I like this watch. Given the price, it's a bargain. It's often been said that Seiko is the best non-Swiss watch manufacturer out there. This watch is a great example of why many think that. But, you have to keep expectations realistic, and understand this is not a hand assembled in Japan Grand Seiko model. This is a fun, casual, budget Seiko. The movement is a Malaysian assembled 7S26C movement, not one made in Japan, and the case is not made in Japan, either. Nowhere does the watch say "made in Japan", so I assume it's not. Seiko has done a lot of offshore manufacturing of their budget models, and appear to be doing it without sacrificing quality. But, even without the "made in Japan" cachet, this is a good quality Japanese designed watch, with the movement designed in-house by Seiko, and manufactured by them, albeit not in Japan. The 7S26C does have some quirks, though, which are common in older Japanese watch movement designs, but may seem strange to people accustomed to Swiss, or even Chinese produced movements. The oddest thing is the lack of hand winding. To simplify the design, the ability to wind the watch through the crown is absent. It's an automatic, and only an automatic. This means if it runs down you have to do the "Seiko shuffle" and rock it back and forth a bit to get it going. The next thing you find on vintage or budget Seikos is that there's no hacking function. "Hacking" is then the watch movement stops when the crown is pulled out to set the time to within a second. The 7S26C does not do that, either. So, you can't set it to an absolutely accurate time. Hacking didn't become common of Swiss watches until the late 1950s, so I'm accustomed to this oddity from vintage Swiss watches. So those are two things about the function that you should know. It's automatic winding only, and it lacks a hacking function. Seiko is starting to use movements with manual and automation winding, plus hacking, in a lot of their lower priced mechanical watches now, but this one is not one of them. I actually think these sort of anachronistic shortcomings are a good fit for the retro design, since a 60s or early 70s vintage mechanical Seiko would also lack those two functions.
The case is large but feels remarkably small on the wrist. A lot of this is due to it being fairly thin for the diameter, and having a flush mounted crystal. It's very comfortable despite the size, and just heavy enough to feel solid and substantial without feeling like a boat anchor. The polished lugs and grained body of the case provide a nice subtle contrast that delineates the cushion design, and I also like the through-holes on the lugs for the spring bars, which is another nice retro detail to the design.
The exhibition back on the case shows the rather plain movement, but I like this modern touch, even with a basic workhorse movement like this. One element that is plainly visible is the Seiko "magic lever" type reverser for the winding system. It's an elegant bit of simplified and economical design which Seiko invented, and it's nice to see it clearly in operation.
The dial is fantastic. The polished applied indicies on the chapter ring are not mirror flat on top, as often seen on high end watches, but are instead somewhat wavy and soft edged, which really fits the retro look and budget price point. Perfectly flat mirror finished indicies would look too austere for such a casual design. The microprinting on the inner dial is crisp and precise. The deep blue sunburst dial finish is very eye-catching, and the crisp step between the chapter ring and the inner dial adds depth. It's a really good dial for the price point, and the details fit the casual retro design well.
I've been wearing it constantly for five days now, and have seen no issues with power reserve or accuracy. However, I did put it on a winder and ran it a 1 rpm for about 20 minutes first thing out of the box to develop a good base level of power. Having a good pre-load on the mainspring helps maintain good accuracy. With a watch which can be hand wound, this is simple to do, but with an automatic only movement, it's not so easy. I'd really recommend giving this watch a good initial winding via rotation before setting it and wearing it. Dont just wobble it barely enough to get it running, and then wear it. A good initial build up of power reserve will help ensure accuracy, and keep it from running down overnight. Take the time to set it up properly, and you'll be rewarded with the famous Seiko reliability, don't and you may find it losing whole minutes because it's hitting the bottom of the power reserves intermittently.
Overall, this is a great budget automatic watch, one with good fit and finish, a great casual design, and even functional quirks that are pure 60s/70s Japanese watch.
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From the manufacturer
Seiko Men's Recraft Series Automatic Leather Casual Watch
- Stainless steel Case Material
- Hardlex Crystal
- Anti-reflective coating on inner surface
- Calfskin Band Material
- Screw case back
- See-through case back
- Mechanical, automatic winding
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Customer Review: Beautiful Seiko. And comfortable to wear.
JimmyD
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Customer Review: Unmatched beauty for the price
Devin L.
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Customer Review: Fantastic watch, great color
Alex Stewart
Reviews with images
Better in Person
I just got this watch today and it's already my favorite, it's had a very classic look, the green, gold, and silver all pair well together.The band is very nice, it's thicker than I expected so it's a little stiff, so I'm sure after a few wears it will soften up.I love the square face it just adds to the overall look of the entire watch. The smooth sweeping second hand makes the watch feel more luxurious.I am very happy with this purchase.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2024
Color: GreenVerified Purchase
I just got this watch today and it's already my favorite, it's had a very classic look, the green, gold, and silver all pair well together.
The band is very nice, it's thicker than I expected so it's a little stiff, so I'm sure after a few wears it will soften up.
I love the square face it just adds to the overall look of the entire watch. The smooth sweeping second hand makes the watch feel more luxurious.
I am very happy with this purchase.
The band is very nice, it's thicker than I expected so it's a little stiff, so I'm sure after a few wears it will soften up.
I love the square face it just adds to the overall look of the entire watch. The smooth sweeping second hand makes the watch feel more luxurious.
I am very happy with this purchase.
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Top reviews from other countries
Cut Diaz
Absolutamente maravilloso
Reviewed in Mexico on November 5, 2023Color: GreenVerified Purchase
Thiago Pereira da Rocha
Excelente aquisição. Relógio de bom gosto!! Funcionamento espetacular.
Reviewed in Brazil on October 16, 2022Color: BlueVerified Purchase
Wesley Roberto
Entrega muito antecipada
Reviewed in Brazil on June 19, 2022Color: GreenVerified Purchase
