Watch Review | Seiko Prospex Alpinist Night Edition SPB337J1 | The Daywalker

Alvin

Mar 158 min read

I just want to start off by saying I went to the Grand Seiko Boutique in London a couple of weeks ago. I didn't take photos or videos, I was being a chill, sensible, regular potential customer. They have normo-Seikos upstairs which is fun, loads to look at. I saw some lovely enamel dials, and downstairs I tried on a Shunbun (SBGA413G), it was a Zen moment, enlightening, beautiful, memorable. Anyway, now on to things a bit more shady, and into the hell black dark night.

I have been wearing the Daywalker regularly for the last 6-7 months and have enjoyed it very much. The Daywalker is the nickname I gave to switch out the long-winded Seiko Prospex Black Series Night Alpinist Limited Edition. It was required, it sounds cool, and was due to the super lume that is 'on' all day - so I likened it to Marvel character Blade, aka the daywalker - a vampire who can, you got it, walk around during the day unaffected by sunlight, unlike your run of the mill, vanilla Vampire. Anyway, enough of my flights of fancy, on to the important bits.

I had this mat made, for under the keyboard, to protect my bracelets from wear. This is required as I spend fifty million hours a day at my desk and the bracelets would get bashed all to hell without it.

Background.

So, my backstory here is one of longing for the OG Alpinist, the SARB017, and not buying a new one when I had the chance many years ago or when they were reasonably priced in the secondary market. There is the replacement SPB121J1 which is very nice but I felt as it is the SARB replacement I wanted the price to be more reasonable, this is counter to the pricing strategy of Seiko. This left an Alpinist shaped hole in my heart, when the hole should have been in my wallet. After a few years of perusing these new model Alpinists, and being very close to pulling the trigger a few times, I remained Alpinist-less. Then the night edition was launched and it ticked two boxes, black watch and Alpinist in one, so I waited for a deal and made the long awaited purchase. A different prospect, or prospex if you will, to the SARB017 / SPB121J1 but a cool one in its own way.

Purchase / Post / Packaging.

This watch was purchased in March 2024, 12 months ago, it doesn't seem like I've had it that long. That might be due only doing the first impressions post in August 2024. Anyway, as mentioned the Alpinist range has had some dirty price hikes in the last few years as Seiko have released a number of iterations(Mountain, European, Glacier, Rock Face etc), often limited editions of several thousands, so not really limited. This one is the same, number 1763 of 5500, so, so limited. It was from online jeweller Hollins and Hollinshead (worth a look for occasional Seiko bargains), brand new, quick delivery and no issues. Packaging was more upmarket than your usual Seiko, which it should be considering the price, but would be a bit of a let down if you paid full price.

I did ok in terms of a deal, it was reduced to £590 and with an extra 10% off I got it for £531 - down from RRP £850 - which it still is on the Seiko Boutique UK website (and still in stock). You can get it for between £500-600 if you look around, which I think is a decent value proposition, but I reckon £499 is the right price for this superb watch.

Case, Dial & Hands.

There is form here in abundance, the classic combination of Alpinist design language that made the original SARB017 the darling of adventurers and desk-dwellers alike. We have the dual crowns, with the one at 4 o'clock controlling the internal rotating bezel/compass which is required for an Alpinist (ahem, the ones without aren't bloody Alpinists Seiko, you hear me - no baby Alpinists, no). Where was I, The alternating applied hour markers, the applied logo, the date cyclops, cathedral and syringe hands - these are ingredients that make an Alpinist. The Daywalker brings with it the black textured dial, lumibrite, and of course the black PVD case and bracelet.

It's a stunning package, that delivers a very cool mix of function, form and semi-stealth. The lumibrite blue and silver on the hands and markers does cancel the low key stealth vibes out, but that's fine. It is a legible and well balanced dial, there is a rough texture that can't always be seen (depends on the light) but adds to the rugged nature of the watch. It also breaks up the otherwise smooth surfaces and accents of the watch. To be honest I think you could add any colours to these dimensions and features and it would work. The Alpinist is a design classic, and I think the SARB era watches were amongst the best Seiko ever did.

The size is just right for me and has always been a strength of this design, there is a lot going on in the 39.5mm case, with a lug to lug of around 46mm and a thickness of 13.2mm. It's not just me, it somehow fits everyone in the world perfectly! The lug width is 20mm, I bought a black nato but I haven't tried it yet, I'm sure it will look superb. I am a bit scared of changing the bracelet/strap, my fumblings could scratch the black, this would be a devastating failure.

Strap & Fit.

