Skip to content
Dial&Lug
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 40mm T137.407.11.041.00

Timex vs Tissot

Timex vs Tissot

These two are not really rivals. One makes watches to enjoy now; the other makes watches to still own later. Knowing which you want settles it.

By Sawyer V. · Published

The short answer

Buy Tissot if you intend to keep the watch: named Swiss movements with 80-hour reserves, sapphire, and a published $210 service price with 24 months of warranty on the work. Buy Timex if you want something inexpensive and characterful now — but know that Timex publishes no caliber and no service price, and its one-year warranty excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Timex and Tissot sit at opposite ends of what this site measures, and both are honest about what they are. Timex sells a great deal of watch design for very little money. Tissot sells Swiss movements with published service pricing, at several times the price.

The comparison is worth making because people genuinely cross-shop them — usually at the moment they are deciding whether a watch is a purchase or an investment in something they will still be wearing in twenty years.

On prices: we publish no figure we have not verified today. Where a live price is shown it came from the price layer this morning; otherwise the button reads "Check price on Amazon".

How we picked

We have not worn these watches. What follows is what we checked instead, on documents you can open yourself — the same criteria, in the same order, on every roundup on this site. The full method is on the methodology page.

  1. 01Movement disclosure

    Tissot names every caliber. Timex does not name the movements in its automatics.

  2. 02Crystal

    Sapphire across Tissot. Acrylic or mineral on most Timex, sapphire on the Expedition automatics.

  3. 03Warranty

    Two years from Tissot; one from Timex, excluding the crystal, strap, case and battery.

  4. 04Cost to keep

    Tissot publishes $210. Timex publishes nothing, on movements it does not name.

  5. 05What you get for it

    Timex is materially cheaper, and that is a real advantage rather than a trick.

Disclosure · Some links below are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through one we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not decide what goes on this page or in what order — here is exactly how that works.

Quick picks

Ranked on the Keep Score below — six published specifications, weighted identically on every page. The last row is the one we would not buy.

#WatchBest forKeep ScorePrice
1
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 40mm T137.407.11.041.00

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 40mm T137.407.11.041.00

80-hour Powermatic 80, sapphire, 100m, 10.93mm.

The best Tissot here8.0/10
Check price
2
Timex Expedition Pioneer Automatic 41mm TW2Y87400

Timex Expedition Pioneer Automatic 41mm TW2Y87400

Sapphire, 200m, automatic, 48mm lug-to-lug.

The best Timex here8.0/10
Check price
3
Tissot Chrono XL Classic 45mm T116.617.11.047.01

Tissot Chrono XL Classic 45mm T116.617.11.047.01

45mm, sapphire, 100m, 11.02mm thin.

Tissot, for a big chronograph7.9/10
Check price
4

Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80 39.3mm T006.407.22.093.00

9.75mm, 80 hours, Nivachron, sapphire.

Tissot, for a traditional dress watch7.6/10
Check price
5
Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400

Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400

36mm, sapphire, 100m, solar, 44.5mm lug-to-lug.

Timex, for something to forget about6.6/10
Check price
—
Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647

Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647

Brass case, mineral crystal, 30m, one year with exclusions.

Skip this one

The Timex we would not buy4.5/10
Check price

Keep Score is arithmetic, not opinion — six published specifications, weighted the same way on every page. The formula is on our methodology page, so you can re-run it yourself.

01

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 40mm T137.407.11.041.00

Best for: The best Tissot here

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 40mm T137.407.11.041.00

8.0/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
0.7/1.5
Strap standard
0.2/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
1/1
$850.00 · View on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · Price as of September 24, 2026

An 80-hour Swiss automatic under sapphire, rated 100m, at 10.93mm thick — dressy enough for a jacket and tough enough to ignore rain.

Tissot publishes $210 for a complete service with 24 months of warranty on the work, which makes the thirty-year cost calculable before you buy.

The integrated bracelet takes a 12mm interlug fitting rather than a standard strap, so you keep the bracelet it came with. Two years of warranty.

Tissot publishes a US complete-service price of $210 for a mechanical two-or-three-hand watch, which makes this the most predictable Swiss automatic here to own. The 12mm lug width is not a strap size — the bracelet is part of the case.

