Seiko Prospex Alpinist SPB155J1 Seiko

The Seiko Prospex Alpinist SPB155J1 is part of an iconic line that has prominently featured in Seiko’s line up for over 60 years. This specific model has been kindly nicknamed the ‘Baby Alpinist’ when it was introduced in 2020. It has proven to take a unique spot in Seiko’s tremendous line-up, as it’s truly a watch aimed at adventurers and blends several styles together. When it comes to watches, most manufacturers, especially the big ones, tend to think in styles, such as dress, sports, aviation, diving etc. and Seiko left that all behind when they came up with this model. Now, if you are a capable cook you may know that when you blend 2 very tasty ingredients it’s no guarantee for success. In fact, it tends to be either really bad or really good. The Alpinist marks one of those times where several tasty ingredients become even tastier, by not thinking of styles and groups, but rather creating and experimenting with an open mind.

So what does the SPB155J1 do and doesn’t do? When you look at the normal Alpinist there are some very outspoken features, such as an internal bezel and date loupe, but this model lacks those distinctive features. What it does do? An elegantly shaped 38mm case with a modest 46mm lug to lug distance, meaning it will fit most wrists perfectly. Of course the basics are also there, such as 200m water resistance, a sapphire crystal with an AR coating, a high level of finishing and just overall solid materials. Under the hood: the in-house Seiko Cal. 6R35 movement. This sturdy workhorse features an impressive 70 hour power reserve.
So bringing it together is a watch that still combines some of the Alpinist design queues we’ve all grown to love over the years, but makes it slightly more mainstream. But that also makes it one of the most comfortable every-day watches out there. The 38mm diameter makes it very comfortable and simply timeless. Whenever you touch a classic design that has a huge following it’s always very risky, but Seiko did an amazing job with the SPB155J1. 

The nickname ‘baby alpinist’ is misleading all things considered, it merely trimmed the beard of the normal alpinist a little bit.