Citizen Tsuyosa 60 NK0024-54X Review: a flashy daily watch that’s more fun than sensible

I picked up the Citizen Tsuyosa 60 NK0024-54X because the mix of gold dial, green sapphire glass and two-tone bracelet looked a bit wild in the photos. I already own a couple of more classic watches, so this one was clearly a “for fun” purchase. I’ve worn it almost every day for about two weeks, for work at the office and a few evenings out, and I tried to treat it like a normal daily watch, not a safe queen.

First impression when I opened the box: it looks more expensive than the price tag, mainly because of the gold dial and the green reflection from the sapphire. It’s not a discreet piece. If you want something low profile under a shirt cuff, this is not it. But if you like a bit of colour and you’re okay with people asking, “What watch is that?”, it does the job pretty well. My partner, who usually doesn’t care about watches, actually noticed it right away and said it looked "very shiny" — which sums it up.

From a practical point of view, it’s a 40 mm automatic with about 60 hours of power reserve and 50 m water resistance. So on paper, you get a pretty standard spec for a modern everyday watch. No fancy complications, just three hands and a date. The idea is clearly: put it on, wear it to work, maybe to dinner, and forget about it. I tried exactly that: I only took it off for showering and sleeping, and I didn’t baby it at all.

Overall, my feeling after these two weeks is that it’s a fun, slightly flashy watch that behaves like a decent daily beater. It’s not perfect, and there are a couple of annoying points, especially if you’re picky about comfort or low-light readability. But for the price, and given it’s an automatic from a serious brand, it holds up pretty well. The rest of this review is just me going through what worked for me and what didn’t, point by point.

In terms of value, this watch sits in that middle zone where you’re not paying peanuts, but you’re also far from luxury prices. For the money, you get an automatic movement with a 60-hour power reserve, sapphire crystal, a steel bracelet, and a 5-year warranty from a serious brand. On paper, that’s pretty solid. If you compare it to microbrand automatics at similar prices, the specs are competitive, and you get the extra peace of mind of a big manufacturer and easier access to service.

Where the value becomes more subjective is the design. You’re clearly paying for a specific look: gold dial, green-tinted sapphire, two-tone bracelet. If you like this style, it feels like good value because there aren’t that many watches that look like this at this price with sapphire and a decent movement. If you don’t care about the colours and just want a simple, versatile everyday watch, I think there are more neutral options from Citizen and other brands that might make more sense for the same money.

For me personally, I see it as a fun piece in a small rotation, not my only watch. As a one-watch collection, it might be a bit too flashy and limited. As a second or third watch that you wear when you want something a bit louder, it makes more sense. The finishing and specs justify the price; you’re not overpaying just for the logo, but you’re also not getting crazy high-end details. It’s pretty much “pays for what it offers”, no more, no less.

If I look at the downsides — average lume, two-tone coating that might age, not a real sports watch despite the “sports/general active use” tag — they’re acceptable at this price point. So if you like the design, I’d say the value is good. If you’re on the fence about the colour combo, I’d probably look at a more classic Tsuyosa version instead, because the main reason to pick this exact model is the look.

The main thing with this watch is the look. The combination of a gold sunray dial, green-tinted sapphire glass and two-tone bracelet is not subtle at all. In daylight, especially outside, the dial really pops. The green sapphire gives a kind of tinted reflection that shifts depending on the angle. It’s the kind of watch you notice across the table. If you like classic white or black dials, this will probably feel too loud. Personally, I liked it more in real life than in the product photos, which is similar to what some Amazon reviews say.

The dial itself is fairly clean: simple applied indices, three hands, and a date window. No busy text everywhere, which is nice. The sunray pattern catches the light and can go from light yellow-gold to a deeper, almost bronze tone depending on the lighting. Indoors under office lighting, it looks more controlled and less flashy; outside in the sun, it’s a bit of a show. One user comment said the colour combination is “crazy” outdoors, and I agree — it’s probably the main selling point if you like colourful watches.

The case shape is modern, with rounded edges and integrated-looking lugs. It has a bit of that integrated bracelet vibe that’s popular right now, but without going full copy of any famous model. The two-tone bracelet (steel and gold-tone) matches the dial well, but again, it adds to the bling factor. If it were full steel with the gold dial, it would already be noticeable; with the gold centre links, it’s even more in-your-face. I wore it with a simple shirt and jeans, and it worked. With a suit, it looked a bit flashy but still acceptable. With a hoodie and sneakers, it looked slightly out of place, to be honest.

