Seiko ssa383k1 Review & Complete Guide

Seiko SSA383K1 Review & Complete Guide

If you are looking for a bold, sporty, and unique watch, the ssa383k1 may just be the watch for you. Seiko is widely appreciated and praised for its affordable automatic watches that offer great value for money and long-lasting quality.

With so many Seiko watches out there to choose from, finding one that suits your style, wrist size, and preference can be a challenge. There are literally Seiko watches in any type, shape, size, and design.

One of the watches is the ssa383k1.

Seiko ssa383k1 review

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The ssa383k1 gives a sporty and bold first impression due to its all-black look. Only small accents on the watch have been made in a different color, which is interesting. All-black watches are certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but it does make for a nice, distinct, and sporty look.

At a price of around 200 USD, this watch definitely falls under the ”affordable” category, but despite this, it becomes especially evident when looking at this watch in detail that it offers exceptional value for money. You get a nicely finished case, good build quality, a dial that is rich with details, and of course a reliable and long-lasting automatic movement.

Without further ado, in this article, we are reviewing and looking closer at the Seiko ssa383k1.

Seiko ssa383k1 case 

The ssa383k1 is presented with a stainless steel case that has been black ion-plated. The bezel is fixed and also black plated. The case puts most of the focus on the dial as the bezel is quite thin. This means a large dial and good legibility. The lugs are relatively short, have a rectangular shape, and are squared off, which adds aggressive lines to the watch to add to its sporty appearance.

The case has a diameter of 42mm and a thickness of 14mm. The lug width is 21mm which is great as it means you have plenty of strap options to choose from shall you wish to change to something else. In addition, the lugs are drilled which makes it super easy to just remove

Positioned at the standard 3 o’clock position, we have a black crown with knurled edges. Since this is not a dive watch, the crown is a push-pull and not a screw-down. Speaking of which, the watch offers a water resistance of 100m/330 feet. This means that it is suitable for swimming, snorkeling, and water splashes, but it is not suitable for diving. Its water resistance certainly helps make it more practical and convenient for everyday wear. Because after all, that’s likely how most people are going to wear it.

Sitting on top of the case is Seiko’s proprietary Hardly crystal. At this price point, Hardlex is more or less standard, as the watch is too affordable to use a sapphire crystal.

If you turn the watch around, you will notice the fact that it has a see-through case back. This allows you to see the automatic movement inside. The movement is not the most beautiful in the industry, but it still works as a nice reminder of the mechanical piece of engineering inside. It will especially be appreciated by watch nerds and enthusiasts. – more on this further on

Seiko ssa383k1 dial

The ssa383k1 is presented with a lovely and interesting black dial that has a lot going on, which keeps it from being boring, at all times.

Firstly, the center of the dial has a carbon fiber design, combined with lots of raised and recessed parts which gives it great depth. Around the outer edge of the dial, we have a chapter ring, which is designed like stairs, where each stair moves up or down a level, depending on how you see it. On the chapter ring, Seiko has applied black rectangular hour markers. The hour markers have black metal frames in order to blend in with the black theme of the watch. The applied luminous material on the hour hand has also been painted black in order to blend in better.

This watch has several practical functions, which include the date, GMT, second time zone, hour, minute, second.

The date window is discreetly integrated between 4  and 5 o’clock. For a daily watch, a date function can actually be very convenient. What you will notice about this dial is its monochrome dial… Except for the sub-dial hand and the seconds hand. These are two nice touches as it adds sportiness to the monochrome watch. Speaking of the sub.-dial, it displays 24 hours.

Photo: Novotime

Seiko ssa383k1 movement

The watch is powered by the in-house Seiko Automatic caliber 4R37. This movement has 24 jewels and beats with a frequency of 21600 BPH. The power reserve is about 41 hours.

As you will be able to see through the case back, this movement is not decorated. But does this have to be a bad thing? Well, the Seiko ssa383k1 is built as a sporty and robust tool watch, and therefore, we also expect that it delivers such performance as well. This of course includes durability and longevity. The good news is that the movement is sturdy and built to last. In that sense, the movement is definitely built for the purpose of this watch. A too-elegant and delicate movement likely wouldn’t look very good with this watch as it would result in a ”disconnect”.

Seiko ssa383k1 strap

   The ssa383k1 is presented on a black canvas strap with a stainless steel buckle. I like the detail of the red stitching which matches the seconds hand and sub-dial hand. The strap is ok and definitely wearable in terms of design, but there are better ones out there. It also looks great with the overall design of the watch, so Seiko has done a great job here.

The good news is that the lugs have drilled lugs, so switching the strap is super easy.

Specifications

• Diameter: 42mm
• Thickness: 14mm
• Lug width: 21mm
• Water resistance: 100m/330 feet.
• Frequency: 21600 BPH
• Jewels: 24
• Movement: Seiko in-house caliber 4R37

Conclusion

All in all, the Seiko ssa383k1  is a sporty and bold unique timepiece that has all the things we have come to love in Seiko’s affordable watches. This means a long-lasting high-quality automatic moment, great functions, a nice finish, durability, and timeless designs.

If you are looking for something unique yet sporty, at an affordable price that can work as an everyday timepiece, the ssa383k1 is a great watch you won’t be disappointed with.

The Seiko ssa383k1 is available to order on Amazon.