Desk diver or a stairwell mountaineer? The Alpinist can show you which way your laptop is facing as you move from office to office with that cool internal compass. A diver’s unidirectional rotating bezel works like a stress ball as you spin it calmly listening to the clicks waiting for your lunch break. I think they are both of equal value to the average user.
Have one on a colareb Roma , and the combination is quite strikingly good. One American asked me what kind of watch it is, because the hands reminded him of rollie... Divers are great, but not for small wrists, not for any kind of even slightly formal event, and not for people who don't like weight on the wrist. Alpinist for me is absolutely perfect everyday watch, be it on the formal event, beach or mountain.
My wife bought me one Christmas '16 and I love it so very much! My 6r, in particular, runs under +1 per day out of the box. Sitting or on-wrist. I couldn't be happier.
I'm not a mountaineer, pilot or a diver. Guess I'll have to sell all the inappropriate watches I have. I have SARB017, it's stunning, the compass can also be used to time things and it can be dressed up or down for all occasions.
Hmmm, One of my favourite, and most worn watches, on my 8 inch wrist, not just for the smaller wrist, I find the watch is incredibly versatile, going with almost every strap I put it on, currently on a bright red perlon I tried as a laugh, and it works. As someone who likes spending weekends in the Scottish Highlands, I find the compass very useful, and as useful as a divers bezel dandering about the center of Glasgow. Also, probably one of my most admired watch, I get it complimented more than any other. Price, yes, now you are playing about retail from the grey market, but the prices before the announcement were about 1/3rd cheaper.
Fell in love with the Alpinist the first time I saw one. I am not a fan of green dials but the way the hands complimented the dial it all fell into place and I fell in love with it. Thank you as always for your input. You are hands down my favorite watch guy to watch!
I bought my sarb017 in 2017 and am so thankful I did. I love how it stands alone in its own design. The gorgeous dial transitions from a more forest green when inside to a stunning emerald green in the sunlight. I have had so many compliments on my Alpinist. It’s a watch that makes me happy when I look at it, or take it out of the watch box for a night out. Getting that feeling is what this great hobby is all about.
@@jurajunek5465 , and if only they had buzzer too when time was elapsed. Would make them perfect kitchen divers. 🤣 Just like moonphase, do I need it ? Hell no ! But is it cool to have on your wrist ? Hell yeah ! (my opinion)
@@JustOneMoreWatch Jody, I use the compass to time things everyday. I just put North on the minute hand and I then I know how much time has passed. I've never seen a reviewer mention doing this, while they always suggest that the compass is useless.
@@0rcface That was actually one of my very first thoughts when I saw the compass function of the Alpanist: Hey I could use it as a timing device like on my diver.
I have an Alpinist paired with a nice mahogany colored vintage leather strap. I believe the strap really makes the watch. Worn with most warm colored clothes (tan, yellow, grey especially) it is stunning. Not a watch for everyone but if you're a collector it is a piece worth considering.
I am pretty much field watches, but when wanting to put together a 3 watch collection under $1000, 38mm with 20mm lugs the SARB017 is my EDC field/explorer choice with the SKX013 being the diver. Still undecided about the dress watch but likely a swiss made hamilton as have $350 left to spend. The green/gold was high school colors, the colors for the Green Bay Packers (live in Wisconsin) and have a watch for Saint Patty day Prefer the Alpinist on a worn brown leather strap for a rugged vintage look but have consider a Strapcode Oyster bracelet.
The Alpinist is a cult classic, which means it's definitely not for everyone. Given it's a field watch I think it's better compared to other field watches like Hamilton Khaki King, for example, or even the Rolex Explorer I, rather than a diver. Prior to the discontinuation announcement earlier this year they could easily be had for ~$350-400 USD on Amazon and Ebay. I was able to pick one up the day the news broke in that price range...and then watch them climb to north of $600 for a bit before settling down in the $400-500 range. Despite the poor OEM strap, it's a lot of watch for the money. As for the 6R15 movement, I have three: the SARB017 is running a consistent -4 spd, while it's SARB033 cousin is coming in at -9 spd and the SARB035 is clocking +3 spd. I'd prefer those negative numbers to be positives, but all in all not bad and well within it's -15/+25 spec.
I won't spend too much time talking about this watch, since most people appear to have already made up their minds. What I will say is that I have not thought about buying another watch since I got mine. It's perfect for me. Perhaps I have peculiar tastes. I do want to mention something about the Angus Jubilee. One of the things I love about the watch is the 38mm size. It's quite elegant. The Angus Jubilee bracelet is very chunky and heavy. Don't imagine that your going to be getting the rolex datejust experience with that thing. The bracelet is a beast. For a lot of you, that may be a selling point. More power too you. I would consider putting it on a strap that is slightly maroon. The reddish/purplish brown plays fantastically with the green, and can tie the watch better with your outfit if you like to wear blue. I know it sounds strange, but I love it.
I'm simple, I'm more into cheaper autos and classic digital watches. I could see myself being set for life with this watch though. I'd rather have it than a Rolex tbh. The fact it's 38mm is fine to me, I do have small wrists though.
Jody. Have it and love it. Same combination Strapcode Angus Jubilee. Wear it quite often. I like to switch watches about every week. Divers, Chronographs, Cocktail Time when wearing a suit at dinner about once a month. Option 4, Strapcode Angus Jubilee with gold center links. Really brings out the gold on the dial. Nice video. Nice watch, but not for everyone.
I kept mine for less than a month. Accuracy was not good nor was it consistent and the compass bezel seemed sloppy ie. it didn’t only turn but slid across the dial slightly. Looks beautiful but it’s only skin deep. My Cadisen 1032 (Seiko NH36 movement) has better accuracy/rate but at a tenth of the price and looks not too bad either.
I’ve had mine for 10 months now. I still love it and sure it doesn’t go with every shirt like a black dial would but that didn’t stop me from getting a watch with a blue dial and a red one too. If I were to only have one watch, this would not be it, but you know as well as I do, there is always room for....Just One More Watch.
I own one and wear it with the same strapcode band. Love the way it looks and wear it with suits, business casual attire as well as jeans. Ironically I've never gotten it wet or used the compass bezel and have no plans to do so. Accuracy has been +2 sec/day on the wrist and in winder.
