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We just got three new budget bangers, all within just one week! New, compact releases from Citizen, Erebus, and Timex. And initially, I was going to cover them all independently. But the more I thought about it, the less sense that made.

You see, these three small watches are all trying to accomplish the same thing. They’re all aiming to be that super versatile, sporty, yet dressy, yet casual watch that you can wear for just about anything. A viable contender for a ‘one watch collection’, if you will. And what’s most interesting is they’ve each gone about achieving that in completely different ways. Oh, and they’re also all new versions of existing watches.

It only makes sense to pit each of these together, right? I mean, look at them! We literally have an RGB set of watches right here; how poetic can you get?

So, who exactly are the contenders?

First up is the Citizen Tsuyosa 37mm. This is a new, downsized version of the popular Tsuyosa sports watch, which originally launched at 40mm back in 2022. Citizen has been in the watch game since the early 20th century, and they stealth-dropped this unisex model a few weeks back with no prior warning or announcement. It appeared on their site one morning in three colors (green, pink and blue) and in most regards, is similar to the original.

In the red corner, we have the new Erebus Ascent. I say new, but the Ascent actually launched last year in a 39mm case size. This updated 36mm model is just one of three sizes that were recently added to the lineup, the others being 34mm and 41mm. I’ll give you a peek at those later, too. In addition to the size variety, the Ascent has the widest array of colors and textures, available with almost any dial you can think of. If you’re unfamiliar, Erebus was created by fellow watch reviewer Jody from the channel Just One More Watch, along with his business partner Steve, so they’re the new kids on the block in this bout.

Rounding out the trio is the Timex E-Line 1983 Automatic. This square-shaped 34mm watch originally released in gold, white, and turquoise late last year, but Timex just added two new versions to the collection, including this very attractive dark blue dial, as well as a black that comes on a leather strap instead. Timex has the longest history here, dating back to the 1800s, though most models are no longer made in the US.

As far as I know, all three of these watches are made in China or Hong Kong, and they’re each powered by Japanese Miyota movements.

Price

Not only are these watches competing in terms of utility, but they’re also going head to head on price. The Timex is the cheapest at £199 or $219 USD, followed by the Citizen at £299 or $340, and finally, the Erebus, which starts at £339 or $349 USD, excluding import fees or signup discounts. Essentially, they’re all occupying that low to mid-range segment, where watch nerds like you and I start to get pickier!

Build Quality

Build quality is the first category, and here, there’s a clear leader; that being the Erebus Ascent. This one immediately looks the highest quality straight out of the box, partially due to its more elegant case shape and styling. While all three watches are constructed of the same 316L stainless steel, the Ascent’s case is probably the most luxurious-looking, with the finest brushing and the cleanest polishing; aided by an elegant, swooping case shape that’s perfectly contoured to the wrist. It’s got an impressive combination of surfaces too, which play nicely with the light, and the case back is soothingly flat, despite offering the highest level of water resistance here, at 100m.

The Citizen Tsuyosa looks quite clunky and basic in comparison. In isolation, the brushing and polishing are fairly good, but the edges aren’t quite as neat as the Erebus, and importantly, you’ll notice it’s got a much thicker, blockier profile from side on. You can’t miss that bulging case rear. This was the number one complaint I saw with the original Tsuyosa, and sadly, Citizen hasn’t rectified it for the 37mm version. This piece very much still sits on top of your wrist rather than hugging it, with notable gaps under the lugs. Though, I will say, the reduced size does prevent it from wobbling around as much as the 40mm version, so it is more comfortable.

Also, while the case lacks the finesse of the Erebus, the Tsuyosa still feels substantial and high quality, so I wouldn’t have any concerns about longevity. Despite being much chunkier, the Tsuyosa only matches the Timex’s 50m water resistance level. However, you do get an exhibition rear, unlike the other watches, allowing you to see the gold-colored Miyota 8210 within.

Hiding in the back of the Timex is the near-identical yet marginally thicker Miyota 8215 automatic, though surprisingly, Timex has done a better job of accommodating it, squeezing it into smaller, sleeker housing that even boasts nicer case finishing to boot. Now, it’s not on the level of the Ascent, but it’s still pretty nice, with a nice polished lip at the base and reduced bulbosity when compared to the Tsuyosa, all for the lowest retail price of the three. Square watches have definitely been making a comeback in recent months, and this one reminds me a lot of the recent Bulova Super Seville reissue, albeit with less flair and a different bracelet.

Bracelet

Actually, we should probably head there next. You see, these stainless steel bracelets may look comparable on a spec sheet, but they’re really quite different in the hands.

