Sunday Morning Showdown: Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin Small Seconds Vs. Tissot PRX Titanium 38mm
With the Fratello Dress Watch Season competition in full swing, our site has seemingly been full of expensive, heavy-hitting, precious-metal formal watches. That’s why, for today’s Sunday Morning Showdown, we decided to do something a bit different. This is the featherweight bout between two affordable integrated-bracelet sports watches. This is the Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin Small Seconds versus the Tissot PRX Titanium 38mm.
Daan brings the latest and greatest Tissot PRX to the ring. His 38mm titanium PRX takes on Thomas’s Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin Small Seconds. While both sit in the sub-€1,000 segment, the Tissot (€875) costs over twice as much as the Citizen (€429). The question for our writers to debate and for you to decide is: does the Tissot warrant the doubled outlay, or is the Citizen the better buy?
Last week’s Sunday Morning Showdown
First things first! No Sunday should ever start without a review of the previous week’s showdown. We pitted the Rolex Land-Dweller 36 against the Grand Seiko SLGB005. Boy, did you have something to say about that!
The Grand Seiko won by a landslide with 68% of the votes against 32% for the Rolex. While we knew the Rolex’s dial doesn’t do it any favors, we did not expect such a big defeat for The Crown. The comments section quickly filled with opinions on the Rolex’s design. Sometimes more isn’t actually more. While the new movement scored some points, it could not save the day against Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive.
With that out of the way, let’s see if today’s showdown yields a similarly clear outcome! Take it away, gents!
Thomas: Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin Small Seconds
Good morning, Daan! And good morning, Fratelli! I foresee a tough battle for my humble Citizen, as the new Tissot PRX Titanium 38mm hits something of a sweet spot. For years, many felt the 40mm size was too big and the 35mm versions were too small. This one splits the difference in all the right ways.
Frankly, I am happy to admit partial defeat and answer the question in the opening paragraph: yes, the Tissot is worth twice the money. Per the law of diminishing returns, doubling your money in this price bracket can indeed get you twice the watch, something you are unlikely to replicate in higher segments. Now, we could nitpick all the little details and specifications to see whether this statement holds, but I don’t feel there is a winning strategy for me there.
Allow me, then, to gently steer the conversation away from specs, performance, and value. Let’s talk about history instead!
Citizen X-8, the first-ever titanium wristwatch
Get your titanium at the source
There are certain go-to manufacturers for specific features. Perpetual calendars? Patek Philippe. Tourbillons? Breguet. Bragging rights over your teammates at Chelsea? Richard Mille. Titanium? Citizen!
After all, Citizen pioneered the material in 1970. You often hear about titanium being challenging to work with. Until Citizen cracked the code, it was simply prohibitively difficult. To give you an idea, here’s how Citizen explains it: “Back in the early days, Citizen engineers nicknamed titanium ‘triple trouble’ because it could not be pressed, machined, or polished. Among the challenges it presents are low thermal conductivity, a tendency to stick to the machining edges of cutting tools, and highly combustible shavings. The impossibility of achieving a mirror finish regardless of how long it was polished was an additional challenge.”
The Japanese landed on the method of hot-forging to stamp out rough case shapes from red-hot titanium. Admirably, the company immediately set out to democratize the material by using it in affordable watches. It later pioneered hardening techniques as well. In fact, you will find that my Super Titanium Zenshin Small Seconds is made of such scratch-resistant titanium. So, while Daan’s Tissot PRX Titanium 38mm might look twice as expensive now, you should compare them after five years of intensive wear.
Picking the Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin Small Seconds over the Tissot PRX Titanium 38mm
So, the Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin Small Seconds has the pedigree and street cred when it comes to titanium watches. I have a few more reasons to rate it over the Tissot PRX Titanium 38mm, though. For starters, it looks more original. It has that typical Japanese design language, with some charming quirks. The paper-texture dials offer something cool and different too.
There is one other reason why I would pick the Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin Small Seconds over the Tissot PRX Titanium 38mm, but this might be controversial. Hear me out: I reckon it makes more sense economically. For less than €500, you can just throw it on your wrist and wear it hard. Creeping up to a €1,000, the Tissot might make you feel more conscious and mindful. However, at that price point, you don’t yet enjoy the benefits of a true “higher-end” watch, such as a bracelet that’s actually solid enough to last a lifetime.
