Seiko Recraft SSC669 Review & Complete Guide
Seiko is a brand that over the decades has come to become one of the biggest and most well-known watch manufacturers in the world. And with that, its collection of timepieces has grown over the years. Today, there truly is a Seiko watch for everyone, regardless if you want affordable, premium, sporty, dressy, or anything in between.
What Seiko watches are known for, however, regardless of the model you choose, is that they offer exceptional value for money. One of the collections from Seiko is the redraft collection. And within this collection, we have the Seiko Recraft SSC669 which is the watch we are looking closer at in this article.
Seiko Recraft SSC669 Review
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As mentioned, the SSC669 is part of the redraft collection. What does this mean?
The Recraft collection is a model line from Seiko which is inspired by vintage Seiko models. These models are not homage watches, but rather take the best from vintage watches to create something new and fresh, yet with vintage-inspired design features. With that said, there is something special about these timepieces as they combine modern and vintage, of course in an affordable package which means great value for money.
In addition to this, the Seiko Recraft SSC669 is also a solar watch. This simply means that it is equipped with solar technology which catches ambient and sunlight via the dial, leads it to solar panels placed behind the dial, and converts that into energy for the batteries. This is a rather clever and convenient technology that removes the need of replacing the battery. But more on this later.
The watch has a funky retro-inspired design, especially with its unique case shape. It is packed with technology, and is like always, built to a very high quality in relation to its price. This is a great everyday timepiece for those who want a cool timepiece that works for everyday wear.
Without further ado, let’s review and look closer at the Seiko Recraft SSC669 and what it has to offer.
Seiko Recraft SSC669 case
What stands out most about this watch is that it is presented with a tonneau shape and has a diameter of 43.5mm. The thickness measures in at about 12.5mm and the lug-to-lug at 51mm.
With that said, it is a relatively big watch, at least on paper, but because of its funky case shape, it wears differently from most other watches. It’s still most suitable for men with medium to large wrists, however, due to the relatively long lug-to-lug.
What also stands out about this case is of course the fact that it is black IP-coated. The black coating gives it a sporty and rugged look which definitely appeals to some, but not everyone. It’s a matter of preference, but we think it looks great. The case is presented with a sloped polished bezel and its circular brushed at the top. The sides are polished. The combination of polished and brushed elements is really nice and shows that Seiko has paid attention to the details and finishing of this timepiece.
The watch offers a water resistance of 100m/330 feet which makes it suitable for swimming and showering, but not deep diving.
On its right side at 3 o’clock, it has the crown, which is, just like the case, black coated. On each side of the crown, we have the chronograph pushers. The pushers are slightly angled and do not point out straight from the case, which is a subtle yet nice detail.
Sitting on top of the case is Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex crystal with anti-reflective coating.
Seiko SSC669 dial
The watch features a black dial with a sporty appeal. Around the outer edge, it has a raised chapter ring on which the tachymeter scale is printed in white. Below this, Seiko has printed the seconds and split seconds. The dial has applied rectangular hour markers with Lumibrite applied to them as well.
The chronograph sub-dials are positioned at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, and interestingly enough, the sub-dials are where the light is directed through to the solar panels which are placed behind the dial. The light enters through these sub-dials and is then converted into energy for the battery. You can see that there is something about the counters, but it does not harm the design of the dial in any way, in my opinion.
Between 4 and 5 o’clock, Seiko has added a discreet date window with a black background and the dates printed in white. This allows it to blend in really well, and at first, you may not even recognize it is there. This is a good way for Seiko to add a practical and convenient function to the watch without damaging too much of the symmetry and balance of the dial.
The watch uses skeletonized sword-shaped hands which are painted white and have applied Lumibrite. The dial is mostly monochrome except for two exceptions, which are the tip of the chronograph hand and the hand of the sub-dial at 6 o’clock. These have subtle touches of orange which add to the sporty appeal of this timepiece without being ”too much”.
The white hands provide a good contrast against the black background, so legibility isn’t really an issue with this watch.
Seiko Recraft SSC669 movement
The watch is powered by the in-house Seiko caliber V175. This is of course a solar quartz movement powered by batteries, but also charged via solar technology from ambient and solar light. The movement has a 60-minute chronograph with a sweeping second hand, a seconds sub-dial, a 24-hour indicator, and a date function.
The most devoted watch nerds may dislike the fact that it is a quartz watch, but its clever solar technology adds to the appeal, and in addition, quartz watches do have some practical benefits such as accuracy and low maintenance costs. In addition, quartz can be rather convenient for an everyday watch.
Seiko Recraft SSC669 strap
The watch is presented on a NATO strap with orange and two grey stripes. The orange stripe matches the subtle orange details of the dial perfectly and is also very comfortable to wear. The NATO adds to the sportiness of this timepiece and makes it just really versatile and sporty.
There’s not much else to say about the strap, as we are all familiar with NATO:s. It does the job well, is durable, and can be adjusted to any wrist size. In addition, the watch would probably have been perceived as too bulky and clumsy if Seiko has presented it on a metal bracelet instead.
Specifications
- Diameter: 43.5mm
- Thickness: 12.5mm
- Lug-to-lug: 51mm
- Water resistance: 100m/330 feet
- Movement: in-house Seiko caliber V175
- Crystal: Hardlex
Conclusion
All in all, the Seiko Recraft SSC669 is an interesting sporty chronograph timepiece with a vintage, retro appeal. It has a design that stands out from the crowd and is packed with interesting technology. The masculinity of an all-black case is something a lot of people will appreciate, and it will work exceptionally well as an everyday timepiece.
Something we can say for sure, however, is the fact that it offers great value for the money. At this price, you get a durable, solid, high-quality timepiece with great functions. Can’t really ask for much more.
The Seiko Recraft SSC669 is available to order on Amazon.
