New Watch Day! Seiko Sarb017

fret_wimp2

My alpinist has finally arrived! I ordered it from higuchi a week ago. It took them about 4 days to get in the bracelet for it, and they posted it last friday. It arrived today! From Japan to Ireland in 4 days! Cant fault higuchi.

Im generally into divers so this is my first venture with something thats not so much a diver, but can still be taken swimming if needs be.

Face
The face of the watch is a beautiful green, sometimes deep emerald, others more like a moss green, depending on the light.

The gold hands worried me as i thought they would look tacky but they work perfectly. its a really well designed and balanced watch.
There is just enough lume to make it very visible in the dark, but not so much that the classic dressy look of the watch is compromised.

Crown & Winding
Winding it sounded louder than my other 6R15 based watch, but it feels solid. The crown has some lovely details such as the seiko S engraved on its end, and some small lines machined between the grips to give some texture.

The crown for the internal bezel is smooth, but not so lose that it would move by accident.

Casing
the case is beautifully finished. its mostly polished, but with a few surfaced finished in a matte polish to give some contrast and detail.

Strap
This is the one thing that lets the watch down. the strap that comes with it is absolutely useless. I knew i made the right choice to purchase the bracelet once i tried to put on the strap. its stiff, feels like it will crack and just feels cheap and plasticy.

Bracelet
The bracelet is an oyster style, satin finish, really nice. solid but light so it has more of a delicate finesse to it than a chunky diver bracelet.
The clasp does not have the extra catch that divers usually have. I do miss that, but the clasp very solid. its machined metal, not pressed sheet metal that you see on many watches at this pricing level.
Its quite small compared to diver clasps also, and only comes with 2 micro adjustments.
I do intend to get a good brown leather strap for it eventually as its really built for a nice aged brown leather strap, but it still looks good on the bracelet for the time being.

Size:
I thought i would be disapointed with the size, but it feels bigger than it is. its tall, and the crowns give it an extra few mm that add to the overall bulk of the watch. it doesnt wear big, but it does not wear as small as i expected either. I think i will be ok with it.

Overall i dont think i will be flipping this watch. its no diver, and i am still getting used to that, but its got a classy elegance to it that none of my divers have and so its a welcome addition to my small collection. I think its pushed me down the road of wanting to add a few more classic style watches to my collection!

Now for some pic's:






And a few size comparisons with my other 6R15 based watch, the more dive oriented Sarb059:





And of course, the gratuitious collection shot (told you i had a small collection!)

CarltonBrowne

Very nice; I was supposed to get one of these last year when a friend was going to Japan to see the in-laws. Unfortunately Seiya San would only dispatch to the registered Paypal address (in the UK) and would not entertain sending to his mother-in-law in Japan. One day....

corpo3030

Congratulations, the Alpinist is a great choice. I've wanted one myself for a few years now. Like your collection too, quality over quantity.