As I mentioned, the fit of this 39.5mm beauty is a dream on my skinny 6.5inch/<17cm wrist - which as noted in a recent post, the wrist has shrunk a bit in line with my regular exercise and clean eating, a terribly savage side-effect of being healthy - I knew it was a mistake! The lugs curve down onto the wrist, hugging it, like a jigsaw piece it slots on perfectly.

Wearing this, the Celadon Imperial and the SARB035 makes me wonder why I have any larger watches - in line with this idea of a sizing down of my watches, for the first time ever I am considering selling some watches, so actually downsizing my collection! This is serious people, am I really becoming reasonable and sensible?

It's got a lovely Seiko bracelet, no jankiness, no nonsense, and the reliable three-fold clasp with the dual push button release. It's a joy to wear, the black is matte and clean. There are many who will complain about the limited micro adjustment per the small clasp, and no quick adjust function. These are a valid complaints and a few things that could be changed to improve this almost perfect package. I don't think Seiko are doing quick release straps/bracelets yet, but this would also be a welcome addition, especially with the scratchable black coating.

I know for a fact that I wouldn't have worn a SARB017, or other green dial version, as much as I have done the Daywalker as they are more formal - so this is the right version for me.

Movement & Accuracy.

I think I always write the same thing for Seiko movements, along the lines of - the trusty Seiko 6R35 movement is a tested workhorse. All Seiko movement are aren't they? They are indeed. It is automatic self-winding but can be manually wound also, if you feel the need. It has a generous 70 hours power reserve, and a you can see it working away through the caseback, on which the sticker remains and I probably won't remove it unless it starts to peel or I feel the urge.

I haven't noted any issues with accuracy offhand - Seiko state a possible variance of -15/+25 seconds per day, which is quite high though I have not experienced any issues.

Competition / Value for money.

In my opinion this watch, as most Seikos are nowadays, is overpriced. Saying that, I know Seiko gotta make that money and I'll never be happy with retail prices. If you can get one for under £600 it's acceptable but around £500 should be the target. It's tricky but on ebay at time of writing there is a 'like new' one for £491, and a used one for £465 - the former is a great deal. There aren't many on the secondhand market, but there are loadsa variants for competition.

I just used Seiko Boutique UK as a source for these but there are a bunch of other older/JDM versions out there (see ebay). We have the SARB017 replacement, the green dial SPB121J1, then the gold case SPB210J1, the grey dial 'Rock Face' SPB355J1 and the black dial SPB117J1. The last one looks more rugged without the arabic numerals and just triangle hour markers, I think they would have suited the Daywalker.

In addition, there are the very cool GMT variants, the green dial SBEJ005J, black dial SPB379J1 and the blue dial SPB377J1. These are £990, which is a lot but the added GMT function with the functional yet pleasing outer bezel, and date at 430 does give a lot.

The white dial one is the lovingly named 'Seiko Prospex Alpinist Mechanical GMT Limited Edition 110th Seiko Wristwatchmaking Anniversary' model number SPB409J1, limited to 3000. It's the priciest at £1290 but I think it's the best looking.

Outside of Seiko there aren't really any competitors - hence the years of domination - there are cool looking field/outdoorsy watches from Hamilton, Traser H3 and Farer, which have similar aesthetics (Trasers Pathfinder actually has an internal rotating compass though is a jumbo 46mm) but aren't really competition. There are others but they aren't in the same price range. There are of course a bunch of other night edition releases, the Speedtimer, SUMO and the Turtle - each have their own charm but none of them is quite as charismatic as the Alpinist Daywalker (and there are other black series models but the prices are higher).

Conclusion

There we have it then, another excellent banger of a watch from Seiko. Everyone moans about the upward trajectory of Seiko prices, the sheer number of watches they offer diluting the prestige a bit and the somewhat stagnant movement in terms of design, which are fair points. While the Alpinist range isn't anything new, the variants available manage to retain their cool. The Daywalker is one of the better iterations bringing a new vibe while maintaining the Prospex Alpinist ethos. The design is an example of a timeless classic that can be manipulated successfully to various degrees, some variants are underwhelming but not this one, I think a clear design direction and theme like black series/night edition helps create better watches when it's a re-issue or an update to a classic.

The Daywalker is an awesome katana wielding anti-hero in my eyes. It's a great everyday and outdoorsy watch, a great size, solid and functional. It hits the mark for me, it adds something different to my collection, a version of a classic that is well suited to my style. The Alpinist is a legend, welcome mainstay and reliable example of what makes Seiko a great brand. I'm sure this current crop of Alpinists isn't the last and I look forward to future iterations, but with upgraded clasp/bracelet, that isn't issued too often or too expensive please Seiko!

Thanks for reading.

Yours Alpinisticly,

Alvin

P.S.

Bonus - more photos of this cracking watch.