Spending Time With The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon
Although forged carbon may not be a precious or rare material, it does count as an exotic option in watchmaking. Mostly reserved for avant-garde creations by high-end brands, it isn’t exactly abundant on the affordable end of the spectrum. Well, if Tissot has its way, we can all get a forged carbon sports watch. I spent a week with the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon exclusively on my wrist to see how it stacks up.
The forged carbon PRX comes on a rubber strap and is priced at €1,075. That is a €300 premium over the regular steel Powermatic PRX on the steel bracelet. However, for this sum, you also get an upgraded movement with a silicon hairspring. All in all, it’s a pretty compelling proposition for those with a taste for carbon. So, is it any good?
The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon
The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon is part of the latest expansion to the successful PRX collection. I first saw some of the steel gradient-dial versions, and if you follow my writing, you will know I was unimpressed. I thought, “Really? Are we at this stage already with the PRX?” To me, vignette and gradient dials represent the last drops of creative juice that can be squeezed out of an exhausted design. But then I saw this ominous model in forged carbon, and I was intrigued, to put it mildly.
Tissot gave the PRX the typical forged carbon treatment, which is a little more involved than merely swapping cases. The movement, dial, case back, and crystal are all mounted in or on a central black PVD steel cylinder, while the mid-case, bezel, and dial are forged carbon. This is the common way of doing it, as found on most high-end carbon watches. Forged carbon is not very well suited for threading, for instance, so a central steel housing makes sense. As a result, the case measures a few tenths of a millimeter bigger and thicker than the regular steel model.
This also means you don’t get the ultra-light effect that a titanium watch will give you. There is simply still quite a bit of steel, brass (movement), and sapphire weighing down the featherweight exterior. For reference, a steel quartz PRX on the rubber strap weighs 86 grams, compared to 75 grams for the forged carbon model. Still, it is just over half the weight of the automatic steel model on the bracelet. So while it isn’t breaking records, it is certainly comfortably light.
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon specs
The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon measures 40.5mm across by just under 46mm in length and 11.2mm in thickness. Note that the strap flares out somewhat, so it appears bigger than a typical 40 × 46mm watch. The slightly greater dimensions compared to the steel model do not translate into a noticeable difference as the black exterior visually shrinks the watch. A flat sapphire crystal up top and another in the case back sandwich the carbon case. Tissot specifies the water resistance at an ample 100 meters.
Inside ticks the widely used Swatch Group Powermatic 80 movement. This ETA 2824-based caliber ticks at a decelerated 21,600 beats per hour to accomplish an 80-hour autonomy. The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon shares one key upgrade with the Tissot Gentleman — a silicon hairspring. A small “Si” signature on the balance bridge confirms this feature. Other PRX models feature a Nivachron hairspring.
I love that Tissot includes a bare forged carbon dial too. The forged carbon shavings reflect light individually, making for a dynamic look that suggests depth. Aesthetically, I find it quite an attractive material that is a little more interesting than pure black or anthracite. The watch comes on a black rubber strap with a black PVD-treated buckle and quick-release bayonets. At the time of writing, Tissot does not offer a forged carbon bracelet, which would likely push the price up significantly.
Wearing the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon
Let me preface this section by admitting I love forged carbon in watchmaking. This is not just down to my appreciation for its looks. The material’s strength, scratch resistance, and lightness make it fantastic for watch exteriors. And yes, looks matter too. As mentioned, I enjoy the dynamism and depth forged carbon offers over PVD steel cases. I also find it softens the look on the wrist a bit compared to truly black watches.
When I strapped the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon to my wrist, my mind instantly jumped to the Zenith Defy. I like the carbon Defy a lot, but I don’t think I would ever spend that much on what would essentially be an outlier in my collection, intended only for incidental use. The PRX Forged Carbon suddenly brings much of what I like about that watch into reach.
Although there certainly are compromises, which I will cover later, my week with this PRX was one of positive confusion. I constantly felt like I was wearing something much more expensive and exotic than a Tissot PRX. If you find yourself carbon-curious, you really cannot go wrong here.
Surely, it isn’t perfect, right?
Of course, you cannot have your cake and eat it too. The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon offers a hell of a lot, but it isn’t flawless. Let me quickly touch upon a few things that didn’t impress me. For starters, legibility varies greatly depending on ambient light. Combined with the poor lume performance and large negative space on the dial, I feel Tissot could have experimented with slightly more substantial hands and indices. That could solve all the above while differentiating the forged carbon model as a true sports version even more.
Of course, compromises are necessary to offer such a sharp proposition. I always prefer to pay more to get a screw-down crown and a screw-in case back on a sports watch like this. All the above is subjective, though. I do have one more objective issue with the PRX in general: the quick-release bayonets are impossible to reach on several models, wedged between the case back and the strap. The same applies here; the system is just very finicky. Then again, I would only take this strap off if it were worn out and needed replacing.
Closing thoughts
All in all, the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon is a watch I would happily own and wear. Tissot brings another great value proposition to the market. Additionally, this truly differentiates the offerings from competitors.
The sense of wearing something much fancier than a Tissot (with all due respect to Tissot) just didn’t leave me. Sure, you spot imperfections with a loupe, but this isn’t the type of watch you are supposed to take a loupe to. At the end of the day, it is all about how it makes you feel. And this leaves me feeling quite impressed!
What do you think of the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon? Let us know in the comments below!