I absolutely love everything about mine. The color is beautiful and the super oyster from strapcode really sets it off. I agree that the stock strap is disappointing, though. As for the price, I got mine off Amazon for $430 and before they were cancelled grey market seemed to be in the middle to upper $300 range, so a fair bit of difference. My accuracy has been around the second and a half mark regularly, so they're not all bad.
I bought one and I'm still glad I did. Cracking little watch that looks good on a wide variety of nato's. But about the 6R15: mine was 20sec slow per day! I had to sent it back to Seiko to be regulated, which they did for free (ex shipping). So, world wide warranty does stand for something. Now it runs a few seconds per day fast. And that's fine by me!
I have the alpinist..got a great deal on it. The quirkyness to it speaks to an older time and history of Seiko. The more contemporary style Seiko seems to have adopted is just times a changing..thats why I keep my alpinist because in 20 yrs it'll be a nice family relic..now that srpc97j1 is speaking to me at the moment looking for a nice white dial.. You should check it out. Good day sir
Not only can you, I did! Not sure why as it's a Marmite (Vegemite) watch. Love it or hate it. Some days I wear and love it, other days I go to wear it but choose not to. I put it down to the environment you will be inhabiting on the day.
The Alpinist has been my "go-to" week-ender for quite a few years now. I really do think it's a better watch than your review suggests. I guess time will tell... 😏
I am not a fan of the green and gold combo, but color scheme not withstanding, it seems like a very nice watch. The case shape reminds me of the SARB033/035. I don't have much use for the compass bezel, and the current price seems too steep. -- I own a SARB035, and it has pretty consistent performance on the wrist. The only thing I have noticed is that is the positional variance is pretty high. I get very different results if I store face up, face down, or on the side.
I've o ly had the 6R for about 3 weeks and have only worn it about 6 times in my SARB065, but mine is spot on. I dont have a time grapher but it looks like +2 per day.
I love the dimensions and spec. I love the green and gold. Mine seems to be fairly accurate as it seems to hover between - 5 to 10 per day, but my cocktail time is better as is my turtle. Two watches I get the most questions about are my two SARBs because let's face it, they're both visually striking... but yeah, green is a bit much for some and the gold just adds to it. There were other colours to pick from though, model designations escape me and I recall they were less common.
It’s been my experience that this movement has considerable positional variance. If it was rested in various orientations, that would explain the wide results in accuracy. I use this “flaw” to keep mine regulated within a couple of seconds for months at a time. Overnight resting face-up +1.5 seconds, crown-up -.5 seconds, crown down -.75 seconds. Love the channel.
I love my Alpinist, I have it on an Army green/Linen colour NATO strap. Very nice. Also it's one of my more accurate watches. It is solidly in my wearing rotation
I've just folded and picked one up, it's under current pricing and closer to it's original price. Should sit nicely along the 033 and 065, really can't pull the trigger on an 035 no matter how often I peek at them .
Check out Spencer Klein's videos about the 6r15. He is a watchmaker and Seikoholic. His investigation of brand new 6r15s seemed to indicate that there are some serious assembly / QC issues with this movement. When they are put together and lubed correctly they seem to work well though.
This Alpinist is a true collectors item? hahahahahahahahhahah Every man and their dog have one!! A collector item needs to be rare ; not mass produced made in millions. The previous alpinist are rare ; but not this green one.
Every article that one values as collectable is a true collection item. No one should dictate to you what you think so. It does not matter if millions or only one were produced.
@@Ge0rGi. The alpinist is somewhat rare it was only produced for the Japanese market. When the original Alpinists came out they weren't that rare either now they are.
Colm Farrel No...they’ve been imported by many sites and amazon,anyone who wanted one,he got it. This watch has been in production for long time,much longer than the previous ones
Love or hate is proper description I guess.... Your amusement from quirkinesses of this piece is very entertaining.... 😃 Considering movement accuracy, mine goes +6 and if I don’t behave nice to it and hit it (I use it as TOOL watch) it jumps 20 - 25 plus and after day it come back to its +6 normal. By the way that mash looks terrible on it...(not that original strap is any better) 🤡
You've tested my channel loyalty on this one Jody! I adore my Alpinist, in part because it is so quirky. 'A diver instead'? Granted, I am a small-wristed outdoor enthusiast whose favorite color is green. But those cathedral hands and the internal, rotating compass soothe my weary 'been there, done that' horological soul. You say the compass feature is a "completely pointless complication"? You know what other common watch complication is nigh near useless? Day of the week! It's been decades since I've had the slightest doubt what day of the week it is. I don't expect to until they're spoon-feeding me baby food in a retirement home and at that point I won't care as long as they're showing classic Star Trek reruns on the telly. No explanation for the accuracy issues with your review sample; my Alpinist is among the most accurate of my automatics. Agree the factory strap is an abomination. OK, I've talked myself down from my initial indignation, Jody. I'll resist my temptation to hit the 'unsubscribe' button.
This is why I think the SARB013 deserves more love. It has all the benefits of the green alpinist, but with a stunning cream dial. If I ever come across one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat.
If the color repels you, this model is also available in white. I like green and have several green watches. Adding an Alpinist is a minor grail for me.
I own this with the gold two tone jubalee from strapcode. I love it and constantly get compliments about it. Maybe ten time more compliments than my speed master or Double domed sapphire SKX. Thank you for the video but I have to say I don’t agree with this one.
I was lusting after this watch for years but never pulled the trigger, always bought others instead. Finally got one (and a sarb033) when I heard they were being discontinued but it doesnt get a whole lot of wrist time anymore. I think once I get a bracelet it will get more though. It used to be around -3 sec per day but lately it's been around +40...I'm suspecting it took a knock. My other 6r15 is around +5.
I love this watch but dislike it on a bracelet. A good quality brown leather strap complements the green dial IMO. Yes, the compass is a bit unnecessary for most users but it's a quirky feature and provides a talking point. Accuracy wise, mine consistently keeps time to within 5s a day and my SARB033 with the same movement is equally as good a time keeper.
