Watchmaking collaboration: a sharpened Tsuyosa
Some watches give the time – and some others slice it down. With this Tsuyosa x seconde/seconde/ partnership, Citizen unveils a thrilling model: the very first collaboration with a model from their emblematic collection. And not with anyone. French artist Romaric André, also known as second/seconde/, renowned for jostling watchmaking codes with a sharp irony and a honed sense of concept, is at the wheel. This results in a striking piece, both literally and figuratively.
“Tsuyosa” means strength and power in Japanese – which seconde/seconde/ literally chose to embody with this minutes hand shaped like a katana. Yes, the sword. Represented as a pixel art blade, it is an obvious tribute to now-cult Japanese retro videogames, this hand cuts through the bright blue dial with every rotation. Here, a minute doesn’t pass – it slices. Second by second, time is carved out.
Taking after the artist’s tearaway approach, the indices appear to have been sliced by the blade. The vibrant blue hue of the dial is echoed on the katana’s handle, reinforcing this playful and graphical aesthetic. On the stainless-steel bracelet, the clasp even bears sword cuts. The transparent case back reveals the automatic movement as well as an engraved message: “Being smaller has never stopped Minutes from slicing Hours into pieces.” There’s nothing else left to say.
But behind this honed concept, the technique and inner workings remain serious. With a 40mm stainless-steel case, a height of 11.7mm, a sturdy sapphire crystal and a water-resistance feature up to 50 meters, this watch is built for daily challenges. It is also powered by an automatic manufacture calibre, with a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour and a precision stated between -20 and +40 seconds a day. Cherry on top, it showcases a stop-second function and a power reserve of about 42 hours. The luminescent hands and indices ensure legibility.
This atypical edition is limited to 3,600 copies worldwide – a reference to the 3,600 seconds included in an hour. Which is also the time this edition took to get sold out on February 20th, the day of its release. A powerful watch, both playful and sharp.
€449
Technical details:
Case / Bracelet: Stainless steel
Case back: Transparent, visible movement
Diameter / Height: 40.0mm / 11.7mm
Water resistance: 5 ATM / 5 Bar / 50 meters
Dial: Blue
Glass: Sapphire crystal
Movement: Cal. 8210 (automatic and manual winding)
Accuracy: -20 to +40 sec/day
Power reserve: about 42h (fully wound up)
Frequency: 21,600 v/h
Jewels: 21
Stop-second function
Luminescent hands and indices
Transparent case back
See the technical details of the Tsuyosa x seconde/seconde/ model
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