Alvin Wong 16 March 2022

Tissot’s retro-inspired smash hit returns – and we are loving the two new chronographs.

Did these new Tissot PRX drops catch its fans by surprise? We think not. However, even though most would’ve seen the new watches coming from a mile off, it is heartening to note that the immensely popular collection, which set the pace last year with its charming retro-inspired disposition and attractive price tags, continues to impress with the same fetching qualities.

Introduced in 2021, the PRX collection thrust Tissot into the zeitgeist of hip horology where, for now, contemporary throwback style rules. The watches are inspired by the Tissot PRX 40 205 from 1978, bearing distinctive tonneau-shaped cases and round bezels, and an aura of retro-licious chic that has enamoured many a collector. Originally offered in both quartz and automatic versions, the PRX watches are also attractively priced (the automatic variants at just under S$1,000 a pop), combining affordability and sexy sepia-tinged style in a single, irresistible package. You can check out our 60-second video review of the 2021 PRX collection here.)

It is no wonder then, that we are seeing more PRX models in 2022. Tissot follows the collection’s exciting debut with more delectable options this year, including two new 40mm automatic models with 18K rose gold bezels that pimp the blueprint with a hint of luxury, and an assortment of 35mm quartz models with coloured dials. However, the new pieces that you really ought to check out pronto are the PRX Chronograph Valjoux models.

These fresh additions to the PRX family have gotten our hearts racing with their brazen display of mechanical muscle that further amplifies the collection’s funky 1970s-inspired personality. Like the rest of the PRX models, the PRX Chronograph Valjoux sports the collection’s signature profile and style – only larger this time with 42mm cases with angular pushers that complement the look, as well as to accommodate the chronograph movement. The increase in heft doesn’t compromise the watches’ casual elegance; the now-recognisable PRX design continues to anchor the watches’ appeal.

Having said that, the inclusion of a chronograph has accentuated the PRX’s aesthetic virtues. The watches’ sharp, nostalgic allure is even more obvious, thanks to lovely dial executions that feature contrasting chronograph sub-dials. One is fronted by a luxed-up, panda-style dial with black totalisers against a vertically brushed silver backdrop with applied gold-plated hands and indices, and the other with a blue dial and white totalisers. Instinctively, our votes went to the version with black-and-white dial, but the variant with blue dial has since grown on us. Either way, it’s a tough choice to make.

Groovy aesthetics aside, the PRX Chronograph Valjoux, as the name states, is powered by a proven industry-standard movement. The watch’s automatic Valjoux A05 H31 is a remodelled version of the ETA Valjoux 7753 (itself a variant of the legendary Valjoux 7750 movement but with a different layout for the date window) that offers up to 60 hours of power reserve.

Of course, with the chronograph upgrade, the PRX Chronograph Valjoux comes with a slightly elevated price tag of S$2,550. But in the grand scheme of chronograph options available, it is still an awesome, relatively accessible option to consider. We are calling it first – this is among our favourite value-for-money automatic chronographs of 2022.

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Alvin Wong

Ex Editor-In Chief

Alvin promises not to be a douche when talking about watches. He may have scoured the Basel and Geneva watch fairs for the past 15 years, and played an instrumental role to the growth of Singapore's pioneering horological and men's lifestyle publications, but the intrepid scribe seeks to learn something new with each story he writes.