and synchronize with a mother clock because it’s just a box. And since it is just a box, the watch will also not be able to fly like Grendizer could with Spazer. Anyway, if you, like me, are not into manga, paying €120 extra doesn’t make much sense, although I do appreciate the execution of the Grendizer theme. So, Fratello-reading manga fans out there, what do you think of the Tissot PRX UFO Robot Grendizer? Let me know in the comments.
