Seiko

Growing up, I wore watches to ensure I arrived at school on time, but with the advent of smartphones, I abandoned them altogether. Recently, however, I purchased a Seiko solar diver SNE573P1 from the Prospex series. After owning this watch for about a year, I decided it would be cool to wear an automatic watch. In a world dominated by battery-operated devices, the idea of a piece of precision engineering that functions without a battery appealed to me.

Choosing a watch from the thousands of options available can be overwhelming. I decided to limit myself to Seiko, as their watches are affordable for me. I can forget about a Rolex Explorer, Submariner, or a gold-cased Gruen Precision 510—besides, my name isn’t Bond. Since I love mountain hiking, the Alpinist sub-brand of Seiko especially caught my eye, particularly because Seiko had just released a reimagined version of the original Alpinist from the early 1960s.

The original Alpinist was designed for Yama-otoko, or mountain men. With post-war disposable income, weekend hiking trips became a possibility in Japan, and this even seems to have been the theme of the 1962 movie 山男の歌 (Song of Mountain Men). However, the longer I examined the modern interpretation of the original Alpinist, the more differences I noticed. I found myself searching for a different heritage watch.

Seiko didn't use the Alpinist brand for three decades, until 1995, when they introduced a very different Alpinist: the "Red Alpinist." This watch featured an internal compass bezel and a second crown for operating the compass, allowing you to find north by pointing the hour hand in the direction of the sun. It was available in various dial colors, but the black dial on a metal bracelet appealed to me for its distinctive 1990s look. The black dial reappeared in 2003 on the Alpinist 8F56, again in 2006 on the SARB15, and most recently in 2020 on the Seiko SBDC087.

Advertisement for the Seiko Alpinist 8F56 from 2003.

Seiko Prospex SBDC087

The 2020 Seiko SBDC087 (known as SPB117J1 outside Japan) closely resembles the 1995 Alpinist 4S15-6000. It features the same cathedral hands, internal compass bezel, date cyclops, and shark tooth hour markers, though the latter are not lumed. While the Alpinist branding is absent, it’s hard not to view the SBDC087 as an Alpinist; to me, it feels like a heritage watch—specifically, a 1990s heritage watch. I find the dial both understated and intriguing. Although I don't anticipate ever getting lost in the woods to the point of needing a built-in navigation tool, its presence is cool. The watch isn't a diver's timepiece, yet it boasts a water resistance of 20 bar, which feels over-engineered for this model. I purchased my watch directly from Japan under the product name SBDC087 for ¥70,818.

Seiko Prospex SBDC109 (outside Japan SPB151)

After spending only a month with my “Alpinist,” I realized I wanted to replace the solar Seiko with an automatic diver. This decision proved even more challenging because Seiko offers such a wide variety of divers. I nearly chose the recently discontinued SKX013 when I came across the “Captain Willard.” I had initially dismissed this watch due to its size, but the 46.6 mm lug-to-lug length was not significantly different from the Alpinist's 45.9 mm.

The Captain Willard is another heritage watch, primarily inspired by the Seiko 6105-8110, which was produced between 1970 and 1977. Back then, it was a reliable yet affordable timepiece. The 6105 gained popularity among U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War and was available in the U.S. military PXs (Post Exchanges) on bases in Southeast Asia, able to withstand the rigors of the humid jungle.

Its nickname comes from Martin Sheen, who wore a Seiko 6105 as U.S. Army Captain Benjamin Willard in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now. I replaced the metal bracelet with a rubber Tropic strap, which is historical appropriate.