Citizen and Ibanez have turned a guitar-pedal classic into a watch built for collectors, not mass-market buyers. The Tsuno Chrono Custom Tube Screamer Limited stands out less because of what it does and more because of how closely it echoes the identity of the legendary Tube Screamer.
The collaboration is tightly controlled from the start. Citizen will produce only 500 units, and the watch is positioned as a quartz chronograph with a very specific visual language that speaks directly to Ibanez fans and vintage gear enthusiasts.
A watch shaped by the Tube Screamer
The strongest link to the pedal comes through the dial. Citizen uses a dark green color that clearly references the TS808HWV2, the hand-wired Tube Screamer version introduced in 2024.
That theme continues into the chronograph layout. Instead of neutral subdial markings, Citizen labels them Drive, Tone, and Volume, matching the names of the knobs found on the original pedal.
The caseback pushes the idea even further. It carries the Ibanez logo, the words “Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro,” and Input and Output markings that mirror the pedal’s jack sockets.
Built on Citizen’s Tsuno Chrono platform
Underneath the theme, the watch is based on Citizen’s Tsuno Chrono Custom platform. The Tsuno line traces back to Citizen’s first full-scale chronograph from the 1970s, giving this limited edition a direct connection to the brand’s archive.
The case measures 38 mm across and is 10.8 mm thick, with stainless steel used for the construction. Citizen pairs that with a battery-powered quartz movement, a 1/1-second chronograph function, a 12-hour totalizer, and a date display.
The specification list is rounded out with a mineral crystal and 5 bar of water resistance. Citizen says the battery life is about two years.
Limited release details
The Tsuno Chrono Custom Tube Screamer Limited will launch in Japan on 15 May 2026 at ¥44,000, which is about $277 USD. Sales will run through music stores across Japan as well as the Ibanez Lifestyle store.
Availability is restricted to the Japanese market for now, and there is no indication of an international release. Purchases are also limited to two units per customer, reinforcing the product’s collector-focused positioning.
Citizen will ship the watch in a special edition box inspired by the TS808HWV2 packaging. That presentation adds another layer to a release already built around a very specific piece of music gear history.
For collectors who follow Citizen, Ibanez, or the Tube Screamer legacy, the appeal is straightforward. The watch carries the pedal’s identity through the dial, subdials, caseback, and packaging, making the collaboration feel highly targeted rather than broadly commercial.
Source: www.notebookcheck.net