Tissot’s Definitive Affordable Sports Watch Just Achieved Its Most Perfect Form

This one will be hard to top.

Close-up of a brushed titanium watch case with a polished bezel and a ridged crown on a light background.Tissot

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The Tissot PRX took the watch industry by storm when it first arrived like a lightning bolt back in 2021. Here, for the first time, was a way for enthusiasts to get the coveted integrated luxury sports watch look for a tiny fraction of the price of the AP and Patek watches that defined the category.

As the years went on, the PRX family has grown exponentially and now ranks as Tissot’s most recognizable watch. The original 40mm quartz version spawned an automatic counterpart within a couple of months, but it didn’t take long for fans to start clamoring for something smaller, as the 40 wears considerably larger than most watches with the same case diameter.

Tissot answered the call with a quartz 35mm version in 2022 and an automatic the following year, but they didn’t quite scratch the itch for many collectors. They were a bit too small. Surely, there had to be a happy medium between 40mm and 35mm?

Of course, there is, and now Tissot has debuted what might be the ultimate PRX. Not only is it in the sweet-spot size of 38mm for the first time, but it also introduces titanium to the line.

Silver wristwatch with a textured gray dial and date display worn on a wrist.
The PRX is finally available in a 38mm case size.
Tissot

PRX Perfection

It’s hard to argue with the new PRX 38mm in titanium. For one, the size is spot-on. 38mm across the case is wearable for just about everyone, and it should please those — like me — who found the 40mm too large and the 35mm too small. It’s also roughly the same thickness as the 40mm version at 10.98mm (the 40 is 10.93mm thick).

The watch is powered by Tissot’s Powermatic 80 automatic movement, which I think we can all agree is the version of the PRX to get, no matter the size or material. And it has all of the same features you’ll find on the smaller and larger versions, including 100m of water resistance, a quick-release integrated bracelet with a butterfly clasp, and a waffle dial with applied Super-LumiNova-filled indices.

Brushed titanium Tissot watch bracelet and open case back showing mechanical movement.
Outside of the new size and material, all features remain the same as the 40mm and 35mm PRX Powermatic 80 models.
Tissot

The big difference, outside of the case size, is the use of titanium — another first for the PRX. The lightweight alloy replaces stainless steel for the case and bracelet here, making a decidedly lighter watch. Tissot doesn’t list the weights of its watches, but I assume the difference in heft is comparable to the similar Twelve from Christopher Ward, whose 40mm titanium version is 42 percent lighter than the same size watch in steel.

The dull gray of titanium is paired with an anthracite waffle dial for a very contemporary look. Meanwhile, the rose-gold tone of the hands, indices and date window frame keeps the watch from looking too monochrome.

Close-up of a Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 watch with a textured silver dial and rose gold hour markers and hands.
The anthracite dial features rose gold-toned hands and indices.
Tissot

EDC PRX

Launching alongside the titanium version is a second 38mm PRX automatic that also introduces a new material. Rather than being another perfect PRX, however, this one is decidedly more niche.

It features a case and dial made of Damascus steel, the folded, wave-patterned steel that’s long been popular in the EDC knife community and has been gaining steam in the watch industry for the past couple of years. This new PRX is probably the most mainstream example I’ve seen of Damascus steel in a watch, and it could spur wider adoption by competing brands.

In lieu of a bracelet, the Damascus PRX comes with a black leather strap that includes end links and a buckle made of the ultra-strong steel. The indices here have been black-nickel treated to increase legibility, and the seconds hand is solid black, complementing the strap.

Silver Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 watch with a black leather strap and a date window at 3 o'clock.
In addition to the titanium version, there’s also a PRX 38mm in Damascus steel.
Tissot

Pricing and availability

Along with its good looks and retro luxury sports watch vibes, the other key ingredient in the PRX’s recipe for popularity has been its affordability. And while the exotic materials used in these new mid-sized versions do drive the price up slightly, they’re still plenty affordable.

The titanium version, which I would strongly argue is the superior watch, is actually the cheaper of the two, despite the fact that it includes a full bracelet. It comes in just under $1,000 at $975, which is $125 more than the 40mm plain steel versions and just $25 more than the gold PVD versions.

The Damascus steel model is pricier, coming in at $1,175 on the strap. That makes it the most expensive PRX outside of the chronographs and the versions with solid gold bezels, with its closest competitor being the PRX Forged Carbon at $1,150. Personally, I’d go for the Carbon. While larger at 40.5mm, I think it’s considerably better looking, and it has the upgraded version of the Powermatic 80 movement with a silicon hairspring.

But out of any of them, I’d go for the titanium. It’s the perfect size, it’s nice and light and it looks fantastic. It sure looks like the perfect PRX, at least for now.

Silver titanium Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 watch with textured gray dial and rose gold-tone hands and markers.Tissot

Tissot PRX 38mm Titanium

Specs

Case Size 38mm
Movement Tissot Powermatic 80 automatic (ETA)
Water Resistance 100m

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