Seiko Alpinist SPB199J1 European Limited Edition Release

We’ve been teasing it for the past few days. We hope you were excited about this latest Seiko launch as we were. It’s been a long time coming, but we’re proud to announce a very special European exclusive from one of our favorite brands. The Seiko Prospex “Alpinist” SPB199J1 just hit the shelves of selected points of sale in Europe. Winter was coming. Winter is finally here…

The latest “Alpinist” SPB199J1 from Seiko Prospex has an unusual gray/green sunburst dial. The color of glacial lakes found in high, mountainous regions served as its inspiration. As such, this model has been nicknamed the “Mountain Glacier”. Those chilly climes gave rise to our icy teaser campaign (thanks for helping us “thaw the ice” on our Instagram account). This unusual color adds a really appealing dimension to the current Alpinist line-up.

A long road and a satisfying destination

The Seiko Alpinist story started more than half a century ago in 1959. Back then, the Alpinist was launched as a sub-branch of the Laurel collection. Those watches looked very different from the modern iteration of the Alpinist, but there are a couple of good reasons as to why.

…a mountaineer’s companion…

The Alpinist was originally intended, even way back in ’59, to serve as a mountaineer’s companion on high-altitude adventures. While it doesn’t look much the kind of tool watch we would expect from a modern watch designed for the same purpose, it was, at the time, totally in-keeping with the idea of outdoor pursuits.

Life outdoors

Nowadays, we have access to a huge amount of technical equipment. Weather-proof clothing, high-powered lighting systems, robust and reliable footwear, and all manner of accessories to make surviving life outdoors are very accessible. It is a mature industry that was in its infancy in the mid-part of the 20th century. Scaling peaks was not commonplace. Those that partook in such life-threatening endeavors were cut from a different cloth. Those men were gentlemen adventurers. They were skilled and daring amateurs. The professionalization of mountaineering was decades away.

So too was the idea of having more than one watch in your rotation. As such, the original Alpinists were designed to fit the needs of the day. They were versatile watches that could stay on the wrist of those pioneers from summit-to-soiree without looking out of place or shirking on their responsibilities. On the mountainside, the highly-legible, brightly-lumed dials provided essential support. Additionally, their sleek, surreptitious cases looked just fine next to a shirt cuff.

But times changed. The Alpinist collection skipped from the Laurel range (after seven generations) to become part of the Champion 850 series. The addition of the Alpinist name to the Champion series has been deemed an attempt to make the Champion watches more commercially competitive. The changes were subtle. These watches featured the words “Alpinist” and “Rainproof” on the case back. But it was a short-lived marriage. The Alpinist was discontinued — apparently for good — in 1964. Thankfully, the much-loved family made a return, albeit 31 years later…

A timely return

In 1995 the Alpinist made a triumphant return. It had, at last, its own family. It also underwent a complete design overhaul for a modern market. This was the era of commercial climbing, with world-famous guide groups such as Rob Hall’s Adventure Consultants and Scott Fischer’s Mountain Madness driving trains of paying customers to the summit of Everest several times a season. With far more knowledge of what would be required for a modern alpine-ready watch, Seiko Watch Corporation brought out an entirely new model. It has become the blueprint of the Alpinist collection ever since.

The original Laurel Alpinist was available with either a black or cream dial. Both colors remain in the modern Alpinist collection. Since ’95, they have frequently been accompanied by a forest green variant. Rarely have blue or gray graced the collection. This new gray/green dial color, now available for exclusive pre-order in the Fratello shop, is a completely new take on the design birthed in 1995. It is the design that now defines the Alpinist family and the truest modern expression of the motivations that led to the creation of the very first Alpinist.

For many, the modern Alpinist collection is defined by the internal compass bezel, operated by the crown at 4 o’clock. This now-classic case silhouette is the basis for SPB199J1. While the dial of the new model (which is limited to just 2,020 pieces to mark its year of release) is the gray/green sunburst mentioned above, the compass bezel is a darker, richer green. The contrast between the two results in an interestingly textured display rarely seen in this family.

A total upgrade

Ever since the Alpinist was reborn in 1995, Seiko has been taking pains to improve the watches’ appearance and build quality. We’ve already seen several movement updates and the introduction of a sapphire crystal and a display case back. This current watch is powered by Caliber 6R35 — a rock-solid and reliable movement. Additionally, and ever-more relevantly for a modern, active audience, this model is water-resistant to 200 meters. To learn more about the history of Alpinist, check out this link.

A proud moment

We at Fratello love Seiko. That much is clear from our frequent posts about the brand. When it comes to value propositions in the modern watch industry, few brands offer so many credible options. A lot of our team members have one or more Seikos already. Ever since we launched our shop in 2019, we’ve wanted to carry a Seiko model that reflects our interest in and support of the brand. We feel very privileged to bring you Alpinist reference SPB199J1 before it goes on general release.

To complement the dial, we decided to design and commission our very first Fratello-branded strap. You can see it in the photo gallery below — made from gray suede and stamped with the Fratello logo on the reverse, we think it complements the dial very nicely.

For the next two weeks, you will be able to pre-order the watch (which retails at €880) via the Fratello shop. We only have a limited number of pieces available for pre-order, so please be quick if you’d like to be one of the first to get their hands on this Alpinist watch before it goes on sale elsewhere in November. The watch comes with a green leather strap and a sand-colored nylon strap (both with deployant buckles) as standard, but the pre-order models available in the Fratello shop include an extra strap that we’ve designed especially for this watch. We think it works really nicely with the dial and that the ardillon buckle makes for a comfortable wearing experience. Check out the watch here.