Tissot’s clocks are reading Dame Time once again, as they team up with NBA legend Damian Lillard for a new interpretation of the iconic PRX.
Tissot’s longstanding partnership with the NBA might be one of the most underrated collaborations in the watch world. Even if you don’t watch basketball, the official timekeepers of the NBA are broadcast to millions of people all over the globe.
Combined with their general accessibility and international reach as part of the Swatch Group, Tissot’s NBA association is a major proponent of their incredible success and staying power. Horologically speaking, though, one of their biggest recent claims to fame is the PRX. Since its debut, it has become one of the most definitive watches of the past quarter-century. Instrumental in the resurgence of integrated-bracelet sports watches, the PRX has seen innumerable iterations, sizes and special editions.
Back in 2024, NBA and Tissot icons collided as they unveiled a collaborative design alongside ambassador Damian Lillard, then point guard for the Milwaukee Bucks. Though the special edition, like his stint with the Bucks, highlighted Lillard as an individual, his legacy remains forever intertwined with his first home in the Portland Trail Blazers. As the 2025–26 NBA season drew to a close, a bombshell announcement was made: Portland’s prodigal son was coming home. Thus, Tissot has released a new special edition to welcome him back to Rip City.
Trailblazing
The Tissot PRX Skeleton Damian Lillard Special Edition has adopted the unenviable task of matching the magnitude of Lillard’s return, and it certainly hasn’t disappointed. Where the previous edition was sized to the standard 40mm case diameter, the new watch is considerably bolder at 44mm, with a thickness of 11.2mm. Keep in mind that integrated-bracelet sports watches wear far larger than their dimensions suggest, so this watch isn’t for the faint of wrist.
However, the straps provided with the watch help offset its large frame, all finished in red to match Portland’s jersey colours. The standard offering is an integrated red rubber strap secured by a traditional steel pin buckle. The first complementary option is a touch more compelling: a red leather strap, this time fitted with a deployant clasp.
It’s interesting that Tissot didn’t simply opt for another pin buckle with the leather, but it shows the brand has thought ahead to reduce wear and tear. Both straps can be interchanged thanks to Tissot’s tool-less system, allowing you to switch from sporty to dressy instantaneously.
However, the final complementary addition isn’t a strap at all. In fact, it’s a pocket-watch conversion, seating the PRX Skeleton inside a leather case attached to a chain.
I’m not going to pretend this is a groundbreaking discovery; we’ve had pocket watches since the 16th century. Still, it’s cool to see them coming back into style. Perhaps Tissot was inspired by the chaos-inducing release of the Royal Pop earlier this year, but pocket watches have been part of its modern catalogue long before then. In any case, the PRX Skeleton Damian Lillard’s 100m water resistance should keep it safe in almost any environment, whether on the wrist or elsewhere.
Big D.O.L.L.A.
Like its case silhouette and wearing experience, the dial design of the Tissot PRX Skeleton Damian Lillard is equally disruptive. The brand has taken the liberty of presenting the new watch with an openworked, skeletonised dial, marking the first time Tissot has skeletonised the PRX model line.
Contrasting the dynamism of the skeletonised dial, two red halos separate the indexes from the rehaut and centre, while the time is told through two large baton hands. Both are finished in a slightly darker shade, offering contrast for legible timekeeping, while lume enhances visibility in low-light environments. Within the skeletonisation, the Tissot branding is emblazoned on its own bridge, while the rest of the movement is similarly brushed in the background.
The crowning details, however, can be seen through the small-seconds complication, accented in gold and finished with details that give the watch its signature Lillard touch. A bold red ring encircles the subdial, labelled ‘Dame Time’ in reference to Lillard’s cold-blooded attitude in the dying seconds of a close game. But his game doesn’t stop on the court, as the small-seconds hand makes even more apparent.
Within the gold halo lies a stylised ‘D’, taken directly from Lillard’s alter ego as rapper Dame D.O.L.L.A. Standing for ‘Different On Levels the Lord Allows’, Lillard’s music career has even led to the ownership of his own record label, Front Page Music. Where the previous special edition placed the logo on the second hand’s counterbalance, the PRX Skeleton gives it a dominant position on the dial, fitting for a player as dominant as he is.
About That Time
Of course, with a new size and dial comes a new movement for the collection. Though you don’t have to turn the watch around to see it, the manual-winding movement is the first of its kind in the PRX’s roster. The unnamed calibre, based on the ETA Unitas 6497, beats at a slow and steady 2.5Hz (18,800VpH), with a 52-hour power reserve.
While it’s making its debut in the PRX lineup, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen it in a Tissot. Enthusiasts of the brand may recognise it from the Tissot T-Complication, while elsewhere in the Swatch Group, it has also appeared in the Mido Multifort Mechanical from 2024. Sporting only a small-seconds complication, it’s quite a handsome movement for the price point, complete with blued screws and radial brushing visible through the caseback.
Initial Thoughts
The 2025–26 NBA season was filled with some of the highest highs, especially for myself, a New York Knicks fan since the Stoudemire and Linsanity days. But a different story was unfolding on Lillard’s end, as he was unfortunately sidelined for the Milwaukee Bucks’ playoffs with a torn Achilles. Every cloud has a silver lining, though, and while Lillard was praised for his work alongside the ‘Greek Freak’, Giannis Antetokounmpo, his relationship with Portland is a match made in heaven.
But whether he donned the white and red or the green and cream, Tissot has maintained its partnership with the NBA point guard for six years and counting. With a release such as this, it’s clear that brand and man elevate each other’s game. To that effect, the Tissot PRX Skeleton Damian Lillard Special Edition’s ambitious design, technical skill, and the daring attitude of Dame Time make it a horological alley-oop.
Reference & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | T137.405.17.371.00 |
| Dimensions | 44mm case diameter x 11.2mm thickness |
| Case | Stainless steel |
| Dial | Openworked skeletonised, red with gold accents |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | Open, sapphire, with Damian Lillard’s signature |
| Movement | Unnamed manual wind movement (base ETA Unitas 6497) with small seconds complication |
| Power Reserve | 51h |
| Beat Rate | 2.5Hz / 18,800VpH |
| Water Resistance | 100m / 10bar |
| Strap/Bracelet | Interchangeable integrated red rubber strap with pin buckle Complementary interchangeable integrated red leather strap with deployant clasp Complementary red leather pocket watch conversion system |