Every year on November 1st and 2nd, Mexico celebrates Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. On that day, Mexican people welcome back the spirits of the departed. This tradition centers around the idea that death is part of life, and as such, you celebrate it with a great, colorful party. To honor Día de los Muertos, IFL Watches has created two special versions of the Citizen Tsuyosa. This special Cavalera Collection showcases two vibrant sides of Día de los Muertos through hand-painted dials. Let’s find out more.
When I think of Día de los Muertos, I immediately think of the opening scene of the James Bond movie Spectre. The wild opening sequence of this 2015 Bond film sees Daniel Craig, as 007, chase a Spectre villain through Mexico City during a Día de los Muertos parade. The special parade sets a stunning stage for the grandiose opening scene, but it obviously doesn’t explain the cultural relevance of the Día de los Muertos celebrations. Every year, Mexico honors family and friends who have passed with a huge, colorful festival. The departed are celebrated with ofrendas piled high with marigolds, sugar skulls, music, and more food than the living can handle.
The details of IFLW’s Citizen Tsuyosa Calavera Collection
One of the most recognizable symbols of this unique tradition is the decorated calavera, also known as the sugar skull. The colorful grinning skull serves as the inspiration for two hand-painted dials created especially for two Citizen Tsuyosa models.
The first is the Calavera Nocturna, based on the black-dial 40mm Citizen Tsuyosa. Adorning the black backdrop is an ornate sugar skull wearing a red and green sombrero. Colorful maracas, bones, butterflies, ornamental swirls, and flowers surround the skull, creating a lively, loud, and playful dial.
This larger version of the Tsuyosa features a 40mm stainless steel case with an 11.7mm profile and a 45mm lug-to-lug. Its black base dial features applied, lume-filled markers and a date window at 3 o’clock. Despite the busy dial decorations, the white lume and date window ensure you can read the time and date clearly. As you can see, IFLW has removed the sapphire crystal’s date magnifier to avoid distorting the artwork. The case is matched with a President-style bracelet, making the watch super comfortable to wear.
The smaller and more toned-down Calavera Turquesa
The second model is the Calavera Turquesa, based on the smaller Tsuyosa model with an ice-blue dial. The watch has a 37mm stainless steel case with an 11.5mm thickness and a 41.9mm length. For this dial, IFLW chose a different creative direction. The upper part retains the ice-blue color of the original dial, creating an airy, sky-like backdrop. On the lower half, you will find a raw, bone-colored skull with a purple snake wrapping itself around it. The skull sits atop a bed of hand-painted flowers in pink, blue, orange, and coral. It creates a nice, colorful contrast with the upper half of the dial.
The Calavera Turquesa keeps the minute track, the applied lume-filled indexes, and the date magnifier to create a quieter overall aesthetic. As you can see, the hand-painted dials are inherently different takes on the same theme. The first is loud and colorful, while the second is more airy and less in your face. As all of the 200 dials per model are painted by hand, each dial is unique, making the watch extra special.
In both models, you will find Citizen’s 8210 caliber. This automatic movement operates at 21,600 vibrations per hour, features 21 jewels, and offers a 42-hour power reserve. The calibers are visible through the sapphire display in the stainless steel case back.
Final thoughts on the IFL Watches Citizen Tsuyosa Calavera Collection
Overall, I like the idea of creating colorful dials inspired by Día de los Muertos. The result is two playful, vibrant dials with completely different looks and feels. Additionally, the two different sizes ensure that there is a watch for everyone. If the 40mm model is too big for you, the smaller 37mm option is the perfect choice.
As mentioned, IFLW will produce 200 pieces of each model, available on the brand’s official website for €890 / US$890 / £790 from today, March 2nd, 2026, at 16:00 CET. After seeing the two Citizen Tsuyosa Calavera pieces, I do not doubt that all available pieces will sell quickly. If you are interested in buying one, head over to the IFL Watches website before they sell out.
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