The Seiko Prospex Alpinist Australasia Limited Edition combines rugged functionality with a distinctive design, featuring a dial inspired by the Australian landscape!
What We Love:
- The polished finishing of the case and bezel
- The red dial has many different layers to it with different patterns and finishing techniques.
- Great value for money, especially with the increase in power reserve with 6R35 movement and open case back.
What We Don’t:
- The leather strap can be a bit stiff initially
- Lack of a steel bracelet option for the watch
- Cyclops date window could be slightly larger to allow for better viewing angles.
Overall Rating: 9/10
- Value for Money: 9.5/10
- Wearability: 8.5/10
- Design: 9/10
- Build Quality: 9/10
The Seiko Alpinist is a timepiece that has gained global recognition for meeting the needs of adventurers. The timepiece has long held a special place in Seiko’s lineup, and it is well known for meeting the needs of mountain climbers and outdoor sports enthusiasts.
The Seiko Alpinist was first introduced in 1959, and back then, it was the brand’s first attempt at creating a timepiece specifically designed for mountaineers. During the 1960s and 70s, Japan’s hiking culture was thriving. So Seiko responded by creating a beautiful timepiece that considered what an adventurer’s watch would entail. The timepiece was designed to endure the harsh conditions while still being stylistic!
The very first Alpinist timepiece released in 1959 was actually named the Seiko Laurel Alpinist. The watch was designed with easy readability in mind. This original model featured a 17-jewel manual-wound movement, a 35mm case size and a dial that featured larger hour indices, filled with plenty of Super-LumiNova for easy readability regardless of day or night. The hour indices also featured a unique design for the 3,6,9 and 12 markers, in which they were shaped like triangles to reference the mountains. These four “mountain” points also represented the four main points on a compass. The 12 o’clock marker had a specific design inside the triangle so that regardless of the angle of the watch, the time could be read correctly. While it might seem like a simple design now, back then, it was seen as a useful feature that became central to the design of many other Seiko timepieces.
As the original Alpinist was designed for hikers in Japan, Seiko gave the watch qualities essential for a timepiece to outlast the rough terrains. Some of these qualities can be found in the movement and design, in which the Laurel Alpinist displayed durability, anti-magnetism and shock resistance. While these qualities are more common in timepieces today, back when the Laurel Alpinist was released, they were very useful features in keeping the timepiece reliable.
Even though the Laurel Alpinist was only produced for a limited time, it set the foundation for future models. It became one of Seiko’s most loved vintage timepieces which collectors see as the holy grail of the Alpinist. While the design of the Alpinist has changed over the years, the core identity of the timepiece remains the same. The Alpinist has kept Seiko’s determination to create a watch meant for outdoorsmen and adventurers, all the while being very elegant and stylish.
The modern-day design of the Alpinist takes design inspiration from Seiko Alpinist timepieces released in the 1990s. For example, the earliest Alpinist model that featured a mixture of dauphine-style hour indices and Arabic numerals alongside cathedral hands was a Red Alpinist timepiece released under Seiko’s Prospex line in 1995. The model used a 4S15 calibre movement, which featured a date window at 3 o’clock. The date window on specific models of the Red Alpinist also featured a cyclops window, another valuable tool for easy readability. The Red Alpinist also featured a dual crown design. The second crown at 4 o’clock is used to adjust the internal “bezel”.
In 2006, Seiko released an Alpinist timepiece that became one of the most sought-after Alpinist watches at the time. Seiko released this Alpinist model as the “SARB Series”. The SARB017, in particular, was especially important, not only because it set a precedent for future Alpinist models but also because the watch gained a cult following among watch enthusiasts for the stunning sunburst green dial, the gold hour indices, signature cathedral hands mixed with a beautifully polished case. The timepiece bridged the gap between elegant luxury and outdoor sports watches.
More recently, Seiko has expanded the Alpinist model with modern updates. In 2020, Seiko introduced the Prospex Alpinist collection, which featured timepieces that were reimagined versions of the iconic 2006 SARB model and a single model that reflected the design of the original 1959 Alpinist. The collection even featured a model that used the iconic green and gold dial layout of the 2006 SARB017 timepiece!
The latest Seiko Prospex Alpinist Australasian Limited Edition timepiece.
This brings us to the latest Seiko Prospex Alpinist model, released a week ago. Now, before we get into it, I have to say that this is not just another Alpinist timepiece. It’s a model that’s dedicated to our beautiful Australian landscape. Not many watch brands out there show as much love to our country as Seiko does, and honestly, it’s great to see the brand giving back to the Australian watch community. Some of the Australia-dedicated timepieces from Seiko include the Australian-only Prospex SRPD50K dive watch, SPB347J ‘Noosa’ Australian Limited Edition, SPB429J Prospex “Whitsunday” Limited Edition and Prospex 1968 “Diver Reinterpretation” GMT 42mm. We can now add this latest Prospex Alpinist Australasia Limited Edition model to that list as well!