Manufacturer specifications for the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 40mm T137.407.11.041.00
MovementSwiss automatic, Powermatic 80
Power reserve80 hours
Case40mm 316l stainless steel
Lug-to-lugNot published
Thickness10.93mm
Lug width12mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance100m
Warranty2 years

Specifications read from Tissot product page, T137.407.11.041.00.

02

Timex Expedition Pioneer Automatic 41mm TW2Y87400

Best for: The best Timex here

Timex Expedition Pioneer Automatic 41mm TW2Y87400

8.0/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
1.5/1.5
Warranty
0.35/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
$459.00 · View on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · Price as of September 24, 2026

Sapphire and 200m on an automatic, at a price no Swiss brand comes close to. For a first mechanical watch that combination is genuinely hard to beat.

41mm with a published 48mm lug-to-lug — and Timex publishing that figure puts it ahead of several more expensive makers.

Timex does not publish the caliber, so nobody can price a rebuild, and the one-year warranty excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Sapphire and 200m for the money is real. What Timex does not publish is the caliber — which means you cannot look up what an overhaul costs before you buy, and that is exactly the number this site exists to check.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Expedition Pioneer Automatic 41mm TW2Y87400
MovementAutomatic (caliber not published by Timex)
Power reserveNot published
Case41mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lug48mm
Thickness14mm
Lug width20mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance200m
Warranty1 year

Timex's one-year warranty explicitly excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Specifications read from Timex product page, TW2Y87400.

03

Tissot Chrono XL Classic 45mm T116.617.11.047.01

Best for: Tissot, for a big chronograph

Tissot Chrono XL Classic 45mm T116.617.11.047.01

7.9/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
1.6/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
0.7/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
1/1
$450.00 · View on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · Price as of September 24, 2026

A 45mm Swiss quartz chronograph only 11.02mm thick, with sapphire, 100m and an end-of-life battery indicator.

45mm is a lot of watch, and it runs on a battery rather than light.

Tissot publishes a US service price list, which almost no chronograph maker at this level does, and PowerDrive drives the hands back to zero electronically instead of through a column wheel. Cheap to keep, and 45mm across.

Manufacturer specifications for the Tissot Chrono XL Classic 45mm T116.617.11.047.01
MovementSwiss quartz chronograph, PowerDrive, with end-of-life battery indicator
Power reserveNot applicable
Case45mm 316l stainless steel
Lug-to-lugNot published
Thickness11.02mm
Lug width22mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance100m
Warranty2 years

Specifications read from Tissot product page, T116.617.11.047.01.

04

Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80 39.3mm T006.407.22.093.00

Best for: Tissot, for a traditional dress watch

7.6/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
0.3/1.5
Warranty
0.7/1.5
Strap standard
0.6/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
1/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

The thinnest automatic on this site at 9.75mm, with an 80-hour Powermatic 80 and a Nivachron antimagnetic balance spring.

Rated 30m, so rain and hand-washing only, and a 19mm lug width that is hard to buy straps for.

Under 10mm thick with 80 hours of reserve is the combination that makes a dress watch practical — put it down on Friday and it is still running Monday. 30m means keep it off in the shower.

Manufacturer specifications for the Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80 39.3mm T006.407.22.093.00
MovementSwiss automatic, Powermatic 80, Nivachron balance spring
Power reserve80 hours
Case39.3mm 316l stainless steel with pvd coating
Lug-to-lugNot published
Thickness9.75mm
Lug width19mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance30m
Warranty2 years

Specifications read from Tissot product page, T006.407.22.093.00.

05

Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400

Best for: Timex, for something to forget about

Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400

6.6/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
1.4/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
0.35/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
$169.54 · View on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · Price as of September 24, 2026

Sapphire and 100m at 36mm with a published 44.5mm lug-to-lug, powered by light — no winding, no battery, nothing to service.

The same one-year warranty with the same exclusions, and a solar module is replaced rather than rebuilt.

The smallest genuinely good watch here. Sapphire, solar, 100m and 44.5mm across the lugs — if you have a small wrist and want to stop thinking about batteries, start here.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400
MovementSolar-charged quartz analog
Power reserveNot applicable
Case36mm stainless steel, ip black
Lug-to-lug44.5mm
Thickness12mm
Lug width18mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance100m
Warranty1 year

Timex's one-year warranty explicitly excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Specifications read from Timex product page, TW2V00400.

