Introducing: The New Seiko Prospex Alpinist SPB531, A New Blue European Exclusive

What We Know

It's a great day for fans of the Alpinist, a watch that has somewhat of a cult following. The watch, which was originally made in 1959 for Japanese mountaineers to reliably track their time and find their way home, now has a new variant exclusive to the European market. Based on the popular SPB121 Alpinist model, the new SPB531 has a new blue dial inspired by the night sky above the Matterhorn, featuring a subtle vertical striped pattern, paired with 'cathedral style' silver-toned hour and minute hands.

The watch measures 39.5mm by 13.2mm with a 46.4mm stainless steel case. If you know the Alpinist, you know the functions of the 6R35 caliber movement inside—hours, minutes, seconds (with stop function), and date—and that the movement has approximately 70 hours of power reserve. There's also that inner rotating compass bezel, which you can use to help navigate your way home. If you don't know, in the northern hemisphere, you point your hour hand at the sun, and roughly between there and 12 o'clock on the dial should be south. Here, you can use the second crown to align that compass bezel with that southern direction and navigate.

As is the case with many Seiko limited editions, it is limited, but they are still making quite a few of them. There will be 3,000 of the SPB531 when it hits the market, and preorders are now open, priced at CHF 930. The watch is delivered on a deep blue calf leather strap, with an additional navy nylon strap in the special edition box.

What We Think

I'm more of a diver guy than an Alpinist guy, so while I'm stepping outside my normal comfort zone, my immediate reaction was that people who love the Alpinist will love this watch. The SPB089 is the obvious comparison point, a US-exclusive release from 2019 with a blue dial. But that dial was a bright sunburst finish. Some people love it, but I think field watches such as this work better with a more matte dial that gives it a rugged look. The SPB089 was limited to 1959 pieces and still trades above retail (though retail was lower at the time). It's possible that with over 1,000 more of the new SPB531 available, more people will finally be able to scratch their blue Alpinist itch.

The Basics

Brand: Seiko
Model: Prospex Alpinist
Reference Number: SPB531

Diameter: 39.5mm
Thickness: 13.2mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Color: Blue
Indexes: Applied, with printed rehaut
Lume: Hands and hours
Water Resistance: 200m
Strap/Bracelet: Deep blue leather and extra textured nylon strap, delivered with a steel deployant

The Movement

Caliber: Caliber 6R35
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, inner rotating compass bezel
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Winding: Automatic winding (manual winding possible)
Frequency: 21,600 bph
Jewels: 24
Chronometer Certified: No, -15 to +25 seconds per day (if static)
Additional Details: Sapphire crystal with lens