Initial Impressions:
My first chance to see the Seiko Prospex Alpinist Australasia Limited Edition was on the launch night in Sydney. This was Seiko’s first ever Prospex event in Sydney. The event was not only curated to showcase the new Alpinist timepiece but also to show the guests the brand’s existing Prospex timepieces.
Related Reading: Seiko Hosts First Prospex Event In Sydney To Unveil Australasian Limited Edition Alpinist Timepiece
The timepiece was unveiled in a captivating manner, with a display, beautifully decorated to show red gravel and landscaping of Australia’s red deserts, lowered from the ceiling at the centre of the event floor. The display featured four Seiko Prospex Alpinist Australasia Limited Edition models, which we could get up close and get a hands-on feel.
While the watch certainly does look good in the press photos, it was even more beautiful when I saw it in person. Many different elements of the timepiece stood out for me when I saw the watch in person: the sunburst finish of the beautiful red dial, the horizontal lines on the dial you see when rotating under light, and the small wave pattern which you can only see if you take a closer look at the dial.
Prospex Alpinist Case Design:
This limited edition version of Seiko’s iconic Prospex Alpinist comes with the same case and bezel design from the 2020 versions that kickstarted the Alpinist collection. The design takes cues from the original 1959 Laurel Alpinist, staying true to the collection’s heritage. The case measures 39.5mm with a thickness of 13.2mm and lug-to-lug distance of 46.4mm. This slim case design means that the watch will fit well on the wrist, with the curved lugs providing a snug fit.
What I really do like about the Alpinist is that, even thought its a watch made for the outdoors, it has the design and finishing of a luxury and elegant timepiece. The watch case has a satin vertical brushed finish, while the bezel comes with a fully polished finish. This means that the watch shines beautifully under light, even more so when outdoors in direct sunlight. This is a design cue that I like on the Alpinist models, as let’s face it, the majority of buyers aren’t outdoor enthusiasts, which means that the timepiece will most likely be worn to the office, events or daily wear.
If you are new to the Seiko’s Alpinist collection, you may be wondering why the timepiece has two crowns. The standard crown at 3 o’clock, which is a screw-down crown, adjusts the date and time as normal. The second crown, which is also screw-down, adjusts the inner bezel, which can be seen on the outer flange of the dial, curved upwards. This inner bezel acts as a compass, with the four cardinal points, North, South, East and West and the intercardinal markings in between all being displayed. As the watch was originally designed for mountaineering or alpinism, these compass coordinations would certainly have come in handy, especially with the second crown now able to adjust position as required.
Red Australasian Dial Design:
The stand-out feature of this latest Seiko Alpinist is the beautiful, vivid red dial. With Seiko releasing several limited editions dedicated to Australia and its natural beauty through their various collections already (as mentioned earlier), this time, the brand has decided to focus on the Australian desert. The inspiration behind the colour chosen for the dial comes from the rich, earthy tones of the Australian desert at sunrise and sunset.
“The Prospex Alpinist Australasian Limited Edition celebrates Seiko’s rich heritage while drawing inspiration from the rugged beauty of Australia’s striking red deserts. This limited edition captures the essence of the vast, arid landscape with a bold and refined design.“
Seiko Australia
What I like about the dial is that there are many different elements or layers to it. Firstly, the dial has a sunburst finish, which gives it a darker colour in some parts and a lighter red tone in others when rotating the watch under light. As intended, this is a nod to the Australian desert at sunset and sunrise. What I also found was that, when you look at the dial in direct sunlight, it is a stunning work of art! This is not only because of the different elements within the dial itself but also because this sunburst effect really comes to life and is a lot more prominent.
Secondly, the dial has a horizontal “line” pattern, which doesn’t take much to get noticed. When I first held the watch in my hand, this was one of the first things I noticed besides the sunburst effect. The press photos for this watch didn’t show this effect as clearly, but it was certainly a nice surprise when I had the watch in hand.
Lastly, the third element of this beautiful red dial is the wave pattern. When you wear the watch, this is less noticeable than the sunburst effect and the horizontal lines; however, looking more closely, you notice this miniature pattern, which gave me a much higher appreciation for the craftmanship on this timepiece. This wave pattern wasn’t just done for decorative purposes, either. Seiko designed it to mimic sand waves in a desert, much like what you would find in the red deserts of the Australian outback.
Like the Seiko Alpinist SPB121J released as part of the new revamped Prospex Alpinist collection in 2020, and the iconic 2006 SARB model, this model features gold hour indices which are Arabic for the 2,4,6,8,10 and 12 markers, while the rest are dauphine style design. The hour indices have a block design, meaning they have a three-dimensional appearance on the dial. The hands, also in gold, keep the cathedral design that’s iconic to the Alpinist collection. The cardinal points that are on the inner bezel are also a mixture of gold and white markings, with the white markings matching nicely with the white minute track. What I personally like about the gold is that it beautifully complements the red dial design and enhances the overall visual appearance altogether.
