  RX J0720.4-3125 is the most peculiar object among a group of seven isolated
X-ray pulsars (the so-called "Magnificent Seven"), since it shows long-term
variations of its spectral and temporal properties on time scales of years.
This behaviour was explained by different authors either by free precession
(with a seven or fourteen years period) or possibly a glitch that occurred
around $\mathrm{MJD=52866\pm73 days}$.
  We analysed our most recent XMM-Newton and Chandra observations in order to
further monitor the behaviour of this neutron star. With the new data sets, the
timing behaviour of RX J0720.4-3125 suggests a single (sudden) event (e.g. a
glitch) rather than a cyclic pattern as expected by free precession. The
spectral parameters changed significantly around the proposed glitch time, but
more gradual variations occurred already before the (putative) event. Since
$\mathrm{MJD\approx53000 days}$ the spectra indicate a very slow cooling by
$\sim$2 eV over 7 years.