The Tsuyosa is the only integrated bracelet watch of the three, meaning that the bracelet forms an integral part of the watch’s styling, and the lugs are specially cut to accommodate this. While the bracelet can be removed, you’re left with an awkward 9mm lug space, meaning custom-fit straps may be your only alternative option, should you wish to switch it. Overall, though, it’s reasonable, with solid steel links and three micro-adjustment holes on the clasp, so getting a good fit isn’t too challenging. Lots of other integrated bracelet watches ship with non-adjustable butterfly clasps instead. Still, it’s my least favorite of the three for reasons that will soon become apparent.

The stock 20mm Erebus Ascent bracelets are much more typical in terms of fit. There are two to pick from, depending on your preference; an Oyster-style, with three larger links, and a Jubilee-style, with five smaller links. It’s worth noting that the final production version of the Oyster-style bracelet will apparently have female end links, rather than the male end links shown here to allow for more conformity. If anything, I think this may be a visual improvement, too, as the male end links on this concept model are very large next to the small case size.

As far as functionality goes, both Erebus bracelets are a clear upgrade on the Citizen. They not only better match the case finishing of the watches but also bring handy features, such as quick-release springbars, permitting quick, tool-free bracelet removal, as well as on-the-fly micro-adjustable clasps, allowing you to tinker with the bracelet size in small increments. The links also use a screwlink system, which is easier to adjust at home than the push-pin system used on the Citizen bracelet, especially considering you get a screwdriver in the box. Overall, a very, very good bracelet for a watch at this price.

And then we have the Timex. Now, to say I had doubts about this would be an understatement. If you’ve ever seen expansion bracelets before, you know their infamous reputation; these things can nip you more than a pool of starving piranhas. Remarkably, though, I’ve found myself rather enjoying this one. I mean, it’s not perfect. Like with all retractable bracelets, you’ll get the odd ‘rippage’ from time to time, but in general, this thing is incredibly comfortable. Partly, that’s due to the ingenious adjustment system Timex has added, which means you can instantly tweak the fit to prevent the bracelet from pulling too tightly.

Now, some commenters on my unboxing video for this watch said you can adjust all expansion bracelets, and that’s technically true. Most of the time, though, it’s a fiddly process that involves bending the edges of the metal back and prising out the pins...it’s not fun. I’ve also reviewed other expansion bracelets with adjustable clasps, but nothing nearly as good as this.

From the outside, all the links look identical, but flip it over, and you’ll see a strip of non-expandable links that secretly house a concealed press-release removal system. Push the back of one of these links, and you can slide out the adjacent link. It’s that quick and easy.

Perhaps some other brand has implemented this mechanism before, I’d love to know, but I’ve never encountered it, and it’s the best expansion bracelet I’ve used by some margin. In fact, it’s the first one where the typical side effects haven’t particularly bothered me. The upside of the watch actively adapting to your wrist is a nice change of pace in some ways. You don’t have to worry about any adjustments and you can throw it on lazily. Also, a minor upside, as you might have guessed, is that the non-expanding areas on this one don’t pinch hairs to nearly the same extent as the rest of the links, reducing the area of pinching potential compared to other similarly styled bands.

Does it still feel a bit light and jangly? Yeah, a little; it is hollow, after all! But is it viable? Well, I’ve got an average level of arm hair, and I think I prefer this over the Tsuyosa bracelet despite the latter being better made. It’s at least a close contest! If you’ve got really hairy arms, the leather strap version or a third-party 20mm alternative, may still be the way to go.

Dimensions

I hinted at sizing at the start, but how do these actually wear? Well, the largest of the three, by some margin, is the 37mm Citizen. Of course, it’s the widest and thickest on paper, so it being the largest should come as no surprise; however, I was surprised by just how much larger this one feels versus the others. I’d hazard a guess it’s mainly due to the dial size. The 37mm Tsuyosa has a rather expansive 30mm dial, versus 24mm for the Timex and about 25mm for the Erebus, when discounting the raised chapter ring. I can still just about pull it off on my small 6 ¼ inch wrist, but it doesn’t feel super compact by any means. I had to go back and check my footage of the 40mm Tsuyosa to really get a sense of the size difference, as, straight out of the box, it felt much more similar than I expected, with the most obvious difference being the reduced strap width.

This new Tsuyosa fits a lot like the older 39mm Erebus Ascent, with this updated 36mm Ascent both looking and feeling considerably smaller. This model is absolutely the sleekest of the three on-wrist, primarily due to that more conforming, sleeker case shape. It actually has a 35.5mm diameter, with a 41.6mm lug to lug and a 10.9mm thickness, including the crystal, 9.9mm without it.

In-person, this watch fits me the best of the three contenders, even more so than the smaller 34mm Ascent variant. I may just be able to get away with the latter, though it looks a little smaller than I’d like, especially given this isn’t really a mid-century design. The 34 fits my wife very well, though. She’s tried this one out over the past few weeks and seems to be enjoying it more than most other watches she owns. Of course, the new 41mm variant is best suited to those with much larger wrists than either of us.

