What makes Tissot watches special
Tissot is one of the well-known names in the Swiss watch industry and carries its ambition right in its slogan: Innovators by Tradition. Founded in 1853 in Le Locle in the Swiss Jura, the brand has been part of the Swatch Group, the world's largest watch group, for decades. This affiliation is not a minor detail but the core of the price advantage, because Tissot draws on in-house movements, cases and components from the group.
The brand's strongest argument is the Powermatic 80 automatic movement. It offers around 80 hours of power reserve, well above the classic 38 to 42 hours of many competitors, and so keeps running even after a weekend off the wrist. Combined with sapphire crystal, which is standard at Tissot across all price classes, the result is a package that is rarely found in this form for under €1,000.
The second workhorse is the PRX. Its design goes back to a 1978 model, combines a flat tonneau case with an integrated steel bracelet and so hits the current retro taste exactly. Between this trend watch, classic dress watches such as the Le Locle and robust Seastar divers, the brand covers almost every occasion without losing its grounding in price.
What matters with Tissot watches
Within the brand the range is wide: the drive runs from simple quartz to the automatic chronograph, and the diameters from a delicate 26 to a hefty 45.5 millimetres. Anyone looking for the best Tissot watches for themselves therefore decides along three questions: which movement, which drive and which size suit their everyday life. The following sections put the most important buying criteria in context.
Movement and power reserve
The heart of every automatic Tissot is the Powermatic 80, usually in the 80.111 variant, with the Gentleman using version 80.811 with a silicon hairspring. All of them offer the 80 hours of power reserve the name refers to, a value that brings real convenience in everyday use. Anyone looking for a chronograph will find the Valjoux calibre A05.H31 with 60 hours of reserve in the PRX Automatic Chronograph, while the quartz chronographs rely on the proven ETA G10.212.
Drive: automatic or quartz
Automatic movements such as the Powermatic 80 deliver the mechanical experience along with a long power reserve, but require regular wear. Quartz models such as the PRX 40 Quartz or the Everytime run for years with little maintenance, are more accurate and cheaper, but lack the fascination of mechanics. Which route is right depends on how you use the watch; our guide Automatic vs quartz offers a detailed comparison.
Size and water resistance
Diameters range from 26 millimetres for the Bellissima to 45.5 millimetres for the Seastar chronograph, with the core range at 39 to 40 millimetres. For water resistance: dress watches such as the Le Locle offer 30 metres and therefore only splash protection, sporty models 100 metres, and the Seastar divers a full 300 metres. If you are unsure about the right size, the watch size guide has instructions for measuring your wrist.
The best Tissot watches at a glance
The following overview brings together a representative selection from the catalogue and sets movement, size, water resistance and guide price side by side. The guide prices are based on the manufacturer's recommended retail price and should not be understood as a current market price. Each detail page provides the full data sheet, and the watch comparison helps with a direct side-by-side of two favourites.
| Model | Movement / drive | Size | Water resistance | Guide price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRX Powermatic 80 | Powermatic 80.111, automatic | 40 mm | 100 m | approx. €750 |
| PRX 40 Quartz | ETA F06.115, quartz | 40 mm | 100 m | approx. €390 |
| Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80 | Powermatic 80.111, automatic | 43 mm | 300 m | approx. €800 |
| Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium | Powermatic 80.811, automatic | 40 mm | 100 m | approx. €950 |
| Le Locle Powermatic 80 | Powermatic 80.111, automatic | 39.3 mm | 30 m | approx. €700 |
| Chemin des Tourelles 39 | Powermatic 80.111, automatic | 39 mm | 50 m | approx. €845 |
| PRX Automatic Chronograph | Valjoux A05.H31, automatic | 42 mm | 100 m | approx. €1,795 |
| Seastar 1000 Quartz Chronograph | ETA G10.212, quartz | 45.5 mm | 300 m | approx. €645 |
| Le Locle Automatic Lady 29mm | Tissot automatic (Nivachron) | 29 mm | 30 m | approx. €745 |
| PR 100 34mm Quartz | ETA F05.115, quartz | 34 mm | 100 m | approx. €295 |
Our recommendations in detail
PRX: the trend collection
The PRX is the face of the modern Tissot. At 40 millimetres, with 100 metres of water resistance and the 80-hour movement, the PRX Powermatic 80 is the centrepiece of the line and, at a guide price of approx. €750, one of the most-bought Swiss automatic entry points of all. Anyone who wants the look without the mechanics chooses the PRX 40 Quartz for approx. €390 or the more compact PRX 35 Quartz, which as a unisex model at 35 millimetres also sits well on slimmer wrists. As an integrated sports watch, the PRX fits perfectly into our guide to the best sports watches.
