My Favorite Automatic Watch Under $500 Just Fixed Its Biggest Problem

The Citizen Tsuyosa was already an incredible bargain. Now it is damn near perfect for its price.

close up view of a steel Citizen 37 millimeter Tsuyosa watch with a blue dial

Published February 21, 2025

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Updated February 21, 2025

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Tsuyosa is a Japanese word that loosely translates to “strength.” And one of the greatest strengths a person or company can have is to learn from previous mistakes.

Well, that is exactly what Citizen has done with its new-and-improved Tsuyosa, which now comes in a tighter 37mm design.

a steel watch with a light blue dial — Citien’s new 37mm Tsuyosa now has a perfectly proportioned dial.

A tough act to follow

When the Tsuyosa launched in 2022, it quickly became one of Citizen’s most popular designs, not to mention one of the best entry-level automatic watches on the market.

It had a classic dial, heavily influenced by the Rolex Datejust, complete with a “cyclops” date magnifier. Meanwhile, the microadjustable president-style bracelet gave it mass appeal.

a steel watch with a green dial on a man's wrist — The original 40mm Tsuyosa.

Most impressive of all was the price of just $450. Citizen is one of the biggest watch brands on the planet in terms of production and revenue, plus it makes every component in-house.

By utilizing an economy of scale and having no middlemen, Citizen is one of only a handful of companies that can afford to sell a watch of that quality at that price.

Add in the fact that it ran on Citizen’s workhorse 8201 automatic movement, and the OG Tsuyosa had all the makings of an instant classic — if not for one glaring issue.

Due to its 40mm case, the dial’s proportions felt off; the narrow hands, small print and dash dial markings looked great but left too much empty space.

Still, I have admired the Tsuyosa since its 2022 release, and I even purchased one for a family member as a gift. Now, the 37mm has me considering one for my own wrist.

Less is more

Everything that worked on the original Tsuyosa is still there in the downsized version. What’s more, the hands, dial markings and date window all come in the same size, meaning the smaller case size cut out some negative shapes to create a more balanced appearance.

a steel watch with a green face on a man's wrist — The new 37mm Tsuyosa.

The angular integrated case design is a copy of Citizen’s NH299 from the late 1990s but inspired by watches from the 1970s. It feels more appropriate at 37mm because it is a historically faithful size. The only logistical issue it causes is that the crown now protrudes from the case, where it was in-set on the 40mm design. But this is a minor gripe, as far as I’m concerned.

a steel watch with a blue face on a man's wrist — The 37mm case size is more flattering on the wrist than the 40mm original.

As with all style trends, popular watch case sizes expand and contract over time. Preferences have been skewing smaller for a decade, mostly inspired by mid-century vintage examples. So, this is another example of the industry following a trend.

the back and bracelet of a steel Citizen watch — Just like the 40mm original, the new 37mm Tsuyosa has a sapphire crystal exhibition case back.

History shows that the 36mm to 38mm range is the sweet spot for men’s watch cases. With the new Tsuyosa landing right in the middle, it comes that much closer to perfection.

Add in all the other attributes that have made this watch so popular and the 37mm Tsuyosa should be a smash hit. For my money, it’s now the best sub-$500 automatic watch on the market, hands down.

a steel watch with a pink dial — The new 37mm Tsuyosa launches with light blue, green, and pink dial options.

Availability and pricing

Citizen’s Tsuyosa 37mm is now available from Citizen and all authorized retails for $450. It’s launching with light blue, green and pink dial options.

Over twenty dial colors and patterns, both limited edition and general production, have been released in the 40mm version. There is even a gold-plated model.

It is safe to assume more options will become available in 37mm. If your preferred dial color is not available now, sit tight because it probably will be soon.