They did not cost 475$ on Amazon before the discontinuation. Bought mine on Amazon for 400$ last year. They where also sold for 375$ and even lower on other places.
I have one and absolutely love it. It looks best on leather, but not the shitty piece of cardboard it comes on though. The way you use the compass ring differs depending on whether you're in the northern or southern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere you point 12 o'clock towards the sun, then position "N" halfway between 12 o'clock and the hour hand. So if the time was 4 o'clock for example, north would be at 2 o'clock.
If you want one, you should buy one. I bought one, but I'm very glad it isn't my only watch. The 6r15 in it is indeed a bit wonky. Has been anywhere from -25 to +25 and in between in just over a year. A simple regulation had it spot on. For less than two weeks. It went to +20 very quick, and is now slowing down again.
The Alpinist movement works best when it's used everyday. Letting it power down always messes with it's accuracy but in my experience it usually settles in after a while to around +5 s/day. So if you have a large collection you'll never get the best out of this watch. I obviously like it but I know it leaves others cold. Where would we be if everyone liked the same thing?
Thanks for the video! I have one on the same bracelet and I love it. The combo is perfect. I also love love love the green and gold so of course, I love the watch. I got mine about a year and a half ago and paid $330 USD delivered. They were going for about $350 for the longest time, so they have gone up in price. I think your review was fair and really it comes down to the dial. If you like the dial you will like the watch because it is a great watch. If you don't like the dial there are other options out there for your tastes. I have a 7 3/4 inch wrist and I think it wears great, I wear it all the time. I have about 10 watches and I would say 75% of the time I'm wearing this or my speedy.
You're not alone about the 6r15, it's actually quite accurate when you wear the watch everyday but it will go berserk once you left it alone and pick it up after a week or so.
It’s absolutely quirky, but as soon as I saw it I fell in love with it and knew I wanted it to be my next watch. Bought it and haven’t regretted it for a second. The stock strap is quite horrible though I must agree, but once broken in it’s not half bad. As for the accuracy, it was running quite erratically when I bought it, sent it back to Seiko and it came back running at about -1 second per day, so I can’t complain
I fricking love this watch; I think the green and gold makes this a watch something that cannot be imitated. I think it's crazy gorgeous, and I may pick one up at some point. P.S. - I'll be at the W&W watch fair tomorrow, definitely dropping your name at the Zelos table lmao
Wanted one as soon as I saw one bought the strapcode Jubilee for it too and I love it. It sounds daft as when I bought it in knew the size but on taking it out of the box I was a little dassapointed as it was smaller than I expected.
Of course, the price jacks up when I begin wanting one! Since I hike waaay more than I dive (which is never), I would have more practical use for this. What do you think of the Blue Alpinist?
Nice video pal👍. I've been thorn inside coz for a year I was deciding between the Alpinist and the Hamilton Khaki Field... To be honest I want a every day watch that can resist the crazy weather in Yucatán and not get screwed by my work at the hospital... So far I find a blue dial Hami which I consider to buy... But the Alpinist just getting back and keep tempting me😭.
By the way, the Hamilton I've been considering is the ref h70305943: blue dial, nylon strap, 42mm, 100 meters water resistant and 80 hours power reserve... And official seller with the Hamilton 2 years official warranty.
Got one, and, never worn it. It is a bonny watch and it has good lume. Still in the box and that is where it will stay.. 6R15 is a great movement, I have 5 Seiko's with the 6R15 and they are pretty good to be fair.
I bought one and the second hand moved for a bit and then it kept stopping. I got my money back. I was very disappointed with this watch. I'm glad you were honest in your video. Thank you!
I have the Alpinist alongside many of the other SARB's, a SARX, an SKX, an SBDC and I still like the 017. But it wouldn't work for me on that jubilee or the mesh. Those transform the watch to an old man's watch IMHO. I have it on the Strapcode oyster bracelet, which works for me and my acquired taste :D
My Alpinist is getting under 2 seconds a day. It varies a bit, but it's averaging out at about 0.76 seconds a day which is insane. I must have gotten lucky. Edit: just checked it, and it went -17 seconds in a month or .56 seconds per day. Absolutely ridiculously high accuracy for a mechanical watch.
I agree about the 6R15 movement. I have the Sarb035 and it keeps great time on the wrist but when I leave it in my watch box it can lose a lot of time. Great review!
Wearing mine right now with a thin green NATO with a strapcode on order. It's not my usual watch. But for some reason I love it. Wanted a trail Hamilton style. And went with it. And happy with it. I do admit it's contraveral. The good reason it has good reviews. Are the people who bought them wanted one. What you said about Japanese mountain climbing. Could be said about diving.
I have two 6R15 movement watches and one 7S. One of the 6R15 watches and the 7S keep perfect time. The other 6R is maybe -20s/d. I'd say it's a "meh," movement, which discourages me from wanting to spend more than $500 for a 6R15-powered watch like many of the new Presages.
My Sumo is spot on over a 12 hour period on my wrist, it's the most accurate auto I have. My Sarb 033 on wrist is + 5 over the same period. Dail up over night (12 hours) they both gain between 5 & 15 seconds.
Guys, Here's Jody only show his feeling about alpinist, dont despise someone only because that person doesn't have same feeling as you. Me myself have an alpinist and I love it so much, the green dial and compass complication, even though I only use it for fun, not for knowing where's north, south, etc. But I understand not everybody gonna love it, so please respect him.
This newbie is a little late to the party but has this to say: Hi Jody, Love your RUclips videos; excellent presentation and always useful information. Bought the Alpinist SARB017 despite your lukewarm review. Where I think your review missed the mark a bit was why someone would want this watch or to be more precise, what is its intended use. All of us who appreciate nice watches know that besides our appreciation for accurate, good looking watches, there sometimes is an overriding (or at least important) factor that drives the deal. In this case, it's about who and where one would want to use the Alpinist. That is simply an outdoorsman-- whether one is a weekend camper or a dyed in the wool mountain man. You see, its value lies in its usefulness in the backwoods not just to tell time but to navigate, and not have to rely on a battery. And should one fall into a creek or worse yet a raging river, the watch should hold up. Also, a real woodsman would only wear this with a NATO-style band and not a leather strap or bracelet; both of which pone to breaking and lead to a loss. At least both pins would have to give with a NATO strap. One more thing; it’s a helluva good looking watch! Keep up the good reviews
Which Glenmorangie has the smokiest, smoothest flavour? A Scot at a party pulled out his Glenmorangie to share with me and I was blown away y the smoky flavour. I have no idea which one it was, but it must have been premium given that a Scot brought it from Scotland to San Francisco...