Seastar: the brand's divers
The Seastar is Tissot's answer to the question of an affordable Swiss dive watch. The Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80 combines 300 metres of water resistance, a ceramic bezel and the 80-hour automatic movement in a 43-millimetre case for approx. €800. If you prefer something smaller, the Seastar 1000 Quartz 36 is a 36-millimetre model with the same 300 metres and a low-maintenance quartz drive. Both are among the recommendations in our overview of the best dive watches.
Le Locle, Gentleman and Chemin des Tourelles: the classic side
For suit and office, Tissot has three classics ready. The Le Locle Powermatic 80 with guilloché dial, leather strap and 39.3 millimetres is the epitome of the accessible Swiss dress watch at approx. €700. The Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium steps up a level with its antimagnetic silicon hairspring and 100 metres, and the Chemin des Tourelles rounds out the line with classic 39 millimetres. Even more minimalist and cheaper are the quartz models Everytime 34 and Everytime 40, designed as flat everyday watches. Anyone looking for such models will also find them in the guide to the best dress watches and, thanks to the Powermatic movement, among the best automatic watches.
Chronographs: PRX, Chrono XL and Seastar
Among the chronographs the range runs from quartz to automatic. The PRX Automatic Chronograph, with the Valjoux movement A05.H31, 42 millimetres and approx. €1,795, is the top model of the catalogue and the only mechanical stopwatch in the group. It gets cheaper with the Chrono XL Classic in a striking 45-millimetre format or the Seastar 1000 Quartz Chronograph, which combines the stopwatch function with 300 metres of water resistance. More models of this type are shown in the guide to the best chronographs.
Women's models: Le Locle Lady, PR 100 and Bellissima
Tissot also has suitable models for smaller wrists. The Le Locle Automatic Lady 29mm brings the mechanical experience with a Nivachron hairspring into a delicate 29-millimetre case and, with its high rating, is among the editorial recommendations. Anyone who prefers quartz goes for the robust PR 100 34mm Quartz with 100 metres of water resistance or the particularly flat Bellissima Small Lady 26mm. A broader selection of feminine models is gathered in our guide to the best women's watches 2026.
Common buying mistakes
- Confusing guide price with market price: The values given are based on the manufacturer's recommended retail price. Street prices and availability may differ, and it always pays to check several retailers.
- Overestimating water resistance: 30 metres on a dress watch means splash protection, not swimming. Anyone who wants to go in the water needs at least 100 metres, better the 300 metres of the Seastar.
- Looking only at the diameter figures: An integrated bracelet like the PRX's wears differently from classic lugs. If in doubt, the watch size guide helps with measuring your wrist.
- Choosing the drive without a usage profile: An automatic wants to be worn, otherwise it stops despite 80 hours of power reserve. Anyone who rarely wears the same watch is often more relaxed with quartz.
Bottom line, the same rule applies to Tissot as to any watch: the most expensive model is not the best, but the one whose size, drive and water resistance suit everyday life. All models of the brand can be filtered and compared in our watch overview.
Conclusion: the best Tissot for you
Tissot is perhaps the most honest recommendation for getting into Swiss watchmaking. The PRX Powermatic 80 is the most sought-after modern model, the Seastar serves divers, the Le Locle the classics crowd and the chronographs cover the upper end. You can hardly go wrong, as long as the chosen model suits your own wrist and usage habits.
If you are torn between two models or whole collections, it is best to use the watch finder: it asks about occasion, size, drive and budget and gives reasons for each recommendation. That way you find, among the sixteen Tissot models, exactly the one that suits you.