Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Damascus: A Layered 38mm Statement Piece For The PRX Era

The PRX has turned into Tissot’s modern calling card. Since the design’s revival in 2021, it has consistently sat on shortlists for first serious watches, not only because of price, but because it captures the integrated-sports look without feeling like a derivative costume. It’s versatile, easy to wear, and surprisingly detail-forward for its bracket. Now Tissot has pushed the PRX into territory usually reserved for boutique runs and knife-maker forums: Damascus steel

. The new PRX Powermatic 80 Damascus doesn’t just add a new dial color or a fresh strap; it recasts the watch as an object of patterned metal art – and pairs that spectacle with a new 38mm size that may be the best-wearing PRX yet.

Why 38mm Changes The PRX Conversation

The original 40mm PRX is all dial and presence, and the 35mm variant leans into compact charm. The Damascus model lands squarely in the middle at 38mm, and that single decision transforms the PRX’s proportions.

The sloped bezel reads as a design element rather than a dominant rim, the flat upper case gets breathing room, and the sharply down-turned center links sit closer to the wrist for a neater drape. On a flat 6.75-inch wrist the watch hugs cleanly, avoiding the overhang some experienced with 40mm and the slightly bezel-heavy look of 35mm. This is the Goldilocks PRX – balanced, modern, and visually calm even while the metal itself is swirling with character.

Damascus Steel, Demystified

What Tissot calls Damascus is a patterned stainless composite: two different steels are layered (Tissot says over 70 layers), then fused in a high-pressure, high-heat process (hot isostatic pressing) that bonds them at the atomic level. Once machined, the material reveals flowing striations where light and dark alloys alternate. No two cases share the same pattern. If you know the world of high-end knives, you know this look – organic, almost woodgrain, sometimes tight as ripples in water, sometimes broad like topographic maps. In watchmaking, Damascus has been rare, mostly because it’s laborious and unforgiving

. Seeing it at a mainstream price from a mainstream name is startling; seeing it executed as cleanly as this is even more so.

On the PRX, the case patterning feels restrained rather than shouty. You get long, lateral stripes across flats and chamfers that slightly change character with each shift of the wrist. One of the two alloys takes a brighter polish, so the surface isn’t a monolithic gray; instead, subtle highlights animate a mostly brushed architecture. Around back, a sapphire window shows the movement and preserves 100 meters of water resistance – plenty for daily life, especially given the integrated-sports intent.

A Dial That Doubles Down On Pattern

Tissot didn’t stop at the case. The dial is Damascus, too, but it reads differently: darker overall, with a tighter, more fluid motif that looks a touch like mercury simmering under glass. A restrained sunburst sits beneath the pattern and comes alive in oblique light. Black nickel-plated baton markers and a matching baton handset keep the palette strictly monochrome; the hands jump crisply against the swirling ground and, crucially, the layout still breathes. The minute track stays legible, the applied logo floats rather than shouts, and the whole composition feels designed around negative space.

There is, however, a familiar PRX controversy at 3 o’clock: the date. The white wheel breaks the spell of the monochrome metal, and it can look awkward in photos when set mid-change – remember that Powermatic 80’s calendar is not an instantaneous flick at exactly midnight. A color-matched wheel or (dare we dream) a no-date option would let the Damascus texture remain uninterrupted. As it stands, if you value a calendar more than symmetry, you’ll find it useful; if you’re allergic to date windows on patterned dials, you’ll wish Tissot gave you a choice.

The Engine: Powermatic 80, Still The Benchmark At Its Price

Under the hood, the PRX Damascus runs the Swatch Group’s Powermatic 80 – an ETA-built automatic that has quietly redefined expectations for entry-level Swiss mechanics. Its headlines still impress: roughly 80 hours of reserve at 21,600 vph, anti-magnetic Nivachron balance spring, and an overall track record of durability in daily wear.

Finishing is purposeful rather than fancy – bead-blasted plates and bridges, a sunburst rotor – but the movement looks considered through the window and, more importantly, tends to perform well on the wrist. If you want set-and-forget ease from Friday night to Monday morning, the PM80 continues to be the value leader.