You can definitely use it as a diver as well I know many a diver with the exact same set up but you know with an inner bi directional rotating dive time bezel instead, which if you wanted to you could use the compass bezel as a dive time bezel. It's not a useless complication Jody!, lol. I can't be the only one who likes compass watches
This watch really needs a good quality brown leather strap to stand out. Stainless steel bands don’t look very good on it. But put a good Hirsch strap or better on it and you will notice what it is supposed to look like. Seiko cheaped out on the supplied band. This movement needs to keep, well, moving. Wear this watch consistently and it will settle down to a good minus or plus 10 a day or better. I have a few watches so I have a watch winder. I put my 2824-2 eta Steinhart in at the same time as my Alpinist. Same conditions so good comparison. There may be a 2 second a day difference in the two and I’m not sure which is more accurate. Anywho I love this watch. But then again I love any “good “, watch.
My Alpinist, elegant and beloved, does the same in the accuracy department though. Stays within the broad factory spec but varies from +15 to -10s/day one day to the next. The Alpinist is the only Seiko I own who does this. The Samurai and SNZG (4R35 and 7S36 resp) both run 5-10s/day fast consistently. Should I be worried?
Agree another one here who was going to squeeze the trigger at one point. Those gold hands completely jar with the steel and the green for me, plus I know that if somebody gave me one it would not see any wrist time. Might be tempted if I saw the ultra rare white dial (think they even did a blue once), but probably not too.
Nice review! That Strapcode bracelet is perfect for that watch. I was attracted to the Alpinist for a short time, but the high price tag put me off every time I took a look at them. I ended up going with a Seiko SSC081 Solar Prospex instead and couldn't be happier!!! FAR more watch for the money, although it is not an automatic. Cheers!!
I think it's great that you're expressing your opinion against a very popular watch, without needlessly going out of your way to be distasteful or outrageous about it for more views. I admire the honesty and objectivity of your reviews. Indeed, good as it is, not everyone is going to love this watch.
Suspect it got a blast of emr in the hold of the courier plane. Happened to a Helm Vanuatu as well. Just needs to sit next to a strong magnetic source for a day or so..
Just purchased the updated alpinist. I like the brown strap but it is cheap. Got the dealer to flip the strap around because of the way it sits, buckle was at six o'clock position (that kinda thing flips me out🤪) Will probably upgrade strap to oyster bracelet. Prefer jubilee but links are 5mm thick and imho is too chunky for me.
Wasn't tempted before the "discontinued" and at this 2nd pass, I do have another burst of green with gold commanding presence in my collection, so I don't know if there's going to be enough real estate for them both to shine ! 😄
Real fond of my Alpinist on an oyster StrapCode. The green with the cathedral hands makes me feel like it was made by MiddleEarth Elves.. and something about the even-only arabic numerals gives it a fifties-vibe I enjoy. Size/dimensions bang-on perfect. Worn in the rotation for about a week every ~2 months or so. Great weekend/bar watch. Gives me the impression of an Explorer [albeit much more affordable] with some character.. and while the green/gold isn't my * every day * color choice, I still enjoy it immensely. Love the channel. Thank you for taking the time to review the Alpinist. Cheers
So then,....I wonder how they would look on the two tone jubiliee? I saw them priced around 350.00 before they were discontinued. Not sure if it's my cup of tea or not...dunno everyone keeps saying the green in real life looks way better. Regarding the movement...who knows. Thanks for the review. I'm sure you will get some interesting comments.
Cory Nigri I have the two toned jubalee and I love it!! I purchased both from strapcode and decided to stay with the two tone and returned the all stainless steel.
Desk diver or a stairwell mountaineer? The Alpinist can show you which way your laptop is facing as you move from office to office with that cool internal compass. A diver’s unidirectional rotating bezel works like a stress ball as you spin it calmly listening to the clicks waiting for your lunch break. I think they are both of equal value to the average user.
When you put it like that, it'll make alot more sense !
Have you been watching me at work
Lol nice comment, I looked at your profile to see if you make videos because of it
I use the inner rotating bezel the same as I do the bezel on my dive watches. As a timer. And use that feature almost daily.
I’m a cowboy on a small family ranch in Oklahoma. I’m buying myself one as a reward for marketing our first grass fed beef.
I will work in this watch
Have one on a colareb Roma , and the combination is quite strikingly good. One American asked me what kind of watch it is, because the hands reminded him of rollie... Divers are great, but not for small wrists, not for any kind of even slightly formal event, and not for people who don't like weight on the wrist. Alpinist for me is absolutely perfect everyday watch, be it on the formal event, beach or mountain.
My wife bought me one Christmas '16 and I love it so very much! My 6r, in particular, runs under +1 per day out of the box. Sitting or on-wrist. I couldn't be happier.
Lucky Guy,& that wife's definitely a keeper too!!!👍
I'm not a mountaineer, pilot or a diver. Guess I'll have to sell all the inappropriate watches I have. I have SARB017, it's stunning, the compass can also be used to time things and it can be dressed up or down for all occasions.
Hmmm, One of my favourite, and most worn watches, on my 8 inch wrist, not just for the smaller wrist, I find the watch is incredibly versatile, going with almost every strap I put it on, currently on a bright red perlon I tried as a laugh, and it works. As someone who likes spending weekends in the Scottish Highlands, I find the compass very useful, and as useful as a divers bezel dandering about the center of Glasgow. Also, probably one of my most admired watch, I get it complimented more than any other. Price, yes, now you are playing about retail from the grey market, but the prices before the announcement were about 1/3rd cheaper.
Fell in love with the Alpinist the first time I saw one. I am not a fan of green dials but the way the hands complimented the dial it all fell into place and I fell in love with it. Thank you as always for your input. You are hands down my favorite watch guy to watch!
