Sunday Morning Showdown: Citizen Tsuyosa 37 Vs. Casio Edifice EFK-110
It’s Sunday morning, which means it’s time for another installment of Sunday Morning Showdown. It is the last showdown before Watches and Wonders 2026 starts on Tuesday. During the event, we will see lots of new watches that will certainly return in our Sunday Morning Showdown series. For this week, though, we decided to stage a rematch between two watches we’ve featured before. Since Casio updated its popular mechanical Edifice EKF-100, it’s time for a rematch against the Citizen Tsuyosa. But we have made it more specific this time. After the update, the new Casio Edifice EFK-110 is slightly smaller, making it a perfect competitor to the Citizen Tsuyosa 37.
In the previous matchup, which happened last August, Thomas and Daan pitted the then-fresh Edifice EFK-100 series against the Tsuyosa. But the caliber switch that Casio has implemented allowed the brand to make the new EFK-110 slightly smaller and thinner. As a result, the best contender from the Tsuyosa lineup is the smaller Tsuyosa 37 series. Funnily enough, the Casio and Citizen have nearly identical movements — the Miyota 8215 and 8210, respectively. That makes this a battle centered around looks, comfort, and quality rather than technical differences. In terms of budget, both come in under €300. Gerard’s choice, the Casio Edifice EFK-110, costs €279, whereas Jorg’s pick, the Citizen Tsuyosa 37, costs €299. Talk about a close matchup! Let’s find out which of the two will win this battle of the budget kings!
Last week, on Sunday Morning Showdown…
Before Gerard and Jorg make their cases, let’s take a quick look at last week’s results. In that showdown, the updated Longines Hydroconquest comfortably beat the Oris Aquis in a battle of modern dive watches. The Hydroconquest garnered 67% of the votes, while the Aquis only mustered 33%. It has been remarkable to see the positive reception for the third generation of Longines’s popular dive-watch series.
In the comments, most of you agreed that both watches have their positives and negatives. These also showed a fairly balanced outcome in terms of preferences. However, the silent majority made it clear that the Longines Hydroconquest was their winner. Let’s see if this week’s matchup will be just as clear in its results. Over to Jorg and Gerard!
Jorg: Citizen Tsuyosa 37
Ever since the first Citizen Tsuyosa watches debuted in 2022, I have been a fan of the series. I had the chance to review the blue- and black-dial versions of the inaugural NJ150 lineup after Robert-Jan reviewed the standout yellow-dial version a little earlier. Back then, I named them the best affordable watches under €500, and I stand by that statement. Four years on, I think that the Tsuyosa series is still the go-to pick for the money. It offers everything you could want from an entry-level daily wearer. Even after trying the new Casio Edifice EFK-110, I still hold that opinion.
Funnily enough, with the introduction of the smaller 37mm Tsuyosa, I also found my favorite size after initially being smitten with the 40mm version. As my preferences have changed over time, so has my favorite size. The Tsuyosa 37 has a 37 × 41.9 × 11.5mm case and is not dramatically smaller than the 40 × 45 × 11.7mm Tsuyosa 40. Nevertheless, it feels more visually balanced. And despite its reduced size, it still has plenty of presence on my 18.5cm (7.3″) wrist thanks to the natural flow from the case to the bracelet.
The one big advantage of the 40mm Tsuyosa lineup is the wide range of dials you can choose from. Currently, the Tsuyosa 37 is only available with the three dial colors you see in the pictures, while the Tsuyosa 40 offers many more options. But since the larger Tsuyosa had a three-year head start, I expect that to change over time. I would love to see the champagne and the brushed coppery-orange dials also offered in the smaller Tsuyosa.
Comparing the Casio Edifice EFK-110 and the Citizen Tsuyosa 37
But it’s time to focus on the real story at hand. Why would I pick the Citizen over the Casio? After spending time with both watches, it comes down to charm and comfort. I will give the Casio the upper hand in overall build quality, but that’s also where I find my gripe with the EFK-110. It sounds a bit weird, but once you have tried both watches, you will understand what I mean. Despite its superior build quality, the EFK-110 can feel a bit rigid and almost too machined. The edges are sharper, the tolerances tighter, and the dial patterns have an industrial feel. All these conspire to make the watch somewhat impersonal.
By comparison, the Cittzen Tsuyosa looks a lot more elegant and refined. That’s partially because the edges of the case and bracelet don’t look or feel as sharp. I also prefer the softer, nicer dial options that don’t have that strange texture. Speaking of the dial, why is the Edifice name placed above the Casio brand name? In comparison, the dial text on the Tsuyosa is kept to a minimum, and I love that. Lastly, the Citizen’s President-style bracelet might not be as robust as the Casio’s H-link bracelet. But in terms of daily comfort, I would pick the former any day.