The Cyclops date window on the Alpinist can be a love or hate design for enthusiasts. I like it, as the intended purpose of this watch is mountaineering (even though that may not be the case most of the time). While I’m not a fan of having the date wheel not colour-matched to the dial due to the design looking imbalanced, the white background actually works well in this case as it matches the other white inscriptions on the dial, such as the Seiko brand name, Prospex logo and “Automatic” and “20 Bar”.
Calibre 6R35 Movement:
The movement inside the Seiko Prospex Alpinist Australasia Limited Edition is the brand’s 6R35 movement. This movement was first introduced into Seiko’s Alpinist collection, with the seventh generation of the model unveiled in 2020. Prior to this, the brand was using the 6R15 movement, which boasted a power reserve of 50 hours.
This latest 6R35 movement in the Prospex Alpinist collection is a trusted workhorse. Seiko considers the 6R35 movement a high-performance calibre, which they have backed by using it numerous times already for different models in both the Presage and Prospex collections.
The movement operates at a frequency of 3Hz (21,600 VpH) and is able to give out a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. The 20-hour power increase from the previous 6R15 movement is quite a substantial amount, giving the timepiece better value for money as well in return. In regards to the accuracy of the movement, Seiko states that “Caliber 6R35 has a rating of -15/+25 seconds per day in normal temperature conditions (between 5 – 35 degrees C)”.
Besides the movement upgrade, the other notable feature of these latest Prospex Alpinist timepieces is that they come with an open case back. When the seventh generation of the Alpinist was first introduced in 2020, it was the first time in Alpinist’s history that the watch came with an exhibition case back in which the movement can be seen. Seiko also didn’t sacrifice water resistance to allow transparency, with the Prospex Alpinist Australasia Limited Edition retaining the 200m water depth rating. From the case back, we can see multiple different finishing. The most notable finishing is the winding rotor, which has Geneva stripes. The mainplate sitting underneath comes with a beautiful brushed finish as well.
How It Wears:
I have to say, Seiko has smashed it out of the park with the red dial on this Prospex Alpinist Australasia Limited Edition. As I have mentioned previously, the dial has different layers and elements to it, in that the more you look, the more stunning it gets!
Wearing it on the wrist is no different. For me, the 39.5mm case size is a great fit. As you can see from the photos, the watch hugs my wrists nicely, and the lug-to-lug distance of 46.4mm means that the lugs don’t stick out of my wrists either. Persons with much larger wrist sizes (mine measures 16.5cm) may find the watch to sit too small on the wrist. However, as with most things, you must try it in person if possible.
What I like about this Prospex Alpinist Australasia Limited Edition is its wearability. The red dial complements many different attires. The brown leather strap means that the watch can be worn down with a casual outfit or, as I’m wearing in the pictures above, a nice beige blazer for events and functions.
While the brown leather strap does offer versatility, it can also be a negative aspect of the timepiece. A friend of mine said they would’ve liked to see the watch on a steel strap as an additional choice. And I would have to agree. If the strap came with a beautiful polished finish bracelet, it would make the watch even more desirable than it already is! I get the use of the leather strap, as it’s marketed as a tool watch for the outdoors. However, the way the watch is designed gives it an elegant luxury look, which will only enhance this further when paired with a steel strap.
Final Thoughts:
The latest Seiko Prospex Alpinist Australasia timepiece, limited to 1000 watches, is a stunning addition to the brand’s Alpinist collection. This model adds to Seiko’s love for its Australian customers and watches enthusiasts. It also showcases the brand’s dedication to refining their timepieces while paying homage to the spirit of exploration as the unique red dial, with its different layers of finishing, represents the earthy tones of the Australian desert.
While many enthusiasts would want a red dial option of the Alpinist to be a standard colour and not a limited edition, I personally feel like it would lose the appeal that this beautiful, vivid red offers. Having the red dial colour on a limited run gives it more exclusivity and, in the end, a lot more allure.
The Seiko Prospex Alpinist Australasia Limited Edition offers great value for money. Seiko’s attention to detail on this timepiece shines through. As mentioned, from the dial with its sunburst effect to horizontal lines and wave patterns to the internal rotating bezel compass, the beautifully polished case and bezel to the improved movement and now open case back, for the amount of money you pay, you indeed get a lot back in return!
This timepiece is a tribute to Seiko’s history of creating outdoor timepieces that are not only built for reliability and performance, but also geographical significance, encapsulating the brand’s philosophy of blending functionality with artistry.
Reference: Prospex Alpinist Australasia Limited Edition – SPB489J
Specification:
- Dimensions: 39.5mm diameter x 13.2mm thick and 46.4mm lug-to-lug
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Dial: Red dial with a sunburst finish and horizontal line and wave pattern.
- Movement: Automatic calibre 6R35
- Power reserve: 70 hours
- Water resistance: 200m (20 ATM)
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Case back: Sapphire crystal
- Bracelet/Strap: Brown leather strap.
