Tissot PRX goes back to the future
A super affordable retro sports watch from the seventies has become a big social media hit.
ABOUT a year ago, pictures of a particular Tissot suddenly started popping up a lot in a local Facebook watch enthusiasts group.
What made it more surprising was the timepiece wasn't even a mechanical one - usually the preferred choice of purists (read: snobs).
The watch was the Tissot PRX 20 405, a 1970s-styled sports model with an integrated case and bracelet.
With its throwback looks and attractive price of just slightly over S$500, it warranted more than just a second look.
And despite needing a battery to make it tick, the watch became an immediate hit.
For those who sat on the fence because they preferred an automatic model, their patience has been rewarded as Tissot has followed up with the PRX Powermatic 80.
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The origins of this old school model can be traced back to 1978 - the era when quartz was disrupting the Swiss watch industry and steel sports models were the rage.
Originally called the Seastar and battery-powered, it was renamed later by Tissot after registering the PRX name - "P" for precise, "R" for robust, and "X" representing the Roman numeral for 10 because the watch was water-resistant to 10 bar (100 metres).
Both the reissued quartz and automatic models look similar, save for case thickness and dial design.
The former is slightly thinner at 10.4 mm compared to the mechanical's 10.9 mm, but on the wrist, the difference is negligible and barely noticeable.
You also get an exhibition caseback on the PRX Powermatic 80, while the PRX 20 405 is closed.
Both models tell the time and date; and come in silver, black or blue dial.
The most obvious difference comes down to the dial finishing - the quartz ones have a satin finish; while the automatic ones feature an embossed waffle-like texture on it.
Another difference is if you pick the silver dial option on PRX Powermatic 80, the bezel, hands, indexes and date window are all given a rose gold PVD treatment to make it even more retro.
The PRX feels comfortable to wear because of its slim profile; and the slinky integrated bracelet and barrel-shaped case wraps itself nicely around the wrist.
At 40mm, it hits the sweet spot for a sports watch and even those with smaller wrists should have no problems rocking this.
But the watch is also small enough to make it look elegant enough to be worn on dressier occasions where it will fit nicely under a shirt sleeve.
The PRX is truly an all-rounder but its biggest edge over the competition has got to be its pricing.
As mentioned earlier, the quartz models retail for slightly over S$500 and the mechanical ones go for just under S$1,000.
In terms of value, this is difficult to beat when you are in the market for a Swiss watch.
The 80 hours power reserve of Tissot's workhorse Powermatic movement on the automatic model alone makes it worth the price of the watch.
I wore it over the span of 2 weeks while rotating with other timepieces and it never stopped ticking even though I didn't touch it on the weekend.
With plenty of love from the watch community for vintage watches at the moment, Tissot's wallet-friendly reissue of the PRX is definitely a timely one.
Price: S$510 (PRX 20 405), from S$950 (PRX Powermatic 80)
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