Worn & Wound
Citizen Enters the Affordable Integrated Bracelet Arena with the NJ015 Series “Tsuyosa”
Five years ago, if someone were to ask me for advice on an affordable, reliable, all-purpose watch with some enthusiast/collector credibility, I’d definitely have Seiko on the tip of my tongue, and probably Timex and G-Shock as well. A brand that I might not have been as quick to mention would be Citizen, which is perhaps a bit ironic for me personally, because a Citizen is literally the first watch I can remember picking out for myself, years and years before this would become a hobby, let alone a profession. But something is happening at Citizen that is truly compelling. They’ve always had an expansive catalog, but recently they’ve been able to zero in on the stuff that really makes them special. Affordable, tactical divers are one avenue where they’ve had some success, and I’d argue they currently have a slight edge on Seiko in that department, overall. And with the recent release of the NJ015 “Tsuyosa” collection (the word means “strength” in Japanese) Citizen is making a play at the competitive “sporty, everyday casual” segment of the market with a colorful integrated bracelet option. Coming in at less than $500, these seem destined to appear on “recommended” lists. What we have here are straightforward, time and date automatic watches in stainless steel cases with integrated bracelets. The design is vaguely vintage inspired, but this type of watch is so common right now, it feels completely contemporary. The obvious point of comparison is Ti...
