Element | What we feel when worn | Real impact |
|---|---|---|
Bracelet integrated | Very coherent look, “one piece” presence | Change of bracelet more constrained, size to be taken care of |
Sapphire glass | Reflections contained, dial which remains readable | Better resistance to everyday scratches |
Stainless steel brush | Clean appearance, less “bling” | Ages better, less visible micro-scratches |
Inside, Citizen installs caliber 8210 (family Miyota), A movement automatic known, widespread, repairable. Frequency of 21,600 vibrations/hour: it remains fluid to the eye, without trying to demonstrate.
There power reserve runs around 40 hours. Concretely: you put it watch Friday evening, you can find her still alive Saturday noon, sometimes more depending on the activity. A power reserve simple, logical, and sufficient when you carry your watch often. Insight: not spectacular, but consistent with the price.
This movement has something precious: he cashes in. This is the old Japanese school, the one which favors tolerance and regularity of use. On my testthe drift remained reasonable for a watch automatic of this segment, without maniacal adjustment.
The limits are clear: sober decoration, manual winding sometimes less “buttery” than on more modern calibers, and above all absence of stop-seconds on many variants of the 8210. Setting the time to the nearest second? It becomes a little game of tricks. Insight: robust, not sophisticated, and that’s assumed.
The transparent screwed back is a simple pleasure: you see the rotor, you see the live movement. For a first watch automaticit creates an immediate bond. We understand mechanics, without theoretical lessons.
This background also has a technical cost: it can somewhat limit thewaterproofing maximum compared to a full, more “tool” bottom. Nothing dramatic here, just a clear hierarchy. Insight: the beauty of movement is paid for in pragmatism.
At wristthere Citizen Tsuyosa surprises with her balance. The case does not crush, the bracelet distributes the weight well, and the finesse helps you forget the watch during the day. Under a sleeve, it works. In the crowded subway, it doesn't cling to everything.
On a wrist At the end, the 40 mm requires precise adjustment of the links, otherwise it “turns” a little. The 37 mm calms this point down. Insight: good comfort, provided you adjust the bracelet to the millimeter.
THE bracelet integrated offers very fashionable continuity: it looks like a piece drawn in a single stroke. It makes the watch more “dressy” even when you wear a simple white t-shirt. And the touch of polish on certain links adds this little urban shine.
The criticism often comes up: replace the bracelet becomes complicated. You don't go from leather to rubber in two minutes. And polished surfaces take micro-scratches, inevitable. Insight: strong look, reduced freedom.
There crown at 4 o'clock, it's the “comfort” idea: it avoids getting into your wrist when you bend your hand. On my testit's true, especially on the keyboard. There watch is forgotten, and that's nice.
The downside: it is sometimes recessed, so less easy to pinch, especially to set the time. Setting the date, setting the time, winding: everything requires a bit of fingernail work. Some love it, others hate it. Insight: comfortable to wear, less docile to handle.
The sunray dial, in blue or turquoise, is the secret weapon of the Citizen Tsuyosa. Indoors, it seems wise. As soon as a grazing light arrives, it begins to live, almost liquid. This is where the price gets weird: we say to ourselves that it should cost more, period.
On a real day, the dial changes mood: gray metro, neon office, café in the sun. You don't feel like you're wearing the same one watch all day. Insight: the dial puts on a show, without glitter.
Readability is very good during the day: no numbers, applied indexes, and double indexes at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock which structure the dial. It helps at a glance, even when walking quickly. There watch is beautiful, but it remains practical.
The hands stand out well, and the date window is clear. On a watch automatic of this pricethat's exactly what we want: no confusion, no distracting decor. Insight: clean aesthetic, immediate function.
There luminescence remains the weak point: it is sufficient for a building entrance or a quick glance, but does not transform the watch as a nocturnal tool. In a dimly lit bar, you can tell the time mainly by reflections, not by the luminous material.
This puts the Tsuyosa back in its true category: urban, everyday, not “adventurous”. Insight: at night, she is pretty, not warlike.
Yes, this “sport-chic” style has become a visual language. There Citizen Tsuyosa speaks it naturally: integrated case, alternating finishes, dial that captures the light. At this pricefind a watch who has this consistency of silhouette, it's rare.
It's not a direct copy of a myth, it's an accessible read. And that’s enough to give this “edgy city watch” look. Insight: you buy a look, not a logo.
THE movement 8210, with inheritance Miyotais known for his reliability. This is the watch that we wear without wondering if she is going to “act like a diva”. Watchmakers know it, parts circulate, maintenance remains affordable.
For a first watch automaticthat’s what we want: to learn the ritual without stress. Insight: a mechanic made to be worn, not to be monitored.
Citizen understood a fashion trick: the color changes the status of a watch. Serious navy blue, bolder turquoise, sometimes yellow, green… It transforms the same base into very different pieces. And you can choose according to your wardrobe, without exploding the price.
In a somewhat uniform open space, a turquoise dial makes a clean contrast, not garish. Insight: color becomes a personal signature.
Facing the Tissot PRX, Tsuyosa plays the role of the rational alternative. THE price is significantly lower, and yet you have a very neat dial and often a sapphire glass. THE value for money hits hard, especially for someone who wants a watch with an integrated look without crossing a Swiss threshold.
It doesn’t mean “better”, it means “smarter” for certain uses. Insight: the gap price feels more than the daily pleasure gap.
