Citizen debuts the Tsuyosa collection’s first-ever collaboration with cheeky watch customiser seconde/seconde/.
Its blue dial features sliced applied hour indices and a custom pixelated katana minute hand.
Playing on hours, being cut into minutes, into seconds, the limited run is set at 3,600 pieces – the number of seconds in an hour.
There are collaborations, and then there are collaborations. The kind where two parties bring genuinely different DNA to the table and, instead of one swallowing the other, something entirely new and entirely unexpected, yet very much evocative of both collaborators, is presented. The new Citizen Tsuyosa x seconde/seconde/ Limited Edition is firmly in that second camp, and honestly, it might be one of the more fun watch releases I’ve come across in a while.
Here’s the central idea: Tsuyosa means “power” and “strength” in Japanese, and artist and watch customiser Romaric André (a.k.a. seconde/seconde/) ran with that, all the way to feudal Japan, apparently. With a vivid and slightly smoky blue sunburst dial as the backdrop, the minute hand has been reimagined as a katana, rendered in the blocky, nostalgic pixel art style of retro video games – a signature of André’s since his early days of customising Rolex minute hands. The indices on the blue dial appear to have been sliced clean in half by the sword’s passing. It’s a striking (or slashing?) detail that really heightens the sense of artistry for the dial. Blue dials are, of course, very, very common, but I cannot say I have ever seen one with slashed indices and a pixelated katana minute hand.
To break convention in this way, with the atypical manner in which the hour indices are applied to the dial, is a welcome surprise considering this is ultimately a watch priced at less than US$500. Even under a loupe, the details really hold up, with each of the halves of the hour indices fully bordered by polished framing and the printed slices done in a manner that almost feels three-dimensional.
The seconde/seconde/ brand of cheeky humour meets deeply philosophical carries through to every corner of the piece. The bracelet clasp is engraved with sword slashes. The exhibition caseback reveals a blackened rotor engraved with “Being smaller has never stopped Minutes from slicing Hours into pieces.” There’s something almost poetic about that, dressed up in André’s signature wit. The limited quantity of 3,600 pieces is by no means arbitrary. It’s the number of seconds in one hour.
Beneath the fun remains the familiar, value-driven Tsuyosa framework that has become a fan-favourite amongst budding collectors. The 42-hour automatic calibre 8210 movement is housed in a 50-metre water-resistant stainless steel case 40mm in diameter and quite slender at 11.7mm thick. Though it has what I would describe as a misleading lug-to-lug span of 45mm, as it does not really account for the cambered lugs, nor the case-integrating link and its noticeable fixed flare. I would approximate an “effective lug-to-lug” measurement closer to a little beyond 50mm (but with a camber, so don’t raise the alarm just yet).
To be clear, I’m wearing a sample as I type this. On my smaller, less-than-7-inch wrist, once I sized it, I think it fits and feels great. The three-link bracelet links are compact in length, and the folding clasp has three thinly-spaced drilled holes for further micro-adjustment, so it was very easy for me to reach my ideal sizing. That being said, when I stare down the barrel of my wrist, I can see that the bracelet on each side is pretty much flexing straight down. Looking in a mirror, though, the watch by no means appears overwhelming on my wrist. But with the lugs sitting higher on the case’s profile, and the extension that results from the fixed case-integrating endlinks, when you look at your wrist, the watch will look like it wears larger.
I would say for any of the smaller-wristed out there like me, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try on a 40mm Tsuyosa if you have access to one before taking the plunge – particularly if you already favour the 37mm variant. However, at US$495, and being a seconde/ seconde/ limited edition, though there will be 3,600 pieces available worldwide, I wouldn’t stall for too long. A cleverly conceived, refreshingly remixed take on a blue dial fan-favourite below US$500 watch is going to move fast. And if my brief time so far experiencing it ‘in the metal’ is any indication, it is unlikely you would regret it.
Citizen Tsuyosa x seconde/seconde/ Limited Edition pricing and availability
The Citizen Tsuyosa x seconde/seconde/ Limited Edition will be available from February 2026, as a limited edition of 3,600 pieces. Price: US$495
Brand
Citizen
Model
Tsuyosa seconde/seconde/ Limited Edition
Reference
NJ0157-81L
Case Dimensions
40mm (D) x 11.7mm (T)
Case Material
Stainless steel
Water Resistance
50 metres
Crystal(s)
Sapphire front and back
Dial
Blue
Strap
Stainless steel three-link bracelet, folding clasp
Movement
Calibre 8210, in-house, automatic
Power Reserve
42 hours
Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Availability
Februar 2026, limited to 3,600 pieces
Price
US$495