Seiko SARB017 Alpinist Watch Review

The Infamous Seiko Alpinist with its’ dashing green dial and field aesthetic has been a prize winner for Seiko, until the recent discontinuation of this model shortly after Baselworld 2018. Well, shall we see what it has to offer..

Case and Dial

The 39.5MM brushed and polished stainless steel case is certainly proportionate when looking at its’ wingspan of 47MM and lug width at 20MM. In terms of thickness, we are looking at 12MM, which really is quite slim for the movement utilized in this model. The dial is green, and very green. It plays with the light giving off hues and different shades of green which look marvelous in a natural light setting. The Sapphire crystal is also a nice addition here, considering many Seiko equivalents do not come with one. Getting to the lumed Marquelle style hands...They are certainly bold and noticeable making legibility no issue here, along with the gold colored applied numerals and markers. Now this isn’t a dive watch, but we do get 200M of water resistance allowing the user to go diving, swimming, without worry. There are actually two crowns on the Alpinist - The 3:00 screwed down crown is for setting your time/date , while the 4:00 crown can be used to rotate the inner compass bezel for an accurate NESW reading. I, myself have no problem with the feature - but do we really need it? I do not think many watch enthusiasts will be getting much use from this, and it would look much cleaner without the added function.

Movement

A step up from the 4R16(NH35) , is the 6R15. The 6R15 is a seiko manufactured caliber, and a decent one. It beats at 28,800 VPH, contains 23 jewels, 50 hours of power, and features hand winding and hacking of course. It is not the most captivating movement in terms of looks, but it does get the job done. You can expect around +10 -10 seconds a day with this one.

Conclusion and Where to Buy

The Seiko Alpinist certainly has its’ ups and downs. The leather strap supplied with the watch is of very low quality, and I would advise you to order a strap along with it. At roughly $356 on todays market, it is not a bad buy. We are getting a decent high beat movement, Sapphire crystal, 200M water resistance, and a unique design with a beatiful green dial. I think all around it is worth the current market price, but I would act quick because once these are sold out...say goodbye to the Alpinist. I have left a link below where they are currently avaialble