L'waterproofing announced at 50 m (5 ATM) is enough for normal life: rain, hand washing, quick washing up if you forget to take it off. But the beach, the pool, the hot shower… bad idea. This watch is not a nautical tool.
The transparent background contributes to this choice: you gain in visual pleasure, you lose in margin. Insight: thewaterproofing is correct, not permissive.
THE bracelet integrated gives style, but it encloses the watch in his proposal. If you're the type to alternate bracelet leather in winter and metal in summer, you will quickly feel the constraint. Some adapters exist, but they sometimes break the line.
And when you like to personalize, you find yourself personalizing… less. Insight: this watch choose for you, a little.
There folding clasp lack of refinement: edges sometimes a little sharp, less “premium” feeling than on more expensive models. Nothing unusable, just a clear reminder of the price. Same thing for the crown : good idea at 4 o'clock, handling not always intuitive.
These are user comfort defects, not tragedies. Insight: to this pricethe magic is on the dial, not on the clasp.
There Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 is more “tech”: movement modern, power reserve around 80 hours, and an overall finish that is often more precise, especially at the level of bracelet and the case. On certain details, the Tissot appears denser, more chiselled.
If you want to set the time properly, feel a crown easier, enjoy great power reservethe PRX scores points. Insight: PRX is technical comfort.
The sinews of war: the price. The PRX Powermatic 80 often runs around double a Citizen Tsuyosa according to offers and bracelets. It's not a small step, it's a landing. For many, this level changes everything.
Tsuyosa keeps a price which authorizes “reasonable” purchasing: you don’t need justification. Insight: the budget often decides before the technical sheet.
To choose is to prioritize. You want one watch very well finished, a power reserve long, a more premium set? Tissot has the advantage. You want a successful integrated style, a spectacular dial, a watch automatic simple and endearing for a price soft ? Citizen hurts a lot.
And if you're hesitating between the two, look at your actual use: office, outings, weekends, and the fear (or not) of scratching. Insight: the best watchthis is the one you really wear.
Criteria | Citizen Tsuyosa | Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 |
|---|---|---|
Price | Often below a “pleasure” threshold | Around x2 depending on versions |
Movement | Caliber 8210 automaticsimple | Powermatic 80, more modern |
Power reserve | About 40 hours | Approximately 80 hours |
Bracelet | Integrated, good rendering, more basic loop | Integrated, often superior finish |
Citizenit is a Japanese pillar, in the same way as Seiko in the collective imagination, with a real industrial culture. The brand has built its reputation on accessibility, regularity, and an ability to produce on a large scale without losing a sense of useful detail.
In the street, a Citizen is not an ostentatious status symbol. Rather, it is the sign of an informed choice. Insight: the brand speaks to people who like well-designed objects.
The name Miyota comes up often because it's the branch movement of the group, recognized for its robust calibers, present in many watches beyond Citizen. The 8210 is one of these proven bases: simple architecture, easy maintenance, honest performance.
In a Tsuyosa, this movement serves an idea: to give the pleasure ofautomatic without raising the price. Insight: this is watchmaking pragmatism, not theater.
The applied indexes give relief, and the double indexes at 6 and 12 structure the dial without numbers. It's clean, readable, almost minimal. The date window is topped by a cyclops magnifying glass, assumed, visible, which really magnifies.
On my test in professional use (meetings, diary, travel), the date becomes a real tool, not a decorative detail. Insight: here, aesthetics serves purpose.
The sunray dial, the indexes, the cleanliness of the printing: we are above what many expect at this price. It's the kind of watch which, placed next to certain Seiko entry-level or East more toolwatch, appears more “dressed”, more fashionable, more visually precise.
It's not a miracle: Citizen knows how to industrialize striking finishes. Insight: the eye has the impression of gaining from the change.
The Cyclops divides. Some find it a bit massive, almost “too much” on an already very lively dial. Others like this vintage, slightly ostentatious touch, which reinforces the unapologetic retro side. In real life, it mainly depends on your relationship to visible detail.
If you are a strict minimalist, you may wince. If you like the watch codes displayed, you smile. Insight: the cyclops is a personality filter.
For purchasing, the reader feedback that I see most often revolves around the availability of colors and variations depending on country (glass, references, size). Resellers like Swiss Made Watch facilitate the comparison of variations, and it is useful to avoid surprises, especially on the question of sapphire glass and size 37/40.
Faced with “accessible” competition, the Tsuyosa is placed between several worlds: some Seiko 5 Sports focuses on the toolwatch side, other models play diving with a waterproofing more muscular, when the Tsuyosa remains a watch city. And facing the Tissot PRX, she plays the style and pricenot technical one-upmanship. Insight: the Citizen Tsuyosa has its own corridor, very urban.
If you want a watch Sleek for the office, the Tsuyosa gets the job done effortlessly.
If your use involves water (swimming pool, water sports), aims for another watch with better waterproofingotherwise you will stress for nothing.
If you change your bracelet often to match your outfits, the bracelet integrated can frustrate you over time, even if the result is great.
If you want pure techniquethere Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 and its power reserve long are more satisfactory… but the price follows.
Last “yes” that counts: the Citizen Tsuyosa isn't trying to beat everyone, she's trying to be the watch that you grab without thinking. And that, frankly, explains why she is so attractive.
Please share by clicking this button!
Visit our site and see all other available articles!