One thing I appreciated is that the watch looks coherent. The gold dial, gold accents on the bracelet and the green sapphire all feel like part of the same idea. It doesn’t feel random or messy. You just have to decide if that idea fits your style. For me, it’s a fun piece to rotate in, not something I’d wear every single day for years, because the design is quite specific. If you want a watch that disappears on the wrist, this is not it. If you like a bit of character and don’t mind some shine, then the design does its job pretty well.

Comfort-wise, this Citizen is decent, but not the kind of watch you forget is on your wrist. At 40 mm wide and around 11 mm thick, the size itself is pretty reasonable. The main thing you feel is the weight of the steel bracelet. After sizing it properly (I had two links removed), it sat well on my 17 cm wrist with no major movement. Before sizing, it slid around a lot and felt heavier than it really is, so I’d say getting the fit right is important with this one.

The case back is flat and doesn’t dig into the skin, which helps. The lugs curve a bit, so the watch hugs the wrist fairly well. I wore it for full workdays at the computer, and I only really noticed the weight when typing for long periods because the bracelet would rest on the edge of the desk. Not painful, just slightly annoying compared to a lighter watch on a leather or rubber strap. It’s the classic steel-bracelet experience: solid, but you know it’s there.

The bracelet itself is reasonably comfortable. No hair-pulling issues for me, and I do have some wrist hair that usually gets caught in cheaper bracelets. The finishing inside the links is smooth enough, and the edges didn’t leave any marks. The clasp sits fairly flat on the underside of the wrist. Only downside: there aren’t a ton of micro-adjustments, so getting the absolutely perfect fit might be tricky if you’re between two link sizes. I managed to get it “good enough”, but on very hot days I can imagine it feeling a bit tight.

For a unisex watch, I think the comfort is okay, but small-wrist users might find it slightly top-heavy, especially on the stock bracelet. I tried it for half a day on a simple leather strap (20 mm), and it instantly felt lighter and more comfortable, but you lose the whole two-tone look. So if comfort is your top priority, you might end up swapping the bracelet. If you’re used to steel sports watches, you’ll probably find this one perfectly acceptable for daily wear.

On paper, the materials are pretty solid for this price range: stainless steel case and bracelet, sapphire crystal, automatic movement, and a proper deployment clasp with push-buttons. The sapphire is a big plus for me, because I’ve scratched too many mineral crystals on door frames and desks. I wore this one without worrying, and after two weeks there are no visible marks on the glass. That’s exactly what I expect from sapphire, so no complaints there.

The case finishing is decent. You get a mix of brushed and polished surfaces, and the transitions are clean enough. It’s not luxury-level finishing, but it doesn’t feel cheap either. Running my fingers along the lugs and case edges, there are no sharp bits that catch the skin. The crown is a bit small for my taste, but it’s protected and doesn’t dig into the wrist, which is more important for daily use. The case back is standard, nothing fancy, but it sits flat and doesn’t create hot spots on the wrist.

The bracelet is where I’m a bit more mixed. It’s stainless steel and feels solid enough, but the two-tone gold parts are clearly a coating, not solid gold (which is normal at this price). Over two weeks, I didn’t see any wear on the gold sections, but I’d be curious how it looks after a year of desk use and occasional bumps. The links articulate well and the bracelet doesn’t rattle too much; it feels tighter and more solid than typical cheap bracelets, but not as refined as higher-end ones. The clasp is a deployment type with push buttons, which I prefer over simple friction clasps. It closes with a reassuring click and never popped open by accident.

Overall, the materials feel in line with the price and maybe a bit better thanks to the sapphire. The only thing that slightly worries me long term is the gold coating on the bracelet, but that’s the trade-off with any two-tone watch in this range. If you’re rough with your watches, expect some scuffs on the bracelet and maybe the gold tone getting dull over time. If you’re reasonably careful, I think it will age okay, but don’t expect it to look brand new forever.

Two weeks is obviously not enough to judge long-term durability, but I tried to be a bit rough with it within reason. I wore it at the office, on public transport, doing chores at home, and I didn’t baby it. It bumped lightly against a few door frames and desks, and I used it around water when washing hands and doing dishes. After this period, the sapphire crystal is flawless, and the case and bracelet only have a couple of very light hairline marks that you can only see under certain angles. That’s pretty normal for polished surfaces.