The Citizen Tsuyosa 37 is the more comfortable daily wearer
I’ve noticed over the years that wearability and comfort are the most important factors that keep me returning to a watch. Additionally, a watch needs to look good, of course. The Citizen Tsuyosa 37 combines comfort and charm perfectly. As a result, it doesn’t look and feel like a €300 watch. In the picture above, the green version looks awesome on my wrist (to me, at least), and I know how well it wears. I did not feel that magical combination after wearing the Edifice EFK-110 for a few days, which is why this week’s pick is an easy one for me. But let us know what you think, Gerard.
Gerard: Casio Edifice EFK-110
Hmmm, if I’m not mistaken, this is my first Sunday Morning Showdown appearance. Before defending my choice, I’d like to ask for some sympathy from you all. Please be kind to me and choose the Casio Edifice! If not because you think it’s the better watch (as I do), then do it because I should win my first SMS battle (sorry, Jorg!).
Let me start with the league these watches are in — sub-€300. That’s awesome. Of course, I also like the new zillion-dollar Jacob & Co., but for most of us, watches like that are to admire from afar. The league in which the Tsuyosa and Edifice exist means business on the wrist. These are watches that a huge audience of aficionados can actually own and wear. And I thank both brands for also taking care of that league. It’ll help many people get into this beautiful hobby of mechanical watches through pieces that no one has to be ashamed of.
What about my choice, the Casio Edifice EFK-110? I know the Tsuyosa series has a head start of almost four years and time to earn its share of enthusiasts. Rightfully so; there haven’t been many watches able to top what Citizen is offering here…until now. Not even a year ago, now that we all own our share of G-Shocks, we saw Casio’s first attempt at mechanical watchmaking with the Edifice EFK-100.
Why the new 38mm Edifice EFK-110 became a better watch
Of course, there were some comments on Casio’s choice of movement, the Seiko Group-owned and Hong Kong-based TMI’s NH35. Although I can’t see anything too awful about that reliable caliber, the new EFK-110 houses the Japanese-made Miyota 8215. Let’s say that Casio switched from one competitor to another. And while there’s no well-founded reason for this, I simply like the Miyota 8215 somewhat better than the NH35. It might be because I’ve seen too many of the latter in watches I don’t like. With the Miyota 8215, the Edifice EFK-110 gains at least two advantages. First, Casio could make the watch 1mm smaller in diameter (now 38mm) and 0.7mm thinner (11.8mm). While those reductions aren’t massive, they are enough for me to find the watch more attractive. Second, there’s no competition with Citizen’s Tsuyosa in the caliber division anymore; they now use virtually identical movements.
Jorg already mentioned the limited selection of dials for the Tsuyosa 37. Not only that, but the available colors are also an important reason for me to choose the Edifice. Sunburst green is definitely not for me. I know I’m rather alone in this opinion, but green doesn’t work for me as a dial color, let alone with a sunburst finish. Baby-boy blue and baby-girl pink aren’t to my taste either, so there’s currently no 37mm Tsuyosa for me. And you may or may not like the dial pattern of the EFK-110 (I do like it a lot), but at least the offered colors give it a more grown-up impression.
Wearing the EFK-110 for a few days
I had the opportunity to wear the EFK-110 for a few days, and honestly, two things caught my attention in a suboptimal way. With the watch on the wrist, the connection between the case and bracelet doesn’t always look very flowing. There’s a bit of a fall-off where the bracelet goes down the wrist. Secondly, there are lines of luminous material in the hour and minute hands, but there aren’t any in the dial indexes. It’s nice to see where the hands are in the dark, but without any reference on the dial, it’s pretty useless. Neither of these things, however, affected my pleasure in wearing the watch at all.
Positively, I noticed the Miyota 8215 movement’s accuracy. While Casio rates it as -20 to +40 seconds per day, the watch I wore gained only four seconds per day. On our office’s Witchi Timegrapher, it showed even values of -1 and +2 seconds per 24 hours in different positions. That’s no guarantee for all EFK-110s, but at least it’s an indication that the Miyota 8215 caliber is capable of very high accuracy.
A matter of taste
What else to say? The Casio Edifice EFK-110 is a solid integrated-bracelet watch; there’s nothing flimsy about it. Everything on this watch feels and looks nicely made. The sapphire crystal and 100m water resistance both enhance this impression. Thought it may be a bit “industrial,” as Jorg noticed, that’s not a bad thing for me, more a matter of taste. Think of it as Nautilus vs. Royal Oak: some like the elegant, soft lines of the former, while others appreciate the edgy, industrial look and finish of the latter.
Another matter of taste is the dial text. To my eye, Citizen places its name in overly large capital letters too high on the dial. As a result, there is too much space between the trademark name and the dial’s center, making it feel unbalanced. And I like that Casio, just like with G-Shock, places more emphasis on Edifice than on the Casio name. It clearly distinguishes the EFK-110 from other Casio watches. So, now it’s your turn to choose. But please, before clicking a button, first read my first paragraph again. 😉
Time to vote
There you have it — another Sunday Morning Showdown. It’s time to choose your favorite and cast your vote. Are you a fan of the seasoned, now-smaller Citizen Tsuyosa 37, or do you prefer the newer, now-updated Casio Edifice EFK-110? Let us know in the comments below why you voted the way you did!
