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The Best Affordable Rolex Datejust Alternative Costs Less Than $500, But Not for Long

You simply won’t find a better daily-wearing automatic watch for this price.

Close-up of a gold wristwatch with a textured blue dial, gold hour markers, and a date window showing the number 7.Citizen
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By Brad Lanphear

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The Rolex Datejust is arguably the most influential watch design ever created, inspiring countless references for over half a century.

As the Crown’s prices have steadily increased, demand for affordable alternatives has also risen, and there is no shortage of options. For my money, the watch that offers the best balance between appearance, performance and value is the Citizen Tsuyosa 60.

Two-tone Citizen wristwatch with a green textured dial, gold bezel, and gold and silver metal bracelet. The watch features white hour markers, gold hands, and a date window with a magnifier at the 3 o'clock position. The background is a glossy dark green surface with a gold pen, a gold chain, and a decorative gold frame partially visible.
The Tsuyosa 60 features a radial texture on the dial.
Citizen

Introduced in September of this year, it enhances the look and performance of the already impressive Tsuyosa collection. It swaps out the president-style three-link integrated bracelet for another Rolex original, a five-link jubilee.

The most striking update, however, is the texture of the dial. The sunurst brushing found on most regular production Tsuyosa references is replaced with a radial geometric pattern consisting of tiny diamond-shaped pyramids.

Silver metal wristwatch with black dial and white hour markers worn on a wrist.
The black dial reference is the most subdued of the collection.
Citizen

On the inside, the Tsuyosa brings a new automatic movement to the collection, Citizen’s Caliber 8310, which offers a 60-hour power reserve, compared to the 42 hours provided by all other available models.

On top of that, the movement boasts more refined finishing, including blued screws and a Côtes de Genève decoration on the bridge.

Rose gold stainless steel Citizen watch with visible automatic movement through sapphire crystal back.
The Tsuyosa 60 is powered by the Citizen Caliber 8310 automatic movement.
Citizen

Naturally, these improvements come at a price increase, $150 over the standard models, to be exact. And while Citizen is generous with its promotional discounts, the Tsuyosa 60 has not been included until now.

The Japanese watchmaker is currently offering a 25-percent discount on its best Rolex Datejust alternative during its Holiday Savings Event, dropping the price to $469, which is less than the SRP of the standard Tsuyosa model.

Three unique options

While the resemblance to the iconic Rolex is unmistakable, the Tsuyosa’s appearance actually draws heavily from Citizen’s own archive. The angular case, integrated bracelet and 4:00 crown placement are all pulled from the brand’s 1970s catalog.

Gold-tone Citizen wristwatch with a textured blue dial, featuring gold hour markers and hands, a date window at the 3 o'clock position with a magnifier, and a matching gold metal bracelet.
The Tsuyosa 60 has a 40mm case.
Citizen

The Tsuyosa 60’s visual updates come in three different color schemes. A black dial paired with a full steel case and bracelet is the most subdued option, allowing the new details to speak for themselves.

If your taste is a bit flashier, there is a brilliant green dial with a two-tone case and bracelet, adding yellow gold-tone to the hands, hour markers, bezel, crown and center links.

Three Citizen automatic wristwatches with metal link bracelets are displayed on a marble surface. The left watch has a green textured dial with gold and silver two-tone bracelet and gold bezel. The middle watch features a blue textured dial with a rose gold bracelet and matching bezel. The right watch has a black textured dial with a silver bracelet and bezel. All watches have white hour markers, a date window at 3 o'clock, and three hands.
The Tsuyosa 60 comes in three color options.
Citizen

In my opinion, the most alluring option is the fully rose gold-toned reference with a royal blue dial. It has the most beautiful color combination of the group, and is the most likely to be mistaken for a luxury watch out in the wild.

My only complaint with this absolute steal of a watch is that it has the 40mm case size of the original Tsuyosa, while I much prefer the 37mm alternative released at the beginning of the year.

Availability and price

The Citizen Tsuyosa 60 is available for 25 percent off during Citizen’s Holiday Savings Event, which runs through December 21, dropping the price to $431 for the black dial and $469 for the blue and green dials.

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

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