Strap, Buckle, And The Bracelet Debate

Tissot equips this Damascus edition with an integrated black leather strap. It’s well chosen: pebbled texture on top, soft nubuck-like lining against the skin, and enough taper to keep the 38mm head visually grounded. The lightness versus a steel bracelet makes the watch disappear in day-long wear, and the Damascus buckle – a miniature slab of patterned steel with a tighter stripe density – adds a sly flourish most folks won’t notice until you slip the sleeve. Tissot sticks to a simple pin buckle, which frankly suits the vibe better than a chunky deployant.

Would a Damascus bracelet be incredible? Absolutely – and borderline unwearable, financially and visually. Patterned links across a full integrated bracelet would multiply machining time and scrap rates, likely doubling the price, and some wrists would find the effect overwhelming. For those who crave steel, it’s reasonable to hope Tissot offers a standard PRX bracelet option for this reference down the line; the ecosystem of PRX straps and bracelets is a big part of the line’s appeal. Until then, this leather-clad setup underscores the watch’s role as a design object first, daily companion second.

How It Wears

On the wrist, the Damascus PRX reads like a PRX – sleek, flat, and modern – but feels markedly more tactile

. The patterns soften the geometry, so highlights roll rather than snap. The 38mm width and the short effective reach of the integrated links keep the footprint compact. It slides under a cuff without complaint, and the 100m rating means you can ignore the forecast. If there’s a caveat, it’s thickness perception: the display back adds millimeters the eye can catch from certain angles. Some purists would trade the view for a closed back and a thinner stack; others will appreciate the peek at a movement they’ve heard about for years.

Price, Context, And The Sinn Comparison

MSRP lands at USD $1,175 – a figure that raises eyebrows when you remember Sinn’s 1800 Damaszener launched around $8,500. The comparison is educational. Sinn’s case and dial were cut from the same block, treated with hardening, produced in small batches, and executed in Germany with the brand’s usual over-engineering. Tissot, by contrast, is leveraging Swatch Group scale and a design tailored for efficient production. Different industrial philosophies, different bills of materials, different economic realities. The result here is a widely accessible pathway into true patterned steel – not laser-etched simulacra – without a boutique premium.

About That New 38mm Titanium PRX

This Damascus isn’t the only 38mm story in the PRX family; Tissot has also rolled out 38mm titanium references, including a blue-dial crowd-pleaser. It’s smart of Tissot to bracket the Damascus with a lighter, more classic alternative. Titanium’s scratch behavior depends on grade and surface treatment: standard Grade 2 marks more easily but also shows wear as a soft sheen; hardened or coated variants (think Citizen’s “Super Titanium”) can be uncannily resilient. If you’re rough on watches and nervous about hairlines, steel may still be your friend. If you prize comfort and a muted, tool-ish look, the Ti PRX deserves a try-on alongside this Damascus.

Specifications At A Glance

• Case: 38mm patterned Damascus stainless steel; sapphire display back; 100m water resistance
• Dial: Damascus steel, monochrome palette; black nickel baton indices; date at 3
• Crystal: Sapphire
• Movement: Powermatic 80 automatic; 21,600 vph; ~80-hour power reserve; Nivachron balance spring
• Strap: Integrated black leather, Damascus steel pin buckle
• Availability: Authorized dealers now
• MSRP: USD $1,175

Who It’s For

If you love the PRX idea but want something with more soul than a stamped pattern or a paint color, this is your watch. It reads restrained at a glance, then rewards the second look with topography and texture. The 38mm case hits the present moment just right. Legibility is solid; everyday durability is all there. If the white date wheel or the absence of a bracelet is a deal-breaker, the titanium sibling or a standard steel PRX may be a better fit. But for those who treat a watch as an object with stories inside its material, the PRX Powermatic 80 Damascus is a rare bird at an approachable price.

Verdict

Tissot has taken its runaway hit and added genuine metalcraft without losing the things that made the PRX a phenomenon: wearability, value, and clean design. The case and dial are not gimmicks; they’re the real, layered, forged deal. The movement remains the class benchmark. The size is spot on. Yes, the date window divides opinion, and yes, a display back adds height you might or might not want. But taken as a whole, the PRX Powermatic 80 Damascus is a vivid proof of concept: big-brand scale can bring knife-maker romance to the wrists of normal buyers – no waitlist, no boutique tax, just a patterned slice of steel art ticking at 21,600 beats per hour.