One of Tissot’s biggest launches of last year was their PRX collection, a series of affordable 1970’s inspired sports watches defined by their flat-link integrated bracelets and barrel-shaped cases. As the family enters into its second year, we’re now welcomed to the sportiest design of all, the Tissot PRX Chronograph now available in two colourways.
Back in 1978, at the heart of the quartz crisis, Tissot launched its Seastar watch which showcased a distinctive integrated architecture. Fast forward to 2021, and the Swatch-owned Swiss watch manufacturer revived this aesthetic but renamed it the PRX, standing for Precise, Robust and X bars of water resistance which in this case serves as the Roman numeral for 100. The original set of Tissot PRX watches housed quartz movements but these were quickly followed by a range of automatic time-and-date models, known as the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80. The latter became the brand’s best-selling line of the year, perfectly positioning itself as one of the most affordable luxury sports watches on the market.
Now in an aggressive move to dominate 2022, Tissot launches its first range of PRX Chronograph watches. The overall integrated, barrel-shaped aesthetic is the same but the stainless steel cases come in a little larger to make room for the chronograph movement housed within. Compared to the 40mm PRX Powermatic 80, the new Tissot PRX Chronographs sit on the wrist at 42mm in diameter and with a height of 14.5mm. The cases are still engineered from stainless steel with brushed and polished surfaces and the famous integrated bracelet with modern flat links. There’s the same flat sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment, screw in crown and 100 metre water resistant rating.
There are currently two Tissot PRX Chronograph Automatic watches to choose from, although we highly expect further additions to appear sooner rather than later. The first features a handsome blue dial with contrasting silver subsidiary counters and silvered hardware. The second instils the popular panda-dial with a silver backdrop, black subsidiary dials and rose gold-plated hands and markers. Both models come with nice vertical finishing and ensure instant legibility in low lighting with Superluminova inserts of the hours and minutes hands and on the baton-shaped indexes. The dial’s also present an angled date window between 4 and 5 o’clock and a tri-compax layout for the small seconds, 30 minutes counter and 12 hour counter.
Fuelling the Tissot PRX Chronograph watches is the ETA A05.H31 which is based on the Valjoux 7753 calibre. The modified movement has recently been upgraded, now promising a 60 hour power reserve, alongside 27 jewels and a frequency of 28,800vph. The movement is put on display through an exhibition case back where you can enjoy some of the perlage decoration and open-work oscillating rotor. It’s a cam actuated chronograph movement and you can control the complication using the two integrated pushers on the right hand side of the case at 2 and 4 o’clock respectively.
The Tissot PRX Chronograph Automatic collection will be available for delivery in June, but if you’d like to register your interest in advance and pre-order one of the designs early, head over to the Jura Watches website here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
Specifications: Tissot PRX Chronograph Automatic Watches
- Case Size: 42mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Fixed
- Glass: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Crown: Screw in
- Case Back: Exhibition
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: ETA A05.H31 automatic winding
- Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph seconds, 12 hour counter, 30 minute counter, date
- Power Reserve: 60 hours
- Jewels: 27
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Blue with silver sub-dials and silver hardware or Silver with black sub-dial and rose gold hardware, Superluminova hands and markers on both
- Strap: Integrated stainless steel bracelet
- Buckle: Folding
- RRP: £1,500
- Release Date: June 2022
