Seiko Recraft SNKM97 Review & Complete Guide (Green Dial Automatic Watch)

Photo: Ablogtowatch

Seiko Recraft SNKM97 Review & Complete Guide (Green Dial Automatic Watch)

Speaking about affordable automatic watches, there are not many brands that offer as great value as Seiko. But with that said, there are countless automatic Seiko watches to choose from, so which should you choose? The Seiko Seiko Recraft SNKM97 is definitely a great (and popular) candidate. 

The Seiko Recraft Green dial automatic watch reference SNKM97 is the 70s-inspired everyday watch that has an interesting and intriguing design that has dared to go its own route. It is a watch for those who seek something fun and different, but do not want to pay thousands of dollars, if not tens of thousands of dollars, whilst not compromising on quality.

It is made in an appealing green color, contrasted against warmth from gold accents. It is a watch with great character that comes with the usual build quality you can expect from Seiko.

In this article, we are reviewing this watch and go into detail about what makes this watch so popular and intriguing.

Seiko Recraft SNKM97 Review

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The first thing you will notice about this watch is its unique 70s-inspired design. It uses colors that are not commonly used in watches, in particular the green with the gold accents, and of course, most notably has a quirky and interesting case shape and design.

But despite this, it is designed in a way that it never becomes ”too much”. All of the components and details come together perfectly to create a watch with a unique character which at the same time is extremely wearable. The watch has some sporty hues to it, but it is primarily an elegant everyday timepiece, which works just as great with casual clothing as it will with a jacket.

Seiko Recraft SNKM97 case

The Seiko Recraft features a stainless steel case with a diameter of 43.5mm. Yes, this is quite large, but we shall bear in mind that it has a square, cushion, shaped case which wears a lot different from regular watch cases. With that said, it has relatively short lugs that are integrated into the case and do not stick out a lot from the case thanks to their squared-off corners. Square cases are something we don’t see much of today in the watch world, but it’s great to see that Seko dares to go down this path for the people who are looking for something different. 

The case has a thickness of 11mm which isn’t extremely thick. This is good news considering the otherwise large case.

But having this in mind, it’s still a big watch, more suitable for those who prefer heftier watches.

The case is well-finished with a brushed satin finish and polished elements. The top of the case is satin and the lugs are polished. The side of the case also has polished bevels which make the case be perceived as smaller.

This watch has a water resistance of 50 meters/165 feet. This means it can handle water splashes and careful swims, but it is not suitable for diving. Remember, this is not a dive watch. At 3 o’clock in the case, we have a slightly recessed crown. The crown is not a screw-down, which is also part of the reason why this watch does not have dive watch water resistance.

If you turn the watch over, you can see the screw-down see-through case back which allows you to see the automatic movement beating inside. The case back has a circular crystal.

Photo: Ablogtowatch

Seiko Recraft SNKM97 green dial

Apart from its unique case shape, the dial is what really stands out about this timepiece.

It has a really intriguing emerald-green dial color which changes in color depending on how the light hits it. A feature we love about this dial is that it transitions from black on the outer edges, to a brighter green in the center, making it so much more vibrant and playful. The dial also has a really nice sunburst finish to it which allows it to shimmer and reflect the light beautifully. The unique colorway is also something that really gives it a funky 70s look.

The dial has a large chapter ring around the center dial with a wide green circle followed by a black circular ring with 50-minute numerals and minute markers printed in white. What is different with this chapter ring from many other watches is that it is not very angled, which naturally increases its need to be larger.

In one way, it makes the dial look smaller, but at the same time, it stretches far out to the case. We are really undecided here, but it looks cool and unique.

The dial has raised applied markers made in gold color. These have black painted lines on them. Seiko really hit a home run here as the gold and the green work incredibly well together. The hands also have a gold color except for the seconds hand which is made in orange, which also contributes to its funky retro look. What we can say about this, however, is that neither the markers nor the hands have any luminescence on them. This will naturally make it more difficult to read in the dark, but we are unsure if white Lumibrite would go well with the design of this watch, so it could be a good move from Seiko anyways.

Placed at 3 o’clock, we have a day and date window with a gold-colored metal frame around it.

Sitting on top of the dial is Seiko’s Hardlex crystal. This is not as tough as sapphire crystal, but at this price point, we don’t expect one either. At the same time, Seiko’s Hardlex crystal has proven to be much more resistant to scratches than regular mineral glass.

The markers at 12, 6, and 9 o’clock are placed on top of a painted white rectangular box, and this is made so that the day and date window is integrated into the dial more seamlessly, as Seiko has also added a rectangular white box around the day/date window.

SNKM97 Movement

The watch is equipped with a sturdy, robust, and reliable 7S26 movement. The movement displays seconds, hours, minutes, day, date, and has a 41-hour power reserve. It beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour.

The movement is finished for the see-through case back, but don’t expect any Patek Philippe-level finishing at this price point. It looks nice, but it still reveals it is a workhorse (which of course is a feature people have come to love about this movement).

Seiko SNKM97 Movement Bracelet

The watch is presented on a rather bulky stainless steel three-link bracelet with polished middle links and brushed side links.

The links are solid which helps make the bracelet more robust and less rattly, but the bracelet is generally the part of affordable watches that are compromised with the most. But with this watch, Seiko has really succeeded in making a bracelet that doesn’t feel cheap. The bracelet has a width of 24mm.

The ”issue” with this bracelet is that it is large and bulky, and this may not be ideal considering the watch’s large size. This is the reason why many owners choose to put it on a leather strap instead.

The bracelet has an integrated deployment clasp with a double-button release. The bracelet goes very well together with the retro style of the watch.

SEIKO RECRAFT SNKM97 SPECIFICATIONS

• Diameter: 43.5mm
• Movement: Automatic, Seiko 7S26.
• Power reserve: 42 hours
• Water resistance: 50m / 165ft
• Crystal: Hardlex
• Frequency: 21,600 vibrations per hour.

Conclusion

The Seiko Recraft SNKM97 is a fun, different, and unique casual everyday timepiece. It offers the level of quality and finish we expect from Seiko, and it does this at an affordable price.

The downside is that it is a large watch which makes it primarily suitable for those who have large wrists or simply enjoy a large watch. The design, however, is stunning, and the dial is one that you will never get bored of.

All in all, the Seiko SEIKO RECRAFT SNKM97  is definitely a watch worth considering, and certainly one that offers great value for money.

The Seiko Recraft SNKM97  is available to order on Amazon.