SEIKO Automatic Watch for Men - Recraft Series - Stainless Steel Case and Bracelet, Day/Date Calendar, 50m Water Resistant, and 41 Hour Power Reserve

Buen reloj

Exactly what I wanted. Not fancy, but super good looking and functional watch. Yes, it’s a bit bulky-so know that before you purchase.

Do you want to take a big swing at life? Wear this watch. Its style is iconic of the 60s to 70s, and it is best viewed over shag carpeting or through a smoke haze with ashtrays in the background, and best enjoyed while doing stuff that gives you heart disease.I've got to say that I think Seiko said, "lets re-make this line of Recraft watches and despite the inherent short comings of the movement they are built on and the price point we are trying to hit, WE WILL MAKE THEM AS PERFECT AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE in fit, finish and accoutrements." This is my third Recraft, and I am still amazed at how accurately they run, how high the build and finish quality, and how much fun they are to wear. Yeah it's not hackable, meaning the second hand does not stop when you pull the crown out. And it's not manual winding, it's self winding while you wear it. And it's not really waterproof to the degree that you can safely immerse it. All of these shortcomings have some meaning to you, if you own one:Non-hackable- you won't be able to set it on the exact second you want to, and also implies you don't want to move the hands backwards when you pull the crown out to the second detent because you are basically stopping the movement and pushing it backwards against the wound spring! Don't do it! I know this because as a kid in the late 60s and 70s I bricked every manual wind Japanese dive watch I ever got due to 1. doing the reverse hands movement 2. over-winding it. 3. immersing it even though it said it was "waterproof".Non-manual winding-- well you cannot overwind it like I did every watch I owned as a kid. But also means that if you don't wear it and don't have a watch winder to store it in, then you will have to reset the time and date after every 2nd day that it sits.Not waterproof-- treat it as if it is only water resistant- don't immerse these at the most it can take is some water splashed over it, etc.. but any length of immersion will probably kill it.As long as you work within these constraints, you will be pleased and it is part of the joy of owning one of these Recrafts: it is a step back in time, and the style is legit- if you're not a heavy hitter, wearing one of these will get you closer to being one.I added an orange Italian leather rally strap which accents well with the orange sweep second hand-- incomparable combination-- go big (and bright) or go home!

This watch won’t be for everyone. I suspect most people will likely either love it or hate it. I happen to love it. I was looking for something a little funky and fun to add to my small, affordable, automatic watch collection. This was perfect!So many good reviews and YouTube videos have been done on this watch so here are just a few of my observations. Many mention this as being a large watch and wearing larger than its dimensions. True. That said, if you regularly wear a diver, then this watch won’t seem that big at all. At only 39.5mm wide, 12mm thick, and 45.5mm lug to lug, it’s actually quite squat and smaller and lighter in all respects than any diver I have ever owned. It’s smaller and lighter than a Mako 2 and an SKX. And yet, the odd shape of it, the flashiness, and the large face makes it look much bigger than it actually is, while still feeling lighter than any diver I own. It feels and looks great on my 7 inch wrist. I typically don’t like watches over 41mm in diameter and over 11-12mm thick. I realize I may have slightly contradicted myself explaining the size. That’s the nature of this watch. It’s a bit of a conundrum. All in all, I find it to wear smaller than most reviews mention.No lume and it is not hackable or hand wind able. These aren’t major issues for me at or below the $130 mark. I wouldn’t pay more and of course would prefer it had these features left out of this reliable, robust, and very spartan movement. Some sell this watch for over $200. Silliness.Bracelets? Can’t stand them. Some people love them. I removed it immediately for a leather strap. It’s more casual and quirky with a brown leather strap and that shiny blue dial. Black bands look nice too as the outer edges of the dial appear more black than blue in most light. The bracelet is pretty decent for the price and adds to the 70’s vibe, just way too heavy for my taste and reminds me of something an eastern block mobster would wear. ;)Accuracy? As expected from the basic movement. It takes seconds to set it. A few shakes and off it goes. Automatic watches are best left for those who want to interact with their time pieces.So is this a dress watch or a casual watch? Again, it’s a conundrum. IMHO it is a nice daily wear, office casual/business casual watch, especially with a leather band. The green dialed version IMHO is the dressier version with the gold accents. I would have purchased the green version but for all that gold. I’m not a yellow gold fan. So, it is not a wear with shorts watch or wear with tux watch. It for sure isn’t a sport watch with only 50m of water resistance, push pull crown, squarish Hardlex crystal, and quirky design. Anything in between works. I’m a MS teacher at an independent school and find myself in khakis and a dress shirt or polo shirt most work days. A perfect fit!If you want something fun, quirky, modern-retro, and out of the box thinking, then this box shaped watch may be for you.Edit: After a few days of wearing this watch, I still enjoy it very much. I changed the strap to a black leather strap and think the watch looks even better as the black in the dial matches perfectly. The black strap does make it look a little dressier for what it’s worth. I also wanted to add that this watch is very shiny. The chrome indices on the dial and the metal around the face of the dial catch light like crazy. This watch is an attention grabber and not an understated watch. I tend to like understated and simple watches and thus is not that. Still, it’s fun and I’ll keep it when I want something a bit more exciting. I added a few pics of the black strap.