The 50 m water resistance rating is okay for daily life: washing hands, rain, maybe quick accidental splashes. I personally wouldn’t go swimming with it, especially not in the sea or a pool. Yes, in theory 50 m can survive some water, but I prefer to keep anything below 100 m away from regular swimming. Also, the watch has a dressy look, so it just feels out of place as a water watch. If you want something to swim with, I’d pick a diver instead.

The bracelet and clasp feel sturdy enough. I didn’t notice any play or looseness developing over these two weeks. The clasp still closes firmly with the same click as on day one. The only potential weak point in the long run is the gold-tone coating on the bracelet. Right now, it looks perfect, but based on past experience with other two-tone watches in a similar range, I expect the gold tone to pick up scratches and maybe some fading on high-contact areas like the underside of the clasp and the edges of the links.

Citizen usually has a decent reputation for reliability, and the 5-year manufacturer’s warranty is reassuring. It doesn’t mean the watch is indestructible, but at least you’re somewhat covered if the movement has issues early on. In short: for office and casual daily use, the durability seems fine. For heavy sports, swimming, or rough work, I’d leave this one at home and wear something more tool-oriented.

Performance for a watch like this mainly comes down to the movement (accuracy and power reserve) and how it behaves in everyday life. The spec says up to 60 hours of power reserve, and that matches my experience pretty closely. I wore it from Monday to Friday, took it off Friday night, and it was still running Sunday evening. It finally stopped during the night, so somewhere around that 60-hour mark. That’s genuinely practical: you can take it off Friday night and it will still be alive when you pick it up Sunday afternoon.

Accuracy-wise, I didn’t measure it with lab tools, but I did a simple real-life test. I set it against my phone on a Monday morning, wore it normally all week, and checked again on Friday night. It was about +15 seconds ahead, so roughly +3 seconds per day. That’s actually pretty good for a watch in this price range. Of course, this can vary from piece to piece, but my unit is clearly well-regulated. For daily use, being a few seconds fast per day is no problem at all.

In terms of legibility, it’s mostly fine in normal lighting. The gold dial with contrasting hands and indices is easy to read in daylight and office light. Where it falls short is low light. The lume exists but is not very strong, which matches what one Amazon reviewer mentioned. After being outside in the sun, it glows a bit when you go indoors, but it fades pretty fast. If you like strong lume and often check the time in the dark, this watch is not going to impress you. It’s usable for a short while, but that’s about it.

Everyday handling is straightforward. The crown action is okay, not super smooth but not rough either. Setting the time and date is simple. The automatic winding seems efficient: with normal wrist movement, it stays fully wound without needing to hand-wind it. I never had it stop on me during regular wear. For what it is — a simple three-hand automatic — the performance is more than acceptable. It just doesn’t bring any extra features like hacking seconds display, fancy complications, or strong lume. It’s basic, but it does its job reliably.

Out of the box, you get the watch on its two-tone metal bracelet, the usual Citizen paperwork, and the warranty info. Nothing fancy in terms of extras: no extra straps, no tools, just the basics. The model I have is the NK0024-54X, with the gold dial and that green sapphire crystal. The case is 40 mm wide, about 11 mm thick, 20 mm lug width, and weighs around 250 g with packaging, so on the wrist it’s not a featherweight but it’s not a brick either. I’d call it medium-heavy, which feels about right for a steel watch with a solid bracelet.

The watch is marketed as unisex, and I can see why. On my 17 cm wrist, the 40 mm size looks balanced, not huge. I had my partner (smaller wrist, around 15 cm) try it on; it still looked okay, but definitely on the bold side because of the gold dial and two-tone bracelet. So if you have a small wrist and like discreet pieces, this might look a bit loud. If you’re fine with a watch that stands out, then no issue.

In terms of features, it’s pretty straightforward: automatic movement with up to 60-hour power reserve, 50 m water resistance, sapphire crystal, and a metal bracelet with push-button deployment clasp. No hacking seconds or hand-winding quirks that I noticed; it behaves like a normal modern automatic. I wore it through a full work week, then left it on the table over the weekend to check the power reserve. It ran a bit past two full days before stopping, so the “up to 60 hours” claim seems realistic in normal use.

The Amazon listing screams “dress watch” and “sports/general active use” at the same time, which is a bit optimistic. In reality, it’s more of a smart casual / dressy daily watch. I wouldn’t take it swimming or running regularly, even if the 50 m water resistance can handle splashes and washing hands. Think of it as a desk watch that can handle light everyday abuse, not as a proper sports tool.