Seiko Recraft - References, Prices and Owners' Reviews

The Seiko SNKM97 is a men's watch from the Seiko Recraft collection, featuring a retro style inspired by the 1970s. Here is a detailed description of its main features: Case: Cushion shape (square with rounded corners) typical of the 1970s. Material: Stainless steel, with a brushed finish on the top and polished sides. Diameter: 43.5 mm (which makes it rather substantial). Thickness: Approximately 11.4 mm. Screw-down, transparent caseback (exhibition case back) allows for a view of the movement. Lug width: 24 mm. Water resistance: 50 meters (5 bar), which protects it from splashes and accidental immersion, but is not suitable for swimming or diving. Dial: Color: Deep emerald green with a sunburst effect that dynamically catches the light. Indexes: Applied, gold-toned, generously sized, contributing to the vintage style. Hands: Skeletonized, gold-toned hour and minute hands with black tips. Bright orange central seconds hand adds a touch of contrast and visibility. Day and date window at 3 o'clock, with a gold outline and black inscriptions on a white background (the day can be displayed in English or Spanish). Black and green minute track with silver markers and numerals on the outer flange. Movement: Caliber: Seiko 7S26, a robust and reliable self-winding mechanical movement (21 jewels, 21,600 vibrations per hour). Power reserve: Approximately 40 hours. Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, day, and date. The 7S26 movement does not have a "stop-second" (hacking) function, meaning the seconds hand does not stop when the crown is pulled out to set the time. Bracelet: Material: Stainless steel, with a brushed finish and polished side links. Clasp Type: Seiko-branded double-security folding clasp with push buttons. Bracelet Width: 24 mm at the lugs, tapering to 18-20 mm at the clasp for comfort. Other Features: Crystal: Scratch-resistant Hardlex (hardened mineral crystal). Luminescence (no luminous material on the hands and indexes) can make reading the time difficult in low light conditions. In summary, the Seiko SNKM97 is an automatic watch with a bold, retro design, featuring an attractive green sunray dial accented with gold accents and an orange seconds hand. Its substantial case size and cushion shape give it a noticeable presence on the wrist. It is powered by a proven Seiko automatic movement, offering good value for money for vintage-style watch lovers. Often-mentioned strengths: Unique and eye-catching retro design. Gorgeous green sunray dial. Good value for a Seiko automatic watch. Comfortable to wear despite its size thanks to the case shape and well-designed bracelet. Transparent case back allows for a view of the movement. Often-mentioned weaknesses: Relatively large size (43.5 mm) which may not fit all wrists. Lack of luminescence. Stainless steel bracelet, perceived as "entry-level" by some. 7S26 movement without stop-seconds. Water resistance limited to 50 meters.

Seiko fan's personal opinion: a very beautiful, rather chunky watch, clearly not for a small wrist. It has a decidedly 70s look, and is magnificent with its iridescent green background. The touches of gold give it a decidedly retro look. It's comfortable to wear despite its size. Despite the basic mechanics, it's very precise, more so than others I own that are more expensive, which just goes to show... Any flaws? Yes, first of all, the crown isn't screwed down, I know that might not be a problem, but I do. The bracelet, if it's impressive, when you touch it, you can see that it's cheap. And finally, the absolute worst part: no lume, clearly a major weakness. Despite this, I find it very nice; it looks dressy and goes well with a suit.

A beautifully crafted 70s-look watch with a Seiko 7s26 automatic movement with a 41-hour power reserve. I fell for the look of this watch, which is a bit big all the same with a diameter of 43.5mm but which sits well on my wrist despite everything. The quality/price/pleasure ratio is always there at Seiko. It's a nice watch that I wear from time to time and that I enjoy wearing on its original metal bracelet or on a Barton brand rally-type leather strap or on an olive green nato strap from Sniper Bay.