Predictably, the square-cased Timex fits larger than the headline dimension indicates. The widest point is technically 34mm, and it only has a 40.9mm lug to lug, but the squared-off shape and slight chunkiness make this wear akin to many circular 37mm watches. The lug to lug is a little misleading, too, as the lugs have been chopped prematurely as part of the design. In reality, I think this will be very viable if you have around a 7-inch wrist or under or are just looking for some of that vintage design language, which this watch certainly delivers; it’s got that retro TV dial that works surprisingly well even now. Looks great, feels great, and isn’t quite as chunky, as a big portion of the thickness is constituted of the raised crystal.

Crystal

The Timex is an acrylic crystal, which is the worst of the three as far as scratch resistance goes and will probably be a deal breaker for some of you. If this were a typical flat, round crystal, I’d think the same. However, a niche shape like this has almost certainly been custom-made to fit this specific watch. Most crystals, like sapphire, only tend to be mass-produced in the more commonly found circular shape, which fits the vast majority of watches; obviously, those wouldn’t have worked here. Creating this custom shape out of sapphire, which is the hardest and most expensive crystal material to work with, may have ballooned the cost of this Timex. So, I think acrylic was definitely the way to go, even if it looks terrible on paper. The acrylic at least matches the retro look and retains a lot of clarity...when it’s scratch-free at least.

The Citizen, meanwhile, does have a more performant piece of sapphire crystal, albeit one that isn’t very impressive. Indeed, this is by far the haziest crystal of the bunch despite being the only flat one, which usually aids legibility! Citizen claims this is an ‘anti-reflective’ sapphire crystal online, though the coating is about as effective as a hair tie on my scalp. Ok, it’s not disastrous and doesn’t render the watch unreadable, but this crystal feels like a minimum-viable token inclusion for the sake of the spec sheet. It will prevent scratches to a great degree, but it also reduces the punchiness and color of the dial beneath. I can’t recall the larger Tsuyosa having this issue, though I did review a bright yellow model, which likely warped my perspective.

Also, just like the original Tsuyosa, I’m really not feeling the cyclops. It reduces the symmetry and brings an added risk for misalignment, which is exactly what’s happened here; this unit’s cyclops is positioned too high for the date window, as you can see. I’d say if you’re interested in this 37mm Tsuyosa, at least wait until some of the brighter colors are available, which should at least alleviate the haziness issue.

Regarding performance, the crystal on the Ascent is a clear winner. Despite being lightly domed, the Ascent annihilates the Tsuyosa in terms of crystal clarity and legibility with a much more effective AR coating. You get the scratch resistance without the nonsense.

Design

You also get a greater level of detail than on the other two watches. The most obvious differences are the markers and hands. In their launch video, Erebus founder Jody said they researched many $3000+ watches during research and development and tried to get as close to those as possible in terms of execution.

While I don’t think this looks like a multi-thousand-dollar watch, it’s considerably more impressive under macro than the Timex or Citizen. Now, it is the most expensive, so you’d hope that were the case, but even next to the second priciest, the Tsuyosa, it’s not that close. The Ascent is very clean and has deep, faceted markers and hands, which look much higher-end. It’s got a noticeably smoother sweep than the others, due to having a higher-end movement under the hood, the Miyota 9015. On average, these movements are quieter than the 8000 series movements in the other two watches, with a slimmer profile, allowing the watches that house them to be thinner, which this watch is making full use of.

This watch also has extra touches like an applied logo and color-matched date wheels across the lineup, which you won’t find on the other two. Then, you have the obvious material variety. Some of the materials here, like the blue mother-of-pearl and Red Agate, give you a choice of different textures, aside from the typical sunburst finish. You’ll see the Red Agate has a much glossier enamel-like sheen, foregoing the shine and randomness of the mother-of-pearl dial. There are also a plethora of other dials to pick from, most of which I’d say are at least viable, including, oddly, the hot pink, which certainly makes a statement. Out of these two, I lean more towards the Red Agate; the Blue mother-of-pearl is still a little too light for my taste.

The Citizen isn’t bad as far as details go. The hands and markers look decent enough, but are considerably flatter than those on the Erebus, reducing the amount of light play. Also, I’m not too keen on the text positioning. The word ‘automatic,’ in particular, is egregiously butted right up against the bottom three markers. This choice is really confusing to me, I’m not sure how this got past testing; it’s even further down than the already awkwardly low wording on the 40mm version.

What I will say is the inking of this text is done to a neater standard than the Erebus, and the Tsuyosa basically offers up the Rolex Oyster Perpetual styling for a pretty low price, so this design will always be a hit.

