Story Highlight
– Citizen partners with seconde/seconde/ for limited edition watch.
– Tsuyosa means “power” in Japanese; minute hand as katana.
– Pixel-art design inspired by retro Japanese video games.
– Limited to 3,600 pieces, referencing seconds in an hour.
– Features practical design elements like sapphire crystal bracelet.
Full Story
Citizen has launched an innovative collaboration between its Tsuyosa line and French design studio seconde/seconde/, creating a distinctive limited edition timepiece that marries humour and pixel-art aesthetics with traditional watchmaking.
The creative team at seconde/seconde/ drew upon the meanings of “Tsuyosa,” which denotes “power” and “strength” in Japanese. They transformed the watch’s minute hand into a katana, a sword that embodies this dynamic energy.
This katana is depicted in a retro pixelated style reminiscent of classic Japanese video games, giving the watch a quirky visual character. Notably, the hour markers appear as though they have been cut in half by the sword, adding to the playful appeal of the design.
The watch features a striking blue dial and a coordinating sword hilt, contributing to a bold and contemporary look. Additional design elements, such as sword-slash motifs on the bracelet clasp and a case back inscribed with the phrase, “Being smaller has never stopped Minutes from slicing Hours into pieces,” further enhance its artistic theme.
With a limited production run of just 3,600 pieces globally—symbolically reflective of the 3,600 seconds in an hour—the watch embodies the concept of the katana minute hand deftly interacting with time.
Beyond its artistic flair, the watch remains functional, equipped with a three-link metal bracelet, sapphire crystal with a date magnifier, and an exhibition case back that showcases its intricate movement.
Romaric André, the Parisian artist behind the seconde/seconde/ studio, remarked that this partnership effectively merges “a French guy on one side” with “a huge and historical Japanese brand on the other.” He expressed that the most intriguing collaborations often arise from the fusion of seemingly disparate cultures.
