Seiko’s evergreen mountaineering companion, the Prospex Alpinist, enters its fourth decade with its fourth major update. The 2025 edition gains an a longer power reserve, a scratch-resistant Diashield case coating, and — most notably — the return of vintage styling cues from the first generation, including the italic “Alpinist” signature on the dial.

The new generation (refs. SPB503, SPB505, SPB507) debuts in variants including the signature forest green, along with a limited edition of the outgoing generation exclusively for Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, and Brunei in an icy white (ref. SPB532). Though it commands a slightly higher price than the outgoing model, the enhancements make it a more capable and durable field watch, keeping the value proposition firmly intact.

Initial thoughts

This year the iconic green-and-gilt Alpinist turns 30, though it seems to have aged gracefully, with the latest generation being the best since its original debut. Though the Prospex “X” emblem and “three days” script depart from the model’s earlier design, the return of the “Alpinist” script is a welcome touch.

Personally, I’ve always favoured its bigger brother, the Landmaster, which has higher specs for a higher price. But for most aspiring mountaineers, the much more accessible and conventionally attractive Alpinist is a better option.

Since early references of the Alpinist are incredibly difficult to find – at least by Seiko standards – the new Alpinist should prove to be the most appealing option for most collectors.

It’s not easy being green

While the Alpinist name dates back to 1959, the green and gold colourway and rotating compass bezel that we now associate with the collection were born in the ’90s. Shigeo Sakai – also responsible for the inflatable Seiko Airpro – designed three colourways for the 1995 Alpinist. The first two were black and beige, paired with a steel bracelet.

But there was a third model, inspired by Saki’s own almond green Mini Cooper (Japan was the Mini brand’s largest market at the time) paired with a brown strap that would ultimately define the collection in the minds of enthusiasts in the years to come.

The conventional wisdom within Seiko was that green dials would not sell well, yet the original cal. 4S-powered green Alpinist (SCVF009) held on until 2006 when the trio was replaced with the SARB Alpinists, which dropped the date magnifier. The ref. SPB121 debuted in 2020, reintroducing the date magnifier, but losing the colour-matched date window.

Thirty years of the Alpinist

Things have come full circle in 2025, with the return of the colour-matched date wheel with its gold outline, bringing the new Alpinist’s dial closer to the 1995 original than either of its predecessors.

Even the Alpinist branding has returned this year, though shifted upward in the form of a gold script rather than the original red printed text.

Seiko also changed the printing on the compass bezel from white to gold, a pleasing design choice that seems obvious in hindsight.

Historically, the green Alpinist was always accompanied by two other references, one in black and another in light cream or grey. This time, Seiko is trying something different with brownish-black and blue-green dials.

In theory, the black SPB505 should be the most commercially viable of the three, especially since it comes with a bracelet, though the blue-green SPB503 is arguably the most striking. Of course, the iconic green SPB507 is the one that most appeals to nostalgia.

The case is the same 39.5 mm in diameter as the original, and still measures a comfortable 46.4 mm from lug-to-lug, but it’s now half a millimetre slimmer. The hardy 200 m water resistance rating and reassuring screw down crown remain, accompanied by a display case back, now printed with the Alpinist logo.

The most significant upgrade, however, is probably the addition of Seiko’s ultra-hard Diashield coating, which now protects the case from scratches and scrapes, whether from rocky mountain passes or aluminium keyboards.

The no-nonsense cal. 6R55 is visible through a display case back, and boasts a full three days of power reserve, up about two hours from the last generation. That longevity is due, in part, to the use of MEMS manufacturing techniques to reduce the escapement’s weight – a feature once reserved for Hi-Beat Grand Seikos that has quietly trickled down to the cal. 6R family, differentiating these in-house calibres from Swiss peers.

The cal. 6R55 also has all the usual accoutrements that mark it as a step up from the brand’s entry level movements: stop seconds, hand winding, and a quick-set date.

A swan song

The new Alpinist collection launches alongside an 800-piece limited edition variant of the outgoing SPB121 with subtle gold accents around the bezel, exclusive to the Thong Sia Group, Seiko’s distributor in Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Brunei.

Key facts and price

Seiko Prospex Alpinist 6R55-00P0
Ref. SPB503 (Blue-green dial on bracelet)
Ref. SPB505 (Black-brown dial on bracelet)
Ref. SPB507 (green dial on leather strap)

Diameter: 39.5 mm
Height: 12.7 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 200 m

Movement: Cal. 6R55
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Leather strap (SPB507) or steel bracelet (SPB503 and SPB505)

Limited edition: No
Availability: At Seiko boutiques and retailers, and Seiko’s online store.
Price: US$900 (SGD1,290.60) on leather strap, US$995 (SGD1,417) on steel bracelet excluding taxes

Seiko Prospex Alpinist Thong Sia Group Exclusive Limited Edition
Ref. SPB532

Diameter: 39.5 mm
Height: 13.2 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 200 m

Movement: Cal. 6R35
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 70 hours

Strap: Textile strap with fold over clasp

Limited edition: 800 pieces
Availability: At Thong Sia Group boutiques in Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, and Brunei
Price: SGD1,127 (about US$870) excluding taxes

For more, visit Seikoboutique.com.sg.

This was brought to you in partnership with Thong Sia Group.