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A month on the wrist with the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 – an integrated bracelet wristwatch for the people A month on the wrist with the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 – an integrated bracelet wristwatch for the people

A month on the wrist with the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 – an integrated bracelet wristwatch for the people

Sean Roberts

The relationship between the Swatch Group and Tissot brings a host of benefits to the table. As the powerful parent company, the Swatch Group can deliver enviable command over economies of scale and a direct line to movement manufacturing with ETA. Being able to tap into such mighty resources enables Tissot to react quickly to trends while at the same time providing value-driven offerings.

When Tissot released the Quartz PRX earlier this year, the benefits of this relationship had never been clearer. Between the case finishing, the dial and the bracelet, the quality you were getting for the price of admission ($375 USD) was undeniable. Yet, just in case any naysayers or quartz-snobs in the back didn’t get the message, Tissot double-downed and decided to release a configuration powered by their Powermatic 80 movement, that notably delivers 80 hours of power reserve.

A month on the wrist with the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

It’s been nearly a month since I succumbed to the charms of the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80. The journey began with a sudden urge to add an integrated bracelet watch to my collection. I had initially resisted the craze, but following months of Instagram pictures and Clubhouse discussions about one of Genta’s integrated designs tripling in price on the secondary market, I decided that I could resist no more. There is just something about that smooth transition from case to bracelet that can eventually weaken the knees of even the staunchest critic.

After looking at the spread of options offered in today’s marketplace, the news of a Powermatic 80 PRX piqued my interest. Already a fan of the aesthetics and interested in the reported specifications, I needed to get the watch in my hand before taking the plunge.

A month on the wrist with the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

With that goal in mind, I visited the Tissot boutique on New York City’s Fifth Avenue the day the watch became available in the US. Once I saw it in the metal, my eyes instantly gravitated towards the dial – specifically the blue configuration due to its versatility. In many ways the midnight blue colour makes it feel like you’re getting two watches for the price of one, the dynamic blue even appearing black in certain lighting. Upon closer inspection, I was pleasantly surprised by its sunburst finish that only further added to its appeal.

Tissot also managed to create a good amount of depth with the “Clous de Paris” textured dial. I initially felt like the PRX Quartz glossy flat sunburst dial would have been just fine on the PRX Powermatic 80, but I’ve grown to appreciate how the pattern differentiates the versions. There was a moment where I was worried there would be too much of a resemblance to AP’s tapisserie dials, but there is no mistaking this for the famed aesthetic popularized in the Royal Oak lineup.

Once I put it on my wrist, I immediately felt the quality of its design. The weight is just right; not too heavy nor too light. You can sense a perfect balance and distribution of weight between the watch head and the bracelet, noticeable in how the watch sits centered on the wrist throughout a day of wear. The 40mm case also wears well on my 7.5-inch wrist, and the 0.5mm increase in thickness to pack in the Powermatic 80 movement, in favour of a quartz movement, is barely noticeable.

A month on the wrist with the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

All these things considered, it was no surprise that I found myself walking out of the boutique with a new watch on my wrist.

In the weeks since, I’ve continued to admire all those design features and the watch has been a daily wearer for me. In terms of its performance on the wrist, I’ve found the movement and its timekeeping to be quite remarkable. The watch has settled at +5 seconds per day, within COSC parameters. Furthermore, the fact that Tissot includes your first service, at no additional cost, when purchasing the PRX Powermatic from their boutique, just adds to the value appeal.

A month on the wrist with the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

By now, you’re probably thinking “OK Ricardo, the watch sounds perfect.” To which I’d say, for me, it nearly is. Tissot took a watch from their archives (the Quartz variant of the Tissot Seastar), inserted a modern, high power reserve movement and provided a level of fit and finish rarely seen at this price point. If ever you needed an example of the benefits of Swatch being behind Tissot, this is it. Exhibit A. Case closed.

Well, maybe not completely closed, as there is one thing I would like to see: greater strap support. If a simple factory rubber or leather strap were made available for purchase, it would be a total game-changer, only further increasing the versatility of the watch and its wearability. If ever there was a brand that could get it done, I would put my money on Tissot – and in many ways, I already did.

The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 is available to pre-order from $,1050 AUD here at the Time+Tide shop