Tissot PRX: Retro Excitement! Have you worn a Tissot lately?

Straight from an era that oozed sex appeal through its neon pink sky and orange desert roads comes the PRX. Based on a design from 1978, Tissot has revived a quartz watch from a by-gone era where cases and bracelets were one and the same, and quartz technology was as revolutionary as the digital instrument cluster in a 1984 Corvette. The Japanese were going to own the U.S. and the future was as dark as Los Angeles 2019. Nostalgia aside, Tissot, maybe having seen the trend, has revived a design that has come back in a big way lately with the success of the Timex Q, and smothered it in all that glorious turbocharged vintage advertising to titillate the senses of cyberpunks everywhere.

If I’m honest, this is a simple and stellar looking watch at first glance. For people like me, who grew up seeing watches from that time in history, the almost oval shape of the watch with the integrated bracelet flowing as one, is going to conjure the memories of hairy wrists at backyard socials and at 40mm wide and just 10.5mm thick, this is a reissue that will yell the names of 1970s sports watches from the tops of mountains. Tissot states that the watch hands are extremely close to the crystal to give it an even thinner look on the wrist. Quartz, at one time, wasn’t just great for timekeeping, it also gave them the ability to keep the watch thinner.

From the photos provided by Tissot, the finish of the watch looks great. All surfaces, with the exception of the chamfers and in between links, are brushed with a polished bezel that stands above the case. A sapphire crystal accounts for the rest of the height as it protrudes from the bezel and stands ready to take the abuse. Dials will come in three colors, a sunburst blue, the all-encompassing black, and a brushed, satin-finished silver with gold hands and indices. All will feature a date window and the logo PRX stylized like the word TURBO in old car commercials. The bracelet also looks to be a step up from what you’ll see out of something like the Q and should sit nice and flat, articulating around any curvature of the wrist. Also, it’s a quick release. I don’t know how much good that will do you, seeing that the lug width is 12, but maybe there’s something out there you can swap it with.

The PRX is on sale now at a cost of 375.00 credits… er, dollars and should serve any 1980s style you desire. Personally, I think this could be a great overall watch if you like the style. It’s not for everyone. But if you ever have the desire for a watch with vintage Tissot looks (that even has vibes of a vintage AP), this would be a great addition to your collection. I, myself, am tempted to pick one up as I have delusions of grandeur of sitting in the pink sunset of a neon-lit South Beach on the hood of a Ferrari Testarossa. If you liked the Timex Q, I think this will be a nice step up if you want to enter into the Swiss Watch tier of watch collecting, and it’s not a bad overall price. Finally, it’s 100M water-resistant for those rain-soaked nights in a neon city, as you check the time before you board your Spinner to find the last of those Skinjobs.

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