Tissot launched the original PRX in 1978 as the ref. 40504-1, a thin integrated-bracelet quartz watch positioned in the same general territory as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (1972) and Patek Philippe Nautilus (1976), but at a fraction of the price. The name PRX is reportedly an internal abbreviation: Precise, Robust, 10 (Roman numeral X) for the 100m water resistance. The 1978 case was a 40mm tonneau in steel with a flat polished bezel, a horizontally-textured "tapisserie-lite" dial, an integrated bracelet that flowed seamlessly from the case (no visible spring-bar), and the new ETA F-quartz movement.
The original PRX ran through the early 1980s before being discontinued as the broader Quartz Crisis reshaped Tissot's catalogue. The watch was a quiet commercial success in its era but never approached the cultural status of its inspirations (the Royal Oak and Nautilus); through the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s the PRX remained a minor footnote in Tissot history, occasionally appearing at vintage-watch sales for a few hundred dollars.
The transformative moment came at Watches and Wonders 2021, when Tissot announced the PRX modern revival. The new PRX was a faithful reproduction of the 1978 silhouette, in quartz at approximately USD 375 retail, with the same tonneau case, horizontally-textured dial, and seamless integrated bracelet. The launch instantly went viral: the watch press hailed it as "the affordable luxury-sport watch the post-Royal-Oak market had been waiting for", and the watch became one of the best-selling Tissots in the brand's history.
Tissot quickly expanded the line. The PRX Powermatic 80 (ref. T137.407) added an automatic movement with 80-hour power reserve at approximately USD 700; the PRX Chronograph (Cal. Valjoux A05) added a Valjoux-7753-base chronograph at USD 1,895. The line grew with multiple dial colours (the launch Ice Blue, Salmon, Slate Grey, Forest Green, Black), case variants in 35mm for narrower wrists, and PVD-gold and two-tone variants. Limited editions co-branded with retailers and watch-media outlets followed. The PRX has remained the most-discussed affordable Swiss-made integrated-bracelet sport watch of the modern era and a critical commercial success for the Swatch Group.