Skip this one

Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647

Best for: The Timex we would not buy

Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647

4.5/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1/2.5
Serviceability
1.6/2.5
Water resistance
0.3/1.5
Warranty
0.35/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
$46.26 · View on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · Price as of September 24, 2026

The Weekender is the brand's most famous watch and the clearest example of what this site scores badly.

A brass case rated 30m under a mineral crystal that cannot be polished back, on a CR2016 battery, with a one-year warranty excluding the crystal, strap, case and battery.

The Expedition automatics and the Field Post Solar above are the Timexes worth owning — sapphire, real water resistance, and published dimensions.

A brass case at 30m, with a warranty that excludes the crystal, the strap, the case and the battery — which is to say almost everything that fails. Buy it as a strap-swapping toy, not as a watch to keep.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647
MovementQuartz analog, CR2016 battery
Power reserveNot applicable
Case38mm brass and llb
Lug-to-lugNot published
ThicknessNot published
Lug width20mm
Crystalmineral
Water resistance30m
Warranty1 year

Timex's one-year warranty explicitly excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Specifications read from Timex product page, T2N647.

Side by side

Read from each maker's own product, warranty and service pages.
TimexTissot
MovementsQuartz, solar and automatics with unnamed calibersSwiss quartz and named Powermatic 80 automatics
Power reserveNot published on the automatics80 hours
CrystalAcrylic or mineral, sapphire on ExpeditionSapphire across the range
Water resistance30m to 200m30m to 100m
Warranty1 year, excludes crystal, strap, case, battery2 years
Published service priceNone$210, with 24 months on the work
Read from each maker's own product, warranty and service pages.

The named caliber is the whole difference

Tissot tells you the movement is a Powermatic 80 and what servicing it costs. Timex does not say what is inside its automatics at all. That single difference decides whether the watch has a future: a named caliber can be priced, parted and rebuilt, while an unnamed one has to be opened before anyone can even quote you.

At Timex prices that quote will often exceed the value of the watch, which is why these are watches to enjoy rather than to keep. That is not a criticism of the object — it is a description of what you are buying.

Where Timex genuinely wins

Price, and occasionally specification. The Expedition Pioneer Automatic has sapphire and 200m, which the Le Locle does not — the Tissot is rated 30m. Timex also publishes lug-to-lug figures for several references, which Tissot does not publish for any of the watches on this site.

For a first mechanical watch, or a watch to knock about without worrying, Timex is a legitimate answer rather than a compromise.

Where Tissot wins

Everything that decides the second decade of ownership. 80 hours of reserve, sapphire as standard, a named Swiss movement, a two-year warranty without the exclusions, and a published service price with a warranty on the work.

If you are buying one watch and expect to still have it in 2050, that list is the argument, and it is the same one made on our watches that last a lifetime page.

Questions people actually ask

Is Tissot better than Timex?

For keeping, clearly: named Swiss movements, sapphire, 80-hour reserves and a published $210 service price. Timex is materially cheaper and its Expedition automatics offer sapphire and 200m, which some Tissots do not.

What movements does Timex use in its automatics?

Timex does not publish the caliber. That makes the cost of an eventual service unknowable, which is the main argument against a Timex automatic as a long-term watch.

How much does a Tissot service cost?

Tissot publishes $210 for a complete service of a mechanical two- or three-hand watch, with 24 months of warranty on the work.

Does Timex's warranty cover the crystal?

No. Timex's one-year warranty explicitly excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Sources

Every specification and figure on this page came from one of these documents. Where a manufacturer does not publish something, the page says so rather than filling the gap.

Read next

Seiko Prospex Turtle SRPE93

Timex vs Seiko

Timex's surprising specification sheets against Seiko's named, priced movements.

A steel bracelet and case photographed close up

Tissot vs Seiko

The only two brands here with published service prices, compared properly.

Timex Expedition Field Post Titanium Automatic 41mm TW2Y90900

Timex

Surprising specs, a one-year warranty with wide exclusions, and five watches ranked.

Tissot Gentleman Open Heart 40mm T127.407.11.041.01

Tissot

Published US service prices, a 24-month work warranty, and three watches ranked.