As mentioned before, I’m nonetheless underwhelmed by this initial selection of colors. This green, for example, is far dimmer in person and isn’t at all like the shiny, bright green shown in the stock images. At times, this dial almost looks black. If the watch looked like it does in the images, I’d be much happier, but those pictures have clearly been heavily staged and edited to a degree where I have to call them misleading. The other two are quite feminine and wouldn’t match my wardrobe. So yeah, I’d probably wait for future colors if you can.

The Timex E-Line, meanwhile...is a funny one. It’s the most basic in terms of detailing, with pretty simple hands and markers and no luminescence to speak of. Yet, the overall look undoubtedly maintains an air of luxuriousness for some reason. I mean, just look at it on the wrist. This thing looks absolutely killer! Now, I’m going to be honest with you, I am a complete sucker for neo-vintage designs, so this one was always going to tickle my fancy, but regardless, like with last year’s Marlin Jet, the styling here, the proportions, it all just feels timelessly attractive.

As one of you pointed out on the unboxing, it indeed looks quite like some of the ‘tv-cased’ Seiko watches from the 1970s, but with modern materials and arguably even better looks. It’s also similar to square watches from the likes of Bulova and Maen, but for a fraction of the price; it won’t be as well made as those, but I’d say it’s remarkably close in the visual department! The matte blue used on this model is incredibly versatile, and while I find the ‘Tiffany’ blue version way too jarring, the other colors feel very well put together, even if the selection is limited.

I’ve seen one or two people criticize the crown on this for being ‘too small’, and while it may be a touch trickier to operate than the other watches in this post, I think the size is about right for a watch of this style. If anything, I think more of a recessed crown, like the other two, would have been the way to go. Indeed, that’s a small advantage the other two watches hold, with the Citizen getting the closest to full case symmetry.

That on the Erebus is a little oversized for my taste, though it’s also the only one that’s threaded; you can screw it in for enhanced water resistance, which the larger crown does aid with.

As for low-light performance, there’s only one winner, the Erebus Ascent. It may not have a great deal of initial brightness, but it’s some of the best-lasting lume I’ve tested under $1000. It’s easy to read many hours later. The Citizen has average, albeit serviceable, performance, while the Timex...yeah, good luck with that one!

Warranties

Aside from that, there’s the whole brand and warranty discussion. Timex and Citizen are far more well-known and well-established brands, with a much greater history. In years past, I’d have said that correlates with resale price, but these days, that’s far less of a factor. I’ve seen microbrand watches, even from Erebus, hold just as much resale value as the bigger brands, unless they are highly sought-after discontinued models.

The Erebus comes with a two-year warranty, the Citizen a five-year warranty, while the Timex has a one-year manufacturing defect warranty, but another webpage mentions a ‘limited lifetime warranty’ if you register the product, so I’m not sure which is relevant, it may depend on territory.

I guess that’s another thing to note with the two bigger brand watches. Price and warranty may vary depending on where you purchase them from, given a variety of watch dealers also stock them. You may be able to grab those for lower prices elsewhere later down the line at the expense of a manufacturers warranty. The Erebus, I expect, will only remain available directly on their site.

Final Thoughts

As for which of these small watches you should buy, well, for once, I don’t think you can really go wrong here.

The Citizen is probably my least favorite, but that’s not to say it’s necessarily bad. For me, it’s just like a 5 to 7/10 in most categories; it doesn’t shine in any areas, except for warranty, perhaps. If you want a sporty piece that looks quite like a Rolex for a low price, it’s a good choice that isn’t just an explicit copy-and-paste job. This new size is a welcome addition, too. I think this 37mm will fit many people better than the original Tsuyosa, given it wears more like a 38 or 39mm watch. Still, if you’ve got a really small wrist, the thickness may be problematic and the crystal isn’t ideal either.

If you’re purely after performance and build quality, the Erebus Ascent has that category on lock. It’s the best finished, the best constructed, and the most functional in virtually every way. With the wide range of sizes, this is also the only one that’s essentially guaranteed to fit you. As far as the whole ‘one-watch collection’ thing goes, the Ascent is the most complete all-rounder. My only real hesitation is I generally prefer some of the gradient dials the 39mm version shipped in, which the 36 doesn’t at present. Maybe some of those options will be added later down the line.

Nevertheless, the coolest and the one I’m most drawn to of this trio is the Timex E-Line. It’s the worst specced and isn’t the most technically proficient. Yet, the design hits all of the right notes for me. I love the case shape and the way it cups the crystal. In general, I feel like this one suits my wardrobe the best, and it just looks stellar every time I put it on. If you can grab this at a discount, that’s even better. To me, it’s like an upgraded Casio AQ-230 given the shape and styling, and back in my unboxing video, I actually said a ‘thinner, quartz watch’ could be an ideal partner to this automatic. What do you know, days later, Timex teased what appears to be exactly that: an ana-digi watch that looks even more like the AQ-230!