I bought my sarb017 in 2017 and am so thankful I did. I love how it stands alone in its own design. The gorgeous dial transitions from a more forest green when inside to a stunning emerald green in the sunlight. I have had so many compliments on my Alpinist. It’s a watch that makes me happy when I look at it, or take it out of the watch box for a night out. Getting that feeling is what this great hobby is all about.
I see your point there about not being a Japanese mountaineer. I guess you should get rid of all your divers then.
Ha! Yeah, OK, but the diver's bezel is useful in everyday life, compass? Not so much. Cheers.
Cooking eggs maybe?
@@jurajunek5465 , and if only they had buzzer too when time was elapsed. Would make them perfect kitchen divers. 🤣
Just like moonphase, do I need it ? Hell no ! But is it cool to have on your wrist ? Hell yeah ! (my opinion)
@@JustOneMoreWatch Jody, I use the compass to time things everyday. I just put North on the minute hand and I then I know how much time has passed. I've never seen a reviewer mention doing this, while they always suggest that the compass is useless.
@@0rcface That was actually one of my very first thoughts when I saw the compass function of the Alpanist: Hey I could use it as a timing device like on my diver.
I have an Alpinist paired with a nice mahogany colored vintage leather strap. I believe the strap really makes the watch. Worn with most warm colored clothes (tan, yellow, grey especially) it is stunning. Not a watch for everyone but if you're a collector it is a piece worth considering.
mine is +8 sec per day, not the most accurate watch i own but i love its style and definitively a keeper for 2 years now
I am pretty much field watches, but when wanting to put together a 3 watch collection under $1000, 38mm with 20mm lugs the SARB017 is my EDC field/explorer choice with the SKX013 being the diver. Still undecided about the dress watch but likely a swiss made hamilton as have $350 left to spend.
The green/gold was high school colors, the colors for the Green Bay Packers (live in Wisconsin) and have a watch for Saint Patty day
Prefer the Alpinist on a worn brown leather strap for a rugged vintage look but have consider a Strapcode Oyster bracelet.
I love the green dial! And it's not a garish wrist clock that are so prevalent these days.
The Alpinist is a cult classic, which means it's definitely not for everyone. Given it's a field watch I think it's better compared to other field watches like Hamilton Khaki King, for example, or even the Rolex Explorer I, rather than a diver. Prior to the discontinuation announcement earlier this year they could easily be had for ~$350-400 USD on Amazon and Ebay. I was able to pick one up the day the news broke in that price range...and then watch them climb to north of $600 for a bit before settling down in the $400-500 range. Despite the poor OEM strap, it's a lot of watch for the money. As for the 6R15 movement, I have three: the SARB017 is running a consistent -4 spd, while it's SARB033 cousin is coming in at -9 spd and the SARB035 is clocking +3 spd. I'd prefer those negative numbers to be positives, but all in all not bad and well within it's -15/+25 spec.
I won't spend too much time talking about this watch, since most people appear to have already made up their minds. What I will say is that I have not thought about buying another watch since I got mine. It's perfect for me. Perhaps I have peculiar tastes. I do want to mention something about the Angus Jubilee. One of the things I love about the watch is the 38mm size. It's quite elegant. The Angus Jubilee bracelet is very chunky and heavy. Don't imagine that your going to be getting the rolex datejust experience with that thing. The bracelet is a beast. For a lot of you, that may be a selling point. More power too you. I would consider putting it on a strap that is slightly maroon. The reddish/purplish brown plays fantastically with the green, and can tie the watch better with your outfit if you like to wear blue. I know it sounds strange, but I love it.
I'm simple, I'm more into cheaper autos and classic digital watches. I could see myself being set for life with this watch though. I'd rather have it than a Rolex tbh. The fact it's 38mm is fine to me, I do have small wrists though.
I have one for a few years, still love it. IMHO doesn't look good on any bracelet. brown vintage calf leather strap is the way to go.
Absolutely!
!
Stahh ,agreed!
Jody. Have it and love it. Same combination Strapcode Angus Jubilee. Wear it quite often. I like to switch watches about every week. Divers, Chronographs, Cocktail Time when wearing a suit at dinner about once a month. Option 4, Strapcode Angus Jubilee with gold center links. Really brings out the gold on the dial. Nice video. Nice watch, but not for everyone.
I kept mine for less than a month. Accuracy was not good nor was it consistent and the compass bezel seemed sloppy ie. it didn’t only turn but slid across the dial slightly. Looks beautiful but it’s only skin deep. My Cadisen 1032 (Seiko NH36 movement) has better accuracy/rate but at a tenth of the price and looks not too bad either.
I’ve had mine for 10 months now. I still love it and sure it doesn’t go with every shirt like a black dial would but that didn’t stop me from getting a watch with a blue dial and a red one too. If I were to only have one watch, this would not be it, but you know as well as I do, there is always room for....Just One More Watch.
It’s The Marmite watch. I love it, few compare with features you get for the money imho.
I own one and wear it with the same strapcode band. Love the way it looks and wear it with suits, business casual attire as well as jeans. Ironically I've never gotten it wet or used the compass bezel and have no plans to do so. Accuracy has been +2 sec/day on the wrist and in winder.
Absolutely love my Alpinist. I have put it on a stripey Nato and it is my daily watch🤩
I also swopped the stock crystal with a double domed sapphire and it looks fantastic😍
I absolutely love everything about mine. The color is beautiful and the super oyster from strapcode really sets it off. I agree that the stock strap is disappointing, though. As for the price, I got mine off Amazon for $430 and before they were cancelled grey market seemed to be in the middle to upper $300 range, so a fair bit of difference. My accuracy has been around the second and a half mark regularly, so they're not all bad.
I bought one and I'm still glad I did. Cracking little watch that looks good on a wide variety of nato's. But about the 6R15: mine was 20sec slow per day! I had to sent it back to Seiko to be regulated, which they did for free (ex shipping). So, world wide warranty does stand for something. Now it runs a few seconds per day fast. And that's fine by me!
