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Almost immediately following the release of Tissot’s quartz-powered PRX watch in 2021, fans were banging down the doors of the Le Locle-based brand for a mechanical version. Housed in a 40mm stainless steel case with an integrated bracelet and featuring a patterned “waffle” dial, the resulting PRX Powermatic 80 delivered much of the look of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus for just over $700. (Pretty friggin’ rad, if you ask us!)
Then, two months ago, the brand expanded the lineup with slightly smaller 35mm versions. Much of the watch world is moving in the unisex direction; while Tissot still divides its catalog into men’s and women’s lines, the strong case architecture of its Genta-esque design means that the 35mm PRX looks most excellent on pretty much any wrist, and provides an alternative size for those for whom 40mm feels uncomfortably large.
Furthermore, Tissot, unlike many builders of affordable watches, has done an admirable job of not overwhelming us with a gazillion iterations of what is clearly a hit—peruse its website, and there are subdued versions in black, blue, green, and white, plus a couple of two-tone references. More recently, it added a gold-toned iteration featuring a matching bracelet and a steel version with an ice blue dial, both in 40mm, whose 1970s-inspired looks make for perfect summertime accessories. Now, these two versions are available in the smaller 35mm size; at $825 and $695, respectively, they’re tons of watch for the money, and expand the lineup further for those whose preference runs to a more manageable case profile.
