Some Watches Are Meant To Be Gold, The Seiko Alpinist I VARIO

There are many things that change and the one that does more often is taste. I could attribute that to knowledge, but in reality, is that age pays a big part as well (as much as we hate to admit it). Age is the key factor why I like more muted watches, when I started this hobby it was all about open backs (or fronts) to see the mechanism, big bold pieces dominated my wrist at beginning but on the other hand gold watches seemed somehow old, conservative, and more for let say the older gentlemen. Time past by and suddenly rose gold became more attractive in my eyes and naturally yellow gold is now on my radar. As you might imagine this process took around 10 years and now that I am reaching my forties the urge to have something in precious metal is knocking on my door. I still have another 18 months to turn an old man (I still smile) and before committing to a huge expense on a gold object that will sit on my wrist to commemorate a milestone age, I wanted to try a cheaper PVD version of something to see if this is just an impulse buy or a true love situation. Buying a PVD gold watch can be strange, there are a lot of option but is the feeling of having something that is not the real deal that makes you feel a bit dirty as you might be posing as something that you are not. PVD gold applications are very well done these days but I think the right watch must be chosen to get a good look. The obvious choice a dress watch, is much lover key than a diver in full yellow, but I wanted something in between, something that look classic but not a two hander only fit to wear in a dinner party. Suddenly after searching for a whole afternoon the Gold Alpinist SPB210J1 was magically launch on Seiko’s website, this was perfect, I was missing a Seiko in my collection and the sunburst green seemed like a marvel to the eyes, I ran to the virtual check out and after a day it was at my doorstep, here are my impressions:

The specifications and the Vario Strap.

The watch is perfect, it has a 39.5 mm case but for some reason it feels smaller on my 6.25-inch wrist. The two crowns at 3 and 4 o clock have that old school feeling that the previous Alpinist gave you. The watch has some very good improvements on the movement giving you more power reserve (70 hours with the caliber 6R35), a cyclops and a see trough case back. The new movement has a slower beat rate but having a watch that lasts for the whole weekend is quite impressive at this price range. The watch comes with a brown leather strap and a gold PDV folding clasp, the quality is exceptional, but I did pair it with a Vario vintage leather black strap. I think this particular strap gives that vintage but sporty look that can be worn every day, it brings a sophistication to a watch that can be already be considered an icon.

On The wrist:

Like all Seiko Alpinists, the watch is very slender under 12mm and I really thought that with gold markers, a gold case, gold buckle and twin gold crowns the look would be just too much “bling”, it isn’t. The watch looks like it was meant to be in gold, it has this old age feeling which can only be match by that old school Seiko logo. It is very legible and secretly, I am an admirer of the cyclops, looks (I am rolling my eyes) very Rolex like. The watch is very light and comfortable, and I can see why this is an explorer’s artifact, is easy to wear and the compass (although I don’t know how to use) makes the Alpinist look like a real tool on any color scheme you decide to go for.

Conclusions:

The way that the Gold Alpinist or ‘’Goldpinist’’ looks is more that I was hoping for, is legible, light and doesn’t look outside of place in almost every situation. This was a very surprising addition to my collection, something that you could say it was an impulsive purchase kind of thing but instead of becoming a placeholder until I am 40 it has become a watch that I don’t see myself letting go, perhaps for my 40^th birthday I should consider something else? I wonder what can fulfil that middle age crisis like a gold watch? Perhaps a Porsche? Let’s hope not.

Written by Robbie from Robbie & Watches

Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated.

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