I have the alpinist..got a great deal on it. The quirkyness to it speaks to an older time and history of Seiko. The more contemporary style Seiko seems to have adopted is just times a changing..thats why I keep my alpinist because in 20 yrs it'll be a nice family relic..now that srpc97j1 is speaking to me at the moment looking for a nice white dial.. You should check it out. Good day sir
‘It’s a funny lookin’ little thing, isn’t it?’
I feel personally attacked.
Hahahha!
That's What She Said (in Michael Scott's voice).
Not only can you, I did! Not sure why as it's a Marmite (Vegemite) watch. Love it or hate it. Some days I wear and love it, other days I go to wear it but choose not to. I put it down to the environment you will be inhabiting on the day.
Marmite is far superior to vegemite😜
I love my alpinist, I wear it on a military green NATO strap, although I do have a bracelet for it.
The Alpinist has been my "go-to" week-ender for quite a few years now. I really do think it's a better watch than your review suggests.
I guess time will tell... 😏
I see what you did there...
I am not a fan of the green and gold combo, but color scheme not withstanding, it seems like a very nice watch. The case shape reminds me of the SARB033/035. I don't have much use for the compass bezel, and the current price seems too steep. -- I own a SARB035, and it has pretty consistent performance on the wrist. The only thing I have noticed is that is the positional variance is pretty high. I get very different results if I store face up, face down, or on the side.
I've o ly had the 6R for about 3 weeks and have only worn it about 6 times in my SARB065, but mine is spot on. I dont have a time grapher but it looks like +2 per day.
I love the dimensions and spec. I love the green and gold. Mine seems to be fairly accurate as it seems to hover between - 5 to 10 per day, but my cocktail time is better as is my turtle. Two watches I get the most questions about are my two SARBs because let's face it, they're both visually striking... but yeah, green is a bit much for some and the gold just adds to it. There were other colours to pick from though, model designations escape me and I recall they were less common.
It’s been my experience that this movement has considerable positional variance. If it was rested in various orientations, that would explain the wide results in accuracy. I use this “flaw” to keep mine regulated within a couple of seconds for months at a time. Overnight resting face-up +1.5 seconds, crown-up -.5 seconds, crown down -.75 seconds. Love the channel.
I love my Alpinist, I have it on an Army green/Linen colour NATO strap. Very nice. Also it's one of my more accurate watches. It is solidly in my wearing rotation
I like mine. Green is one of my favorite colors and it suits me well. I mainly keep mine on a tan Zulu. Nice review as always.
i have mine on the erika's original mn strap in green and it looks fantastic.
puts a smile on my face every time i wear it.
Such a winning look!
I've just folded and picked one up, it's under current pricing and closer to it's original price. Should sit nicely along the 033 and 065, really can't pull the trigger on an 035 no matter how often I peek at them .
Check out Spencer Klein's videos about the 6r15. He is a watchmaker and Seikoholic. His investigation of brand new 6r15s seemed to indicate that there are some serious assembly / QC issues with this movement. When they are put together and lubed correctly they seem to work well though.
Thanks for the tip! I have had my doubts about every one I've seen.
You beat me to it. Definitely a QC issue. Surprised Seiko have not offered a free re-lubing to affected customers.
I own one of this Alpinist, never regret, a true collectors item.
This Alpinist is a true collectors item? hahahahahahahahhahah Every man and their dog have one!! A collector item needs to be rare ; not mass produced made in millions. The previous alpinist are rare ; but not this green one.
Every article that one values as collectable is a true collection item. No one should dictate to you what you think so. It does not matter if millions or only one were produced.
Mauricio Torres A collector’s item is an object which is highly valued by collectors because it is rare.
@@Ge0rGi. The alpinist is somewhat rare it was only produced for the Japanese market. When the original Alpinists came out they weren't that rare either now they are.
Colm Farrel No...they’ve been imported by many sites and amazon,anyone who wanted one,he got it. This watch has been in production for long time,much longer than the previous ones
I own one of these Jody, probably the best purchase I've ever made for the price, too many divers out there nowadays.
Love or hate is proper description I guess.... Your amusement from quirkinesses of this piece is very entertaining.... 😃
Considering movement accuracy, mine goes +6 and if I don’t behave nice to it and hit it (I use it as TOOL watch) it jumps 20 - 25 plus and after day it come back to its +6 normal.
By the way that mash looks terrible on it...(not that original strap is any better) 🤡
You've tested my channel loyalty on this one Jody! I adore my Alpinist, in part because it is so quirky. 'A diver instead'? Granted, I am a small-wristed outdoor enthusiast whose favorite color is green. But those cathedral hands and the internal, rotating compass soothe my weary 'been there, done that' horological soul. You say the compass feature is a "completely pointless complication"? You know what other common watch complication is nigh near useless? Day of the week! It's been decades since I've had the slightest doubt what day of the week it is. I don't expect to until they're spoon-feeding me baby food in a retirement home and at that point I won't care as long as they're showing classic Star Trek reruns on the telly. No explanation for the accuracy issues with your review sample; my Alpinist is among the most accurate of my automatics. Agree the factory strap is an abomination. OK, I've talked myself down from my initial indignation, Jody. I'll resist my temptation to hit the 'unsubscribe' button.
Ha! Thanks Marc! I'm actually looking for a decent day/date as I usually have no idea what day it is. Cheers!
Nobody can say watches are not tribal after reading that..
Syndicated Satellite Hahaha true.
My god Man get a thicker skin. How accurate is it you don't Say?
This is why I think the SARB013 deserves more love. It has all the benefits of the green alpinist, but with a stunning cream dial. If I ever come across one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat.
I think the green and gold are a great color combo! 👍🏼
If the color repels you, this model is also available in white. I like green and have several green watches. Adding an Alpinist is a minor grail for me.
I own this with the gold two tone jubalee from strapcode. I love it and constantly get compliments about it. Maybe ten time more compliments than my speed master or Double domed sapphire SKX. Thank you for the video but I have to say I don’t agree with this one.
Hiya Jodie.Why do I like this.I am going through a 70,s late life crisis! Green dials,yellow or orange and brown? Totally up my street.Cheers.
Well done. Always love the energy and enthusiasm along with great content.
