The Tsuyosa is Citizen's answer to the question every entry-level collector eventually asks: what if I want something with a bit more personality than a field watch clone? Launched in 2021 with a range of bold dial colors, a clean 40mm case, and an exhibition caseback, it punches harder than its price suggests. "Tsuyosa" means strength in Japanese, and the name fits.
What it is
Citizen introduced the Tsuyosa in 2021 as a deliberate move into the enthusiast-automatic market, a segment the brand had largely left to Seiko for decades. The watch drew immediate attention for offering colorful sunburst dials, a display caseback, and solid 100m water resistance at a price under $300. Citizen built it around the NH8391, a Miyota-adjacent movement that the brand licenses from the Seiko-derived NH caliber family.
Several dial colors shipped at launch, with additional variants added in subsequent years. It quickly became a recommended starting point for collectors who want something worth opening the back on.
Buying notes
The NH8391 is a licensed Seiko NH movement, which is fine, but it is not a Citizen in-house caliber. If in-house manufacture matters to you, this is not your watch. Beat rate accuracy on these movements varies by unit; budget for a regulation service if yours runs more than plus or minus 15 seconds per day out of the box.
The exhibition caseback is a draw, but it also means the movement is less protected from magnetic fields than a closed caseback would be. Dial color consistency varies by production run. The NB1040-09Z specifically is the teal-dial version; verify the reference number carefully before buying because several colorways look similar in low-resolution listing photos.
Market read
Street price new is typically $250 to $300 USD, which puts it in direct competition with the Seiko SKX and Presage entry tiers. Pre-owned examples trade for $150 to $220 depending on condition and color. The teal dial variant has held demand better than some of the more conservative colors.
There is no meaningful premium for early production pieces.
Service expectations
The NH8391 is a fully serviceable movement with parts available through Seiko supply chains given its licensed origins. Recommended service interval is 5 to 7 years under normal use. Any watchmaker comfortable with NH-family movements can handle this caliber without manufacturer support.
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