This is a long awaited moment for me, a long overdue and exciting moment. It also holds some default disappointment, why you ask? Because SARB017, that's why! Arguably the coolest alpinist, the SARB017 is just overpriced in the pre-owned market, you're talking £500+ for one in not great condition.
It's a nice box, and so it should be at this pricepoint.
Its replacement, the SPB121J1 (left) is in the same price bracket, but you can get a new one for £690 (Goldsmiths). It's pretty pretty, the classic green, gold dial combo and brown leather strap. It's a great replacement but the price is high.
I guess the classic form of the Alpinist wasn't meant to be in my collection. But there are so many iterations of this classic adventurers timepiece you don't have to go for the classic. I've got an Alpinist and a black steel watch in one lovely package.
The Seiko Prospex 'Black Series Night' Alpinist edition is perhaps the least classic of the new additions. It's a long name too, let's call it the 'Dark Night Alpinist' (DNA), a great name but is it a great watch. First impressions are promising. While the SARB017 is £500+ pre-owned, the DNA comes in at £850 RRP, another one of the extortionate Seiko price points, and Seikos ridiculous, hardly limited edition with 5500 available.
Besides that limited edition nonsense, you can get them for £499 brand new (WATCHO), and potentially a little less elsewhere, which isn't bad considering the offering; steel coated black including bracelet, cyclops date, lumibrite markings, sapphite crystal, 20 Bar water resistance, compass function and 70 hours power reserve from the trusty calibre 6R35. And of course the design of the legendary Prospex Alpinist. Not too bad at all. One of my favourite things on a well-priced watch are applied indices and logo markers, it can elevate the whole deal. The DNA nails this so hard that no claw-hammer can undo it.
For the pricepoint, the only watches cooler are the MoonSwatch and a well built Chinese tourbillon (uh yea), but prestige and build quality wise the SPB337J1 is leaps and bezels ahead.
So, there it is, I really do like it a lot. It has character and it has an attitude, not sure if it's a bad attitude yet, let's see. While it's stealthy and well-sized at 39.5mm, it is still an attention seeker with that lumibrite always flashing, in lume x Vampire parlance, it's a daywalker. Has any brand called one of their models that, sounds great. The Omega Daywalker. The Tag Daywalker.
size-wise it hits the sweet spot for a skinny wrist sports watch.
The Seiko Daywalker - that's the winner, especially for adventures with the Alpinist style and heritage brought into play. Heretofore, the Seiko Prospex 'Black Series Night' Alpinist edition is now the 'Daywalker', even though it is the night edition - it's a great Theowrist nicknaming. Here's the punch shot, size-wise it hits the sweet spot for a skinny wrist sports watch.
The bracelet sure needs a resize
It's a sweet timepiece. And I've got myself the proper black watch I've been after for ages (other than the Moonswatch). It's one of those, like the original, that is a watchbro flex and a sign that you know what's up when it comes to elite wrist-wear. One to wear in London then, if you catch my drift - though if I was a watch thief I would steal this for my personal collection. I hope they don't do that kind of thing cos I'm going to London tomorrow...
Yours Adventurously,
Alvin
P.S.
While I was looking for things, I found this Watch Nation page - £189 - that is insane, actual madness. If anyone got this deal I would like to shake their hands and buy them a pint of warm Saki.
WATCHO UK
SEIKO UK
WALMART - I couldn't find it in US stock elsewhere...Google wasn't cooperating.
Comments