Tissot PRX 35 Review: A No Brainer for Small Wrists

I was actually hesitating on whether or not to review the PRX 35mm given it’s reviewed to shit. In just a couple of years, the PRX has rose to a cult-like following with an equally energetic anti-PRX cult that’s simply tired of the attention this particular timepiece has been getting. Personally, I’m all for the attention the PRX brought. Tissot did a wonderful job bringing in a whole lot of new people into this hobby. Similar to what Swatch did with the MoonSwatch without the whole “gimmick”. The Tissot PRX in all fairness, is a great timepiece, quartz or otherwise. 

Does it deserve the praise it’s been getting? Absolutely. 

Are there better watches out there for the $400 or under? Yes. 

Initial Impressions of Tissot

To talk about my PRX “journey”, we should probably start with the brand itself – Tissot. My first ever impression of Tissot was my dad’s Tissot PRC 200 quartz chronograph in 42mm. It was a daily wear for him for many years and I’ve never known it to have any issues. As I grew into the hobby myself, I quickly identified Tissot as a great entry-level brand that offers many different types of watches – divers, chronographs dress watches, etc. The only problem was, none of the sports watches were under 40mm. Even the Le Locle, a dress watch, is a 40mm that’s all dial, making it wear like a 42. This was back in 2017 and I moved away from wanting a sports Tissot to other brands that were more accommodating to the smaller wrists. 

Tissot PRX Journey

My journey with the PRX first started back in March of 2021, with the bigger brother in 40mm. For just under $300USD, I managed to snap one up that was barely used by the previous owner. I had it on the wrist for less than a day, I sold it the next. It was way too big. The Genta-styled case with the almost 24mm lug-width integrated bracelet that made the lug-to-lug more than 50mm made it extremely large for my wrists. Imagine wearing a frying pan. 

Again, the chase for a Tissot that fits started again. But this time, I had a vision, a 36mm Tissot PRX. Best believed I browsed through Reddit until the news finally hit.

Case & Bezel

The entirety of the case originated from the 70s, a decade of sports luxe watches with integrated bracelets and a blend of sports, and luxury. The crew members consisted of the Patek Philippe Nautilus, VC 222, and the AP Royal Oak. Quietly sitting alongside those giants, was the then “PRX”, named Seastar. It housed a quartz movement, had a flat tonneau case and a hollow-link bracelet. At the time, the market preferred mechanical watches to quartz, the Seastar faded away into the archives of the brand. 

Today, the PRX has an all-brushed tonneau case, except for the bezel which is polished. I’m not usually a fan of polished bezels given they scratch a lot easier but given how thin the bezel is on the PRX, I’m not overly concerned. From a side angle, the bezel angles down sharply and plays really well with the case, but from the top, it’s a little too thin for my liking. The case is finished nicely, pretty uniform across the board, nothing spectacular. The case itself contains quite a few sharp angles, every drop in direction is steep, giving it an aggressive look – which prevents it from being a dress watch in my eyes – establishing itself as a sports watch. 

The crown is easy to grip and signed T – presumably for Tissot. 

Caseback is plain with text stating the brand, sapphire crystal – you know the lot. 

Overall, for the price, the finishing while simple, is extremely well done and is hard to beat at this price point. 

Dial & Hands

Let’s talk about the hands. Needle seconds-hand, minute and hour hands are exactly the same, rectangular with rounded edges and lumed with C3 Superluminova down the middle. And on mine, the seconds hand is hitting every marker on the dot, which wasn’t the case for the 40mm that I had a couple of years ago. 

The dial itself again is simple, and clean. Indices every 5-minutes, with a minute-track surrounding the edge of the dial. The dial itself has a sunburst finish and the emerald green will sometimes appear darker depending on how much light is at play. Nicely proportioned date window at the 3. 

Overall, the dial and hands are nothing spectacular, and remains faithful to the Seastar launched back in 1978. Tissot did well with the dial color options. If you’re looking for a daily wearer, I’d suggest either the blue or white dial. 

The green and ice blue dial are lots of fun and if you’re looking for a fun yet sporty watch for the weekends, these are no brainers. 

Bracelet

Okay, my question is why can’t all bracelets (at the affordable price point) be this good – Yes, I am looking at you Seiko. Where the PRX bracelet shines:

1. It’s made for this specific watch 
2. Solid links
3. Articulates and tapers 
4. Individual links are smaller than the average bracelet making it easy to find the right fit 
5. The butterfly deployant clasp 

The best part for me? The case and bracelet feels as though its been produced entirely as a whole – I guess that’s the charm of an integrated bracelet sports piece. 

It’s really no wonder that the PRX took off, the design team at Tissot took cues from the vintage Seastar, and revived it in a modern and sporty timepiece that punches way above it’s price. And from a far, the bracelet alone makes it seem like a $1000 watch.

Comfort & Wearability

If you’ve got a small wrist like me, do yourself a favor and try on a Tissot PRX 35. You’ll likely end up setting it as the comfort benchmark in which all future purchases have to meet, or beat. It’s also one of those watches that don’t suffer from an improper fit, just wear it a little loose and its light enough that it’ll just move up and down your wrist without any discomfort. 

If you’ve got the blue or white dialed version, it’s an easy grab and go daily. Pair it with shorts, jeans, a suit, or even a sweatshirt and it’ll look the part. 

Who is the Tissot PRX for?

I knew the PRX had catch on when I started seeing them appear on my Instagram stories and feed on people who I know are not watch people. If you’re just starting to get into this hobby, and is on the hunt for a timepiece less than $500, the PRX in either 40mm or 35mm should easily make your top 3. You need to experience this level of finishing and quality in the affordable category to make sure you’re not settling for any less. I know it’s not an automatic, but I really do feel like this will be the Seiko SNK809, or the SKX013 of this new generation of affordable watches – the proverbial gateway “drug”. 

And if you’re a seasoned vet, why not give the PRX a shot – nice size, good price, and great finishing. And you’ll love the pop of color. 

But why isn’t it for me?

I know I’ve done nothing but praise it throughout this article, and the little PRX deserves every ounce of praise. Personally, I find it plain and boring. I get that it’s supposed to appeal to the mass market, which I am sure was the marketing strategy from the get-go, and it’s done extremely well with that. But with other watches that I know are available in this price bracket, I can’t help but go with the other options. 

I will preface, there probably isn’t another piece out there that beats it in terms of build quality for the price. But I’d rather wear the Seiko SNSX77 as opposed to the PRX. I’m not saying it’s a better watch by any means, but for less than 50% of the cost, I’m getting a workhorse automatic movement and a classy charm I can’t resist. 

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for an alternative to the AP Royal Oak at less than a fraction of the cost, there is no better affordable option. If that’s you, I’m surprised you even made it this far down the article. However, if you’re just starting out and you’re interested in purchasing your first timepiece, I’d give the older generation Seiko 5’s a go first. If not, Orient does really good entry-level timepieces but bear in mind they are for the larger waisted (6.75 inches and above). For just under $400 USD, which is what the PRX retails for, you could spend an extra $100 and be exposed to micro brands such as Nodus, Lorier, and Vaer, who all offer the same level of build quality, but, with automatic movements. 

Either way, you can’t go wrong with the PRX 35. If you don’t grab it now, I’m sure you’ll find it sitting on your wrist in the near future.

Tissot PRX 35: To Close

Aesthetics? What’s not to love about this integrated bracelets sports watch? 

Comfort? SIXIW-Certified 

Price? A little on the high side. There are other options that offer better value for money

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