I was lusting after this watch for years but never pulled the trigger, always bought others instead. Finally got one (and a sarb033) when I heard they were being discontinued but it doesnt get a whole lot of wrist time anymore. I think once I get a bracelet it will get more though. It used to be around -3 sec per day but lately it's been around +40...I'm suspecting it took a knock. My other 6r15 is around +5.
I love this watch but dislike it on a bracelet. A good quality brown leather strap complements the green dial IMO. Yes, the compass is a bit unnecessary for most users but it's a quirky feature and provides a talking point. Accuracy wise, mine consistently keeps time to within 5s a day and my SARB033 with the same movement is equally as good a time keeper.
I love me some green and gold.
good to wear on St. Patrick's day...
They did not cost 475$ on Amazon before the discontinuation. Bought mine on Amazon for 400$ last year. They where also sold for 375$ and even lower on other places.
I have one and absolutely love it. It looks best on leather, but not the shitty piece of cardboard it comes on though. The way you use the compass ring differs depending on whether you're in the northern or southern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere you point 12 o'clock towards the sun, then position "N" halfway between 12 o'clock and the hour hand. So if the time was 4 o'clock for example, north would be at 2 o'clock.
If you want one, you should buy one. I bought one, but I'm very glad it isn't my only watch. The 6r15 in it is indeed a bit wonky. Has been anywhere from -25 to +25 and in between in just over a year. A simple regulation had it spot on. For less than two weeks. It went to +20 very quick, and is now slowing down again.
6r15 awesome movement. Mine was way off until i got it regulated. Now it's amazing
The Alpinist movement works best when it's used everyday. Letting it power down always messes with it's accuracy but in my experience it usually settles in after a while to around +5 s/day. So if you have a large collection you'll never get the best out of this watch.
I obviously like it but I know it leaves others cold. Where would we be if everyone liked the same thing?
Thanks for the video! I have one on the same bracelet and I love it. The combo is perfect. I also love love love the green and gold so of course, I love the watch. I got mine about a year and a half ago and paid $330 USD delivered. They were going for about $350 for the longest time, so they have gone up in price. I think your review was fair and really it comes down to the dial. If you like the dial you will like the watch because it is a great watch. If you don't like the dial there are other options out there for your tastes. I have a 7 3/4 inch wrist and I think it wears great, I wear it all the time. I have about 10 watches and I would say 75% of the time I'm wearing this or my speedy.
I totally agree. For me the Alpinist would be a novelty item. Besides, I don't often wear green.
I wear it everyday and its an iconic Japanese art. I feel that the leather strap is better although I have it on a metal strap!
You're not alone about the 6r15, it's actually quite accurate when you wear the watch everyday but it will go berserk once you left it alone and pick it up after a week or so.
It doesn’t matter what your reviewing, you always make me smile, stay safe.
Thanks mate!
It’s absolutely quirky, but as soon as I saw it I fell in love with it and knew I wanted it to be my next watch. Bought it and haven’t regretted it for a second. The stock strap is quite horrible though I must agree, but once broken in it’s not half bad. As for the accuracy, it was running quite erratically when I bought it, sent it back to Seiko and it came back running at about -1 second per day, so I can’t complain
REVIEW A TIMEX MARLIN BLACKOUT JODY
I fricking love this watch; I think the green and gold makes this a watch something that cannot be imitated. I think it's crazy gorgeous, and I may pick one up at some point.
P.S. - I'll be at the W&W watch fair tomorrow, definitely dropping your name at the Zelos table lmao
Wanted one as soon as I saw one bought the strapcode Jubilee for it too and I love it. It sounds daft as when I bought it in knew the size but on taking it out of the box I was a little dassapointed as it was smaller than I expected.
Of course, the price jacks up when I begin wanting one! Since I hike waaay more than I dive (which is never), I would have more practical use for this. What do you think of the Blue Alpinist?
Nice video pal👍. I've been thorn inside coz for a year I was deciding between the Alpinist and the Hamilton Khaki Field... To be honest I want a every day watch that can resist the crazy weather in Yucatán and not get screwed by my work at the hospital... So far I find a blue dial Hami which I consider to buy... But the Alpinist just getting back and keep tempting me😭.
By the way, the Hamilton I've been considering is the ref h70305943: blue dial, nylon strap, 42mm, 100 meters water resistant and 80 hours power reserve... And official seller with the Hamilton 2 years official warranty.
Very pretty for a tool watch.
Got one, and, never worn it. It is a bonny watch and it has good lume. Still in the box and that is where it will stay.. 6R15 is a great movement, I have 5 Seiko's with the 6R15 and they are pretty good to be fair.
I bought one and the second hand moved for a bit and then it kept stopping. I got my money back. I was very disappointed with this watch. I'm glad you were honest in your video. Thank you!
I have the Alpinist alongside many of the other SARB's, a SARX, an SKX, an SBDC and I still like the 017. But it wouldn't work for me on that jubilee or the mesh. Those transform the watch to an old man's watch IMHO. I have it on the Strapcode oyster bracelet, which works for me and my acquired taste :D
My Alpinist is getting under 2 seconds a day. It varies a bit, but it's averaging out at about 0.76 seconds a day which is insane. I must have gotten lucky.
Edit: just checked it, and it went -17 seconds in a month or .56 seconds per day. Absolutely ridiculously high accuracy for a mechanical watch.
I have the Sarb035 love that piece, the cream dial on it is killer.
This is the only Seiko I keep now, love it so much I couldn't keep it off my hand! It's a well worn watch too, dings and scratches are everywhere.
looks amazing on brown distressed/vintage leather/suede. no other strap or bracelet does it for the alpinist
I like to wear mine on a Marine Nationale Nato strap.
I agree about the 6R15 movement. I have the Sarb035 and it keeps great time on the wrist but when I leave it in my watch box it can lose a lot of time. Great review!
Wearing mine right now with a thin green NATO with a strapcode on order. It's not my usual watch. But for some reason I love it. Wanted a trail Hamilton style. And went with it. And happy with it. I do admit it's contraveral. The good reason it has good reviews. Are the people who bought them wanted one.
What you said about Japanese mountain climbing. Could be said about diving.
