Tissot Teams up with NBA Star Damian Lillard for a PRX Special Edition

Gold PVD refers to a coating achieved with a thin layer of gold using the PVD (physical vapour deposition) process. Essentially, this method involves thevaporisation of solid gold in a vacuum and then depositing it onto the surface of a watch, usually over stainless steel. The result is a watch that has a luxurious gold appearance. Tissot has just released a brand new version of its popular watch, PRX, making full use of gold PVD. What’s more, this special edition weaves a narrative reflecting NBA icon Damian Lillard’s incredible journey. In other words, the new Tissot PRX Damian Lillard Special Edition is a bold 40mm gold PVD model that is run by an automatic movement.

One of the NBA's most talented players, Lillard is already one of Tissot’s ambassadors. Born in 1990, he played college basketball for the Weber State Wildcats and earned third-team All-American honours in 2012. After being selected by Portland Trail Blazers with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, Lillard was unanimously voted the NBA Rookie of the Year. He has received four NBA All-Star selections and is one of the four players in Trail Blazers franchise history to become a four-time All-Star. He is also a rapper who performs under the stage name, Dame D.O.L.L.A.

Fundamentally, the new Tissot PRX Damian Lillard watch does closely resemble a fully PVD gold-coated PRX Powermatic 80. The 40mm case, which is 10.9mm high, features vertically brushed surfaces, polished angles on the sides, a sleek, polished bezel that frames a sapphire crystal, and an engraved crown at 3 o’clock ― all identical to the basic features of the classic editions of the PRX Powermatic 80. Despite the similarities, the PRX Damian Lillard Special Edition has minute updates that tell the story of the ace basketball player.

The black dial features the embossing of “0”,  a nod to his official jersey number, thus replacing the traditional square markings on a regular PRX Automatic. The dial gets gold PVD baton-style hour markers, and hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova. The black central seconds hand showcases Lillard’s monogram as a counterweight. The date window at 3 o’clock has a gold PVD frame, a white background, and black numerals. 

The outer periphery of the watch reveals more personal details; “DAME” and 'TIME” can be found at 10:30 and 1:30 respectively, synonymous with Lillard's on-court moniker and clutch performances. At 4:30, wearers will also find markings of “DDKK”, which honours his family: Damian, Damian Lamonte Ollie, Kali Emma Lee, and Kalii Laheem. “YKWTII” can be found at 6:30, an acronym for “You Know What Time It Is”, setting the stage for those iconic “Dame Time” moments. 

Powering the watch is the Calibre Powermatic 80 movement with 80 hours of power reserve. Additionally, it features a Nivachron anti-magnetic hairspring for enhanced reliability. Flip the watch over and the signed caseback reveals the movement through a mineral glass adorned with an image of the player. There is a signature stainless steel oscillating weight, along with the engraving of “Damian Lillard” and “Special Edition”. Finishing the watch is a gold PVD bracelet with a triple-blade folding clasp. On the caseback are two sets of screws at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock that can remove the bracelet so that the wearer can opt for any other strap or bracelet.