The Tsuyosa has become a broad and deeply well-received collection for Citizen. I’m not surprised at this point. What started as a straightforward 40mm automatic has since branched into smaller cases, new dial treatments, upgraded movements, and increasingly elaborate bracelets. With the new Tsuyosa 60 37mm, several of those developments finally land in one watch. And I think the result pushes the Tsuyosa closer to Rolex Datejust territory than it has been before.
The comparison isn’t hard to see if you ask me. Citizen has paired a textured dial with a five-link stainless-steel bracelet, all wrapped around a compact 37mm case. Put those ingredients together and the Datejust is going to enter the conversation between us watch dorks.
The smaller 37mm Tsuyosa appeared in 2025, while the 40mm Tsuyosa 60 brought the textured dial, five-link bracelet, and longer-running movement. Those two eventually crossed with a gold-tone 37mm model and silver dial. Now Citizen is expanding the idea with stainless-steel versions featuring black and mint green dials. To me, these are the versions that make the concept click.
The 37mm case is a big part of that. The Datejust has spent decades demonstrating how well this general style of everyday steel watch works at relatively restrained dimensions. Citizen is working with its own architecture here, including the partially recessed crown around 4 o’clock and an angular case flowing directly into the bracelet. At 37mm, I think those elements make way more sense together. Then there’s the dial and bracelet.
The black NK0030-51E gets a textured dial with a sunray finish and a five-link bracelet. Those are the details that really turn up the Datejust resemblance. My take is that Citizen hasn’t gone so far that the Tsuyosa loses its identity. The case shape, integrated bracelet construction, and unusual crown placement are still recognizable Tsuyosa traits. From the available images, this reads more like Citizen moving further into a familiar category than simply trying to reproduce a Datejust.
The movement is also important. Citizen uses its automatic Caliber 8310, with hacking seconds and a 60-hour power reserve. That gives it roughly 20 additional hours over the standard Tsuyosa 37mm. There’s also an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, date display, stainless-steel case and bracelet, and 50 meters of water resistance. Then we get to the part that makes the Rolex comparison especially interesting: Citizen charges $595.
The standard Tsuyosa 37mm carries a $495 MSRP, so this version costs another $100. In my opinion, that seems reasonable. The extra power reserve is useful, though I think the textured dial and five-link bracelet do more to explain the premium. They really change how this version presents itself.
Of course, nobody should confuse a $595 Citizen with a Rolex Datejust based on a bracelet and textured dial. They occupy completely different price categories, and we haven’t handled this new Tsuyosa yet. What Citizen has done is take a few ingredients associated with that familiar style of watch and package them into something much more accessible while retaining some distinctly Tsuyosa hardware.
I think that’s where this release gets pretty dang cool. The Tsuyosa already had the smaller case. Citizen already had the dial, bracelet, and upgraded movement. Bringing them together creates a more convincing whole on paper and gives the affordable automatic category another 37mm option with plenty of personality.
I’d especially like to see how that five-link bracelet works with the smaller case and how much depth the textured dial has in person. For now, though, Citizen has made the Datejust comparison harder to avoid, and given us a pretty good reason to make it.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.