I have two 6R15 movement watches and one 7S. One of the 6R15 watches and the 7S keep perfect time. The other 6R is maybe -20s/d. I'd say it's a "meh," movement, which discourages me from wanting to spend more than $500 for a 6R15-powered watch like many of the new Presages.
My Sumo is spot on over a 12 hour period on my wrist, it's the most accurate auto I have. My Sarb 033 on wrist is + 5 over the same period. Dail up over night (12 hours) they both gain between 5 & 15 seconds.
Guys, Here's Jody only show his feeling about alpinist, dont despise someone only because that person doesn't have same feeling as you.
Me myself have an alpinist and I love it so much, the green dial and compass complication, even though I only use it for fun, not for knowing where's north, south, etc. But I understand not everybody gonna love it, so please respect him.
This newbie is a little late to the party but has this to say:
Hi Jody,
Love your RUclips videos; excellent presentation and always useful information. Bought the Alpinist SARB017 despite your lukewarm review. Where I think your review missed the mark a bit was why someone would want this watch or to be more precise, what is its intended use. All of us who appreciate nice watches know that besides our appreciation for accurate, good looking watches, there sometimes is an overriding (or at least important) factor that drives the deal. In this case, it's about who and where one would want to use the Alpinist. That is simply an outdoorsman-- whether one is a weekend camper or a dyed in the wool mountain man. You see, its value lies in its usefulness in the backwoods not just to tell time but to navigate, and not have to rely on a battery. And should one fall into a creek or worse yet a raging river, the watch should hold up. Also, a real woodsman would only wear this with a NATO-style band and not a leather strap or bracelet; both of which pone to breaking and lead to a loss. At least both pins would have to give with a NATO strap. One more thing; it’s a helluva good looking watch!
Keep up the good reviews
Which Glenmorangie has the smokiest, smoothest flavour? A Scot at a party pulled out his Glenmorangie to share with me and I was blown away y the smoky flavour. I have no idea which one it was, but it must have been premium given that a Scot brought it from Scotland to San Francisco...
You can definitely use it as a diver as well I know many a diver with the exact same set up but you know with an inner bi directional rotating dive time bezel instead, which if you wanted to you could use the compass bezel as a dive time bezel. It's not a useless complication Jody!, lol. I can't be the only one who likes compass watches
Haha, strapcode redesigned their website a week or two ago, I guess they heard you when you were making this video!!! Safe travels mate!
This watch really needs a good quality brown leather strap to stand out. Stainless steel bands don’t look very good on it. But put a good Hirsch strap or better on it and you will notice what it is supposed to look like. Seiko cheaped out on the supplied band.
This movement needs to keep, well, moving. Wear this watch consistently and it will settle down to a good minus or plus 10 a day or better. I have a few watches so I have a watch winder. I put my 2824-2 eta Steinhart in at the same time as my Alpinist. Same conditions so good comparison. There may be a 2 second a day difference in the two and I’m not sure which is more accurate.
Anywho I love this watch. But then again I love any “good “, watch.
Waiting for your video on the best divers in this price range then! Great video
My Alpinist, elegant and beloved, does the same in the accuracy department though. Stays within the broad factory spec but varies from +15 to -10s/day one day to the next. The Alpinist is the only Seiko I own who does this. The Samurai and SNZG (4R35 and 7S36 resp) both run 5-10s/day fast consistently. Should I be worried?
I love the Alpinist. There are as many Japanese Mountaineers as there are watch enthusiasts that dive to 200m. ;) 2021 Ebay prices $800-1500
I had similar from a 6r..in a sarb033 I put it through a demagnatizer and it fixed the issue.
Agree another one here who was going to squeeze the trigger at one point. Those gold hands completely jar with the steel and the green for me, plus I know that if somebody gave me one it would not see any wrist time. Might be tempted if I saw the ultra rare white dial (think they even did a blue once), but probably not too.
Jody....
New Seiko Alpinist on its way!
Upgraded movement suggests it won't be cheap
Nice review! That Strapcode bracelet is perfect for that watch. I was attracted to the Alpinist for a short time, but the high price tag put me off every time I took a look at them. I ended up going with a Seiko SSC081 Solar Prospex instead and couldn't be happier!!! FAR more watch for the money, although it is not an automatic. Cheers!!
I don't think there is a watch out there with more love/hate attached. Great review!
I think it's great that you're expressing your opinion against a very popular watch, without needlessly going out of your way to be distasteful or outrageous about it for more views. I admire the honesty and objectivity of your reviews. Indeed, good as it is, not everyone is going to love this watch.
I regulated my alpinist and it has run -1.2 seconds per day average for over 11 months. Out of the box it was +14.
Suspect it got a blast of emr in the hold of the courier plane. Happened to a Helm Vanuatu as well. Just needs to sit next to a strong magnetic source for a day or so..
Just purchased the updated alpinist. I like the brown strap but it is cheap. Got the dealer to flip the strap around because of the way it sits, buckle was at six o'clock position (that kinda thing flips me out🤪) Will probably upgrade strap to oyster bracelet. Prefer jubilee but links are 5mm thick and imho is too chunky for me.
Wasn't tempted before the "discontinued" and at this 2nd pass, I do have another burst of green with gold commanding presence in my collection, so I don't know if there's going to be enough real estate for them both to shine ! 😄
Real fond of my Alpinist on an oyster StrapCode. The green with the cathedral hands makes me feel like it was made by MiddleEarth Elves.. and something about the even-only arabic numerals gives it a fifties-vibe I enjoy. Size/dimensions bang-on perfect. Worn in the rotation for about a week every ~2 months or so. Great weekend/bar watch. Gives me the impression of an Explorer [albeit much more affordable] with some character.. and while the green/gold isn't my * every day * color choice, I still enjoy it immensely.
Love the channel. Thank you for taking the time to review the Alpinist.
Cheers
So then,....I wonder how they would look on the two tone jubiliee? I saw them priced around 350.00 before they were discontinued. Not sure if it's my cup of tea or not...dunno everyone keeps saying the green in real life looks way better. Regarding the movement...who knows. Thanks for the review. I'm sure you will get some interesting comments.
Cory Nigri I have the two toned jubalee and I love it!! I purchased both from strapcode and decided to stay with the two tone and returned the all stainless steel.