Citizen teases the ultimate version of its best affordable automatic watch

When Citizen debuted the Tsuyosa in 2022, it staked a claim to a corner of the watch market the Japanese titan of watchmaking had neglected for years.

Long dominated by Seiko, Tissot and an army of independent brands, the Datejust homage presented a perfect automatic all-purpose watch for under $500. The buzz around it grew, and it quickly became a favorite in that category.

Three years later, the collection expanded to include two significant upgrades. The Tsuyosa 60 offered an enhanced automatic movement with a 60-hour power reserve, and the Tsuyosa 37mm downsized the case to more appealing proportions.

Unfortunately, these improvements were not packaged together. That is, until now.

Citizen finally offers a Tsuyosa 60 37mm, placing all of the collection’s best attributes in a single watch. To be specific, it is a Tsuyosa 60 scaled down to 37mm, and not a Tsuyosa 37mm with a 60-hour power reserve.

The only issue is that Citizen’s ultimate affordable automatic all-purpose watch hits the market with only one color option.

Comin’ out shinin’

The debut Tsuoysa 60 37mm features a full yellow gold-tone finish over the case and bracelet. Vertical brushing on the case and outer bracelet links contrasts with a polished bezel and center links.

The silver-tone dial is decorated with the radial guilloché-like 3D texture familiar from the debut Tsuyosa 60 references. The hands and applied hour markers feature yellow gold-tone plating and lume inserts.

Best of both worlds

Following the Tsuyosa 60 blueprint, the new 37mm version comes on an integrated Jubilee-style five-link stainless steel bracelet. It has a slight taper and is fastened with the same butterfly clasp as the larger version.

Most importantly, Citizen proves that its Caliber 8310 automatic movement can fit in a 37mm Tsuyosa case. It features the same 3Hz beat rate as the Caliber 8210 found in the original Tsuyosa and all previous 37mm references, but ups the power reserve from 42 hours to 60 hours.

The modestly finished movement, featuring blued screws, Geneva stripes on the bridge and a signed rotor, is visible through a sapphire exhibition caseback.

Availability and pricing

After dropping the Tsuyosa Shore skindiver four months ago, combining the Tsuyosa 60 and 37mm was the next logical step for Citizen’s top affordable automatic collection.

The Tsuyosa 60 37mm debuts in full yellow gold-tone and is available now from Citizen for $675.

I have to believe that the single, ritzy color scheme is a soft launch for this new hybrid model. If a gold sports watch isn’t your style, you shouldn’t have to wait too long for steel cases with more modest dials to hit the market.