hands-on-with-the-official-rubber-straps-for-the-tissot-prx-powermatic-80

Hands-On With The Official Rubber Straps For The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

In just a couple of years, it seems Tissot has stepped up its game immensely, by introducing new and very handsome collections across the board. The brand has always been a strong performer in the more accessible market, but today the value for money in its watches often seems off the charts. Just think of watches like the Gentlemen, the new Le Locle or the Telemeter 1938. And of course, everybody’s favourite, the PRX collection! They all look very good, have a more than decent level of finishing and use impressive mechanical movements. And best of all, the prices have remained sensible! What’s not to like? Zooming in on the PRX, the lack of strap versatility perhaps? Well, that’s about to change as Tissot now brings rubber straps to the PRX Powermatic 80 party!

It has been a long time coming, relatively speaking, but Tissot is finally giving the people what it wants; more versatility. While the PRX has been a huge success for the brand, up until recently it was only available on a stainless steel bracelet. And that put some people off it entirely, as a lot of watch enthusiasts like to change things up every now and then. The answer came a little while ago when Tissot introduced the PRX on a leather strap. The introduction of this new rubber strap for the PRX is a very smart move, as it lets you play around with its style even more!

From the outside, you still get a 40mm stainless steel case with that distinct 1970s flair. Of course, the odd reference to other luxury sports watches can be seen, but we’re not complaining. The finishing of the case is very good, the shape and feel on the wrist are very pleasant and the blue or black waffle dial just looks cool. The applied markers, the framed date window, the faceted hands, it all works brilliantly together.

The new rubber strap complements the style of the PRX perfectly. Thanks to the quick-release system of the bracelet, and also this rubber strap, you can easily swap them out whenever you want to. The strap itself is made of very soft and flexible rubber but never feels flimsy or sticky. It is very nice to the touch and smells quite good. It integrates into the case very nicely and follows the taper just like the bracelet. The waffle pattern of the dial is repeated on the outside, and a Tissot-signed steel pin buckle secures it to your wrist. On the inside, the strap is marked with PRX, a nice finishing touch.

Mechanically, nothing changes of course, as this is still your standard PRX Powermatic 80 but just on a different style of strap. So with that in mind, you still get that very good automatic Powermatic 80.111 movement found in multiple Tissot collections, as well as other Swatch Group brands. The ’80’ refers to the impressive 80 hours of power reserve the movement delivers. And given the fact it comes from the Swatch Group, you can rest assured it keeps on ticking for a long time without any issue. And as always, it can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback.

The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 on the new rubber strap is available right now. It retails for a very reasonable EUR 725, which nestles it exactly between the PRX on a leather strap (EUR 695, strap sold separately for EUR 60) and the PRX on a bracelet (EUR 745). Tissot also confirmed to us the strap will be sold separately and we can expect more colours down the line. The price is yet to be confirmed but is expected to be around EUR 85 for the strap alone. Considering its very high quality and the expected price point, we genuinely think it is the perfect (and only viable) alternative to the steel bracelet. And by eliminating the need to go aftermarket and keep things OEM for about half the price, you can soon thoroughly enjoy your PRX in any situation imaginable. Well played Tissot, very well played!

For more information, please visit TissotWatches.com

Technical specifications – TISSOT PRX POWERMATIC 80 With rubber strap

Case: 40mm diameter x 10.8mm height – 44mm lug-to-lug – stainless steel case, brushed with polished accents – sapphire crystal – see-through caseback – 100m water-resistant

Dial: black or blue dial with waffle ‘tapisserie’ pattern (embossed) – applied metallic markers and hands with Super-LumiNova

Movement: Tissot Powermatic 80 (upgraded ETA 2824-2) – automatic – 23 jewels – 25.60mm – 80h power reserve – 21,600 vibrations/hour – Nivachron antimagnetic hairspring – hours, minutes, seconds and date

Strap: Integrated black rubber strap with a quick-release system – waffle pattern on the outside, PRX logo on the inside – Tissot-signed stainless steel pin buckle

Reference: T137.407.17.041.00 – Blue waffle dial on black rubber strap
T137.407.17.051.00 – Black waffle dial on black rubber strap

Availability: Available through Tissot’s e-commerce platform or retailers – the rubber strap will become available separately soon

Price: EUR 725 (price for the strap only to be expected around EUR 85)

https://monochrome-watches.com/official-rubber-straps-tissot-prx-powermatic-80-hands-on-price/

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