The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 35mm Is Finally Here (Video & Live Pics)

It’s undeniable that the PRX collection has been a tremendous success for Tissot so far. Everyone seemed to gravitate to it when it was launched a mere two years ago. Tissot hit a home run with it, as it has all the credentials of a luxury sports watch; a shaped case, prominent bezel, integrated bracelet and a textured dial. What was missing though was a slightly smaller version, as plenty of people feel the 40mm Tissot PRX wears a little too big. In comes the new Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 35mm.

The style of luxury sports watches has been on the rise over the past few years, resulting in extreme demands for specific models. With this surge in popularity of watches like the Royal Oak and the Nautilus, it was inevitable others would join this segment of the market too. Historical icons were dusted off, entirely new designs were introduced and we even saw several independent watchmakers bring out luxury sports watches! The new Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 35mm now joins the party as a very good entry-level allrounder.

Based on the quartz-powered Tissot PRX from 1978, the style was brought back in 2021 with a very accessible collection of watches. It was initially launched with quartz watches, but mechanical versions would soon follow. Now, two years after its first release, the collection has grown significantly and offers a range of cool colours and styles and even a handsome trio of chronographs.

The 40mm size of the PRX has always sounded great on paper but comes with a slight drawback. As mentioned, some people were kept at bay due to the quite substantial lug-to-lug size of the watch. This means it wears bigger than the dimensions suggest, even more so due to the non-articulating first link of the bracelet. To put this into context, the basic lug-to-lug size is 44.5mm but if you were to include the first link, the lug-to-lug size actually is 51.5mm. A more compact size for the PRX would be the definitive answer, right?

Well, yes and no. Sizing down a watch certainly helps to win over more people, but it’s all down to proportions and scale. A watch can look great in 42mm for instance, but become rather underwhelming when downsized to 37mm. That’s far from the case with the new 35mm version of the Tissot PRX though, as it’s smaller from all angles, apart from the height. The brand already teased us with a ladies’ version of what a 35mm PRX could be, but this one had a fluted gold bezel, rows of diamonds for the hour indices and a sunray brushed dial. Cool, but not quite what we wanted.

Now that it’s here in a full collection, we can compare it with the 40mm to see how it differs. The case is now 34.9mm in diameter, measured without the crown. The height remains unchanged as I said, at 11.3mm from top to bottom. But more importantly, the overall length watch has been reduced significantly. Including the aforementioned non-articulating first link, the real lug-to-lug size of the watch is 44.9mm. The width of the bracelet is also reduced, as it now tapers from 24.1mm at the case to 16mm at the clasp. I’m sure this reduction in size will be welcomed by many.

The PRX Powermatic 80 35mm has retained its characteristic design inside and out. Four new models are introduced now, all in stainless steel, but with different dial colours. The finishing of the watch is exactly the same as its bigger brother, with a brushed top surface, polished bezel, a brushed bracelet with small polished details and so on. A sapphire crystal covers both the dial and movement, which is set with a T-signed crown which is slightly tucked into the baseband. Everything looks and feels very good, especially considering the price point (more on that in a bit). The dial is also unchanged, apart from the obvious reduction in size. It comes in black, blue, green or white mother of pearl. What’s quite cool to see is that under changing light, this white MoP dial shows subtle flashes of green and pink.

Side by side: 40mm versus 35mm.

One of the most important elements to the PRX’s success is undoubtedly the Powermatic 80 movement. Luckily, this also found its way into the new 35mm case size. This heavily upgraded ETA 2824 has become the new Swatch Group standard and can be found in a whole range of nice watches. Thanks to a reduced frequency and a stronger mainspring, it provides a comfortable 80 hours of power reserve. It also has a Nivachron hairspring for improved magnetic resistance. The finish is perhaps a bit basic, but that’s to be expected at a price of EUR 745 for the black, blue and green dials, and EUR 795 for the white mother-of-pearl dial. All come on the integrated stainless steel bracelet, that’s nicely finished. This comes with two half-links at the clasp, which lets you adjust the length of the bracelet to a perfect fit.

There’s no question that the new PRX Powermatic 80 35mm will be another huge hit for the brand. It looks very good on and off the wrist and retains all the hallmarks that made the initial PRX such a popular watch, to begin with. It grants you access to a distinct style of watches without costing an arm and a leg. Sure, the similarities with other luxury sports watches are there, but that’s never been an issue for most, us included. The black and blue dials are classic, and the green one is perfectly on-trend. The winner though is that white mother-of-pearl dial, as it’s the most outspoken one. It is definitely the one I would buy, although I never considered an MoP dial before.

For more information about the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 35mm Collection, please visit TissotWatches.com.