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ReviewMore Power To You: The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 In New Colours And Now In 35mm

‘Precise’, ‘robust’ and water-resistant to 10 ATM (‘X’ in Roman numerals), the Tissot PRX is quite the package, checking a lot of important boxes. The Powermatic 80 is a particularly strong edition, as it elevates everything that this series offers even further. Here’s a first-hand look at this watch and the other PRXs

Ranvijaysinh Jhala September 10, 2023

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If there were some kind of a checklist for the types of watches you should include in your collection, one very basic but integral part of it would be a classic steel sport watch with an integrated bracelet. Even if you don’t consider yourself a collector particularly, but might still be keen to own an archetypal watch—a classic style that is sure to remain timeless—which is also quite respectable, you’d do well to own a Tissot PRX. A very typical steel sport watch with an integrated bracelet, the PRX exemplifies a style that goes back to the 1970s—an era that helped define the sport watch genre in a lot of ways. Set apart from watches literally meant for sporting activities, this archetype was more of a lifestyle piece that contributed towards the shift towards more casual, daily-wear timepieces. The archetype was defined by celebrated watchmaker Gérald Genta—who designed the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the IWC Ingenieur, and others. The distinctive silhouette of these watches presented a barrel shape, with a strap that was almost a seamless extension of that form. This integrated architecture was also seen in Tissot’s PRX, first launched in 1978. And that classic line has been reintroduced in the 2020s, recreating that archetype with a refreshing update, making the new edition as modern and relevant as ever.

Ice Blue Dials Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Ice Blue — One of the latest editions in the PRX Powermatic 80 series is this 40mm ice blue version. Earlier ice blue was only seen in the quartz version

The ‘P’, The ‘R’ And The ‘X’ Of PRX

Back in the 60s, Tissot were going through significant changes as they began exploring newer styles and bolder designs. They moved into the 70s embracing the newly introduced quartz movement—a segment that is absolutely integral for the brand today. And they even included integrated bracelets in some of their watches. In 1978, all these elements came together in a quartz watch that was characterised by sleek hour markers, a slender, barrel-shaped case and a wide-linked bracelet that integrated perfectly with the case. Soon after that, Tissot registered the name PRX, where P-R stood for ‘precise’ and ‘robust’, while X, as the Roman numeral 10, signified the flat case’s water resistance of 10ATM or 100m.

A Design Triumph—The Modern PRX

The modern-day PRX series takes forward those three traits, in an upgraded execution that presents more refinement in the design and improved finishing overall. The same barrel-shaped silhouette is seen here as well, with bevelled edges flanking the round dial and bezel within. This case extends into the bracelet with perfection, with wide links. While a lot of watches in the same genre today have multiple links per row in their bracelets, the PRX has single links that are designed in a way to still give you that smooth slinky feeling of a metallic strap, while feeling more robust with their greater structural integrity.

And as this ergonomically designed bracelet hangs off the case and wraps around your wrist, the finishing on the links enhances its visual appeal tremendously. With satin finishing on the external faces, the burnishing on the internal surfaces that face each other lends the bracelet a slicker look, as it glistens even more with the movement of your wrist with light falling on it from different angles. It feels smooth to the touch, and even with the compact nature of the bracelet, it does not pull on any hair on the wrist—a very comfortable wearing experience indeed.

Even the sleek case feels comfortable as it rests on the wrist, at a very standard size of 40mm. And it continues to feel quite flat, despite the significantly raised bezel. In fact, the dial is also quite raised, with hands that are stacked over it. With slender hour markers that are applied—and luminescent, like the hands—there is added visual depth as well, bringing alive the design even more. The final touch is the bevelled frame of the date window. All these finer details lend the piece nuance and finesse, making a very pleasant impression overall.

The Powermatic 80—The Stand-Out Hero Of The PRX Series

All this refinement was first presented with the 2021 quartz editions, which came with dials featuring subtle finishing, such as a vertical-brushed or sunburst texture. However, the stand-out timepiece of the series, the Powematic 80, was unveiled later. It features all the goodness of the highly-considered details described above, but remains distinguished by a dial with an embossed chequered pattern—or ‘reverse waffle’ if you will—almost like squares on a bar of chocolate. This texture is quite popular in fine watch dials, and is more accessible in this Tissot than it is in most other watches that carry it. Yet, it’s as refined as you’d see it any watch. With a smooth and even execution, it catches the light distinctly but subtly, as you see its metallic sheen when moved in different angles.

Moreover, this edition runs on Tissot’s Powermatic 80. It is an automatic ETA movement that’s been modified by Tissot to offer an 80-hour power reserve—greater than the calibre’s original capability. As far as accuracy goes, upon using it for a while, you’ll notice that it does not lose or gain any time, remaining precise even when left alone for up to 80 hours.

Tissot’s Powermatic 80 in the PRX offers an 80-hour power reserve. With a nice wave pattern on the winding rotor and smooth finishing on all surfaces, the movement even has adequate visual depth

You can even see this calibre through the sapphire crystal caseback. With a nice wave pattern on the winding rotor and smooth finishing on all surfaces, the movement even has adequate depth, which is kind of paradoxical, if you consider the flatness of the case, making it even more interesting. An archetypal watch, with the refinement in details, a high-performing calibre, and an exhibition caseback—with all these boxes checked, this indeed is an excellent offering, and the true hero of the PRX series.

The Highlights Of The Expanded PRX Range

While the signature PRX Powermatic 80 are quite standard, with smooth bezels and patterned dials, the collection was expanded more recently. There are two newer Powermatics—with dials in blue and brown respectively—that feature fluted bezels in 18-karat rose gold.

In 2023, Tissot widened the appeal of the PRX line even further, with new editions of the Powermatic 80 in a smaller case size of 35mm. This size was only seen in the quartz PRXes earlier. First among the 35mm Powermatic 80 PRXes was the standard blue, which instantly grabbed the attention of those who are preferring smaller sizes these days. Eventually, the ice blue automatic, which was first introduced in 40mm, was also released in 35. A

And finally, there’s the yellow gold PVD-treated version, in 35 as well as 40mm. This vintage-looking gold was a hit with the 35mm quartz edition, so it only seemed natural for Tissot to bring the gold PVD to the Powermatics as well. And to make it even better, they have it in both sizes. After all, why shouldn’t fans of the gorgeous gilded version not have the option of getting the ‘reverse waffle’ dial and the enormous power reserve of 80 hours.

The vast—and growing—variety in this crowd-pleasing collection makes its success grow constantly. And with high-performance attributes, the PRX continues to be quite a smashing series.

Its high-performance attributes really make PRX quite a smashing series. With a very balanced, coherent design, and details that reflect quality usually seen in much higher-end timepieces, the PRX certainly offers more bang for your buck

With a very balanced, coherent design, and details that reflect quality usually seen in much higher-end timepieces, the PRX certainly offers more bang for your buck. The archetypal nature and timeless style only make it that much more enticing as a proposition, offering more power indeed!