HANDS-ON: The Tissot PRX Gold Quartz brings the ’70s alive on your wrist
Fergus NashTissot knew exactly what they were doing when they kickstarted the budget-friendly integrated bracelet trend with the PRX. Looking at one instantly throws your mind back to the 1970s, regardless of whether you were actually alive then or not. Between the flared jeans and ABBA, one thing the 1970s had was an appreciation for gaudy fashion, regardless of the actual cost of the outfit and accessories. Celebrating the glaring gold plating which found its way into every style of watch in that era of excess, the Tissot PRX in gold just begs to be seen.
The case
If you haven’t tried on a Tissot PRX case by now then you’ve been missing out. The diameter is 40mm, though the rather blocky silhouette fills out the edges nicely to give it as much presence as you could need. While that may sound like it wears large for its size, it’s surprisingly versatile thanks to the integrated bracelet effect of draping immediately over the edges of your wrist. There are a few places you can measure the length of the case from, but for the sake of reference you could imagine this wears similarly to a watch with a 51mm lug-to-lug and generously curving lugs. Thanks to the slender quartz movement, the thickness is only 10.4mm.
The case is of course only made from steel at this price point, but the yellow gold PVD coating is applied quite well. You probably won’t be fooling anyone into thinking that this is a solid gold watch, however the eye-catching character remains as if it were. The finish is almost entirely brushed, helping to knock down the glare and reflections that a fully-polished gold case would bring, and saves the glint of shininess for the bezel, the crown, and peeking in between the bracelet links.
The dial
This Tissot PRX offers the perfect definition of a champagne dial, with a bright yet cool gold tone that traverses hypnotically between shades as the light plays outward through the brushing. The applied baton indices are subtly chamfered on their edges, giving them a silky appearance that enhances their class alongside the thin strips of luminous paint within them. The fencepost hand-set is similarly polished to help them stand out from the other gold tones, and the 1Hz tick of the needle seconds hand is enough to complete the 1970s picture.
The only breakaway from the all-gold theme is the white date wheel at 3 o’clock, although this feels quite authentic to the time period and it’s very rare to see gold date wheels in any watch, let alone a budget one. The printed text is fairly minimal, with the Tissot 1853 plain logo above the pinion and the italicised PRX below.
The bracelet
While the first link of the Tissot PRX’s integrated bracelet isn’t fully articulated, its angle maintains a good amount of drape over the edges of an average wrist. The links of the bracelet are all solid, and there aren’t any unpleasant sharp edges or particularly hair-ripping areas to complain about. The clasp is a properly milled butterfly design with security pushers and two half-links to help achieve your best fit, although wearing it on the looser side would most likely be preferable due to the nature of the wide, flat links. Visually, the brushed surfaces do exactly what you want them to do, which is to seemingly flash with brightness as the light hits at the right angle, sending a cascade of dancing lights across your wrist as it rolls around.
The movement
With the Tissot PRX coming under the wing of the Swatch Group, it uses an ETA quartz calibre F06.115. It takes a 371 type battery with approximately five years of battery life, although the movement does feature an end-of-life indicator where the seconds hand will begin to skip. As far as the seconds hand accurately hitting the printed markers goes, it looks like results can vary, however the ones that are off are slight enough to not be bothersome.
The Tissot PRX Gold Quartz pricing and availability:
You can purchase the Tissot PRX Gold Quartz from the Time+Tide webstore or from any Tissot retailer near you for $700 AUD.
| Case Material | Stainless steel with gold PVD coating |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm x 51mm x 10.4mm |
| Water-Resistance | 100m |
| Dial | Champagne |
| Straps | PVD-coated integrated steel braclet |
| Movement | ETA F06.115 |
| Complications | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Price | $700 AUD |