As a result, I feel comfortable in the <€500 segment and in the >€2,000 segment. In between, I often feel like I am wasting my money on something expensive but temporary. I have no clue whether this is just me or if this resonates with anyone, but I thought I’d throw it out there. Okay, Daan, I reckon I should pass this one to you now. Go ahead!
Daan: Tissot PRX Titanium 38mm
Thanks, Thomas. First of all, I’m surprised you’re so convinced that the titanium PRX will take the win here. I actually think that your Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin offers so much bang for the buck that it might give the PRX, at more than double the money, a hard time. Indeed, I also think the PRX is worth its price, which I’ll explain further below. Like you said, though, the PRX’s price point is right in between the very attractive sub-€500 and the very popular mid-range segment of over-€2,000 watches. However, instead of it being a flaw, I think that’s actually why the Tissot PRX is such a big hit.
The Tissot PRX is the perfect in-between watch
Ever since the current Tissot PRX debuted in 2021, it has been a huge hit. At Fratello, we’re also big fans. I don’t think anyone on the team dislikes this watch, and both Lex and Jorg even own one. The Tissot PRX is Swiss made, of course, it has a very popular ’70s-inspired integrated-bracelet design, and the Clous de Paris pattern on the dial is also a nice reference to the AP Royal Oak everyone admires or aspires to in the end. The great thing, though, is that you can get a PRX for just under €1,000.
For many seasoned watch collectors or enthusiasts, that might seem like an entry-level price. However, for people who aren’t that invested in watches, I think it’s the perfect price point. The sub-€500 bracket might seem a bit cheap to them, but on the other end, spending more than €1,000 on a watch would be too big a step. The Tissot PRX sits right in between, and that’s exactly where it should be. The whole package, with slightly sharper finishing than on the Citizen Zenshin, a more substantial butterfly clasp, the comfortable 80-hour power reserve, and the movement that’s resistant to magnetic fields, is very hard to beat at this price point.
Finally available in a 38mm size
When it was introduced, the Tissot PRX only came in a 40mm case. This is a generally accepted size for most men around the world, so it was not a bad choice to begin with. Then, in 2023, Tissot introduced the 35mm version, which was targeted more toward women and men with smaller wrists. For me, however, neither the 40mm nor the 35mm version worked well on my 17cm wrist. That’s why I’m so happy Tissot finally introduced a 38mm version of its PRX.
The Tissot PRX Titanium 38mm on Jorg’s 19cm wrist
I couldn’t wait to try it on when it arrived at the Fratello office, and it is indeed the perfect size for me. The 35mm models always felt slightly petite for this kind of watch, while the 40mm versions’ 51.5mm length, including the fixed links, was simply too unwieldy. The new 38mm size has a 49mm total length and feels right at home on my wrist. The bracelet tapers well from its 24.5mm end links to the 17mm links holding the butterfly clasp. That’s a lot more elegant than the limited 23–20mm taper on the Citizen Zenshin.
I also like that Tissot went with two not-so-common materials for the new 38mm PRX. The version in Damascus steel is quite different with its peculiar pattern, and the titanium version is, of course, exceptionally light. Just like the new size, I feel these two materials were chosen to target a more watch-savvy enthusiast audience.
Size and design are very subjective: PRX for me, please!
Of course, choosing between two sizes is a very subjective thing. It very much depends on the circumference and shape of one’s wrist. But in this case, I much prefer the Tissot PRX’s 38mm case over the Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin’s 40.5mm case. Apart from its size, I also like the PRX’s cleaner design better than the Zenshin’s.
Plus, Citizen’s dial looks a bit quirky with its paper-like texture and off-centered sub-dial and “Automatic Titanium” text. In combination with the slightly thicker hands and hour markers, it feels more like an outdoorsy kind of watch. In my opinion, this makes it less versatile than the PRX.
I like the PRX’s more conventional design a lot better. The dial is much more elegant, so it works better in more formal situations. However, this is also the perfect watch to wear with a T-shirt and jeans. As you can see, I’m a fan, particularly of the version with a blue dial. It’ll be hard to resist the urge to get one the next time I pass through the airport.
Time to cast your vote
There you have it — two great options if you’re looking for a slightly more affordable titanium watch. Which one will you go for? Will it be the slightly more funky Citizen Super Titanium Zenshin Small Seconds, or will you go for the more all-around Tissot PRX? Cast your vote, and make sure to let us know why you chose the watch you did in the comments below. We’ll see you back here next week for another Sunday Morning Showdown!
