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Gugliermo
1317
Jan 2, 2018
That's a Gorgeous Seiko, it really pulls me. It does a green dial like few others.....On the short list for sure.....(-;
PetrosD
3702
Jan 3, 2018
GugliermoIt's a pretty nice watch, although at 39.5 mm it's really the smallest I would go, based on the dial and bezel design. I was toying with the idea of a dress watch (for my 8" wrist) being 38mm as an ideal size, and after wearing this for a while I think I like my 40mm dress watches just fine. Depending on the bezel and dial design, 38mm might feel too small.
For a smaller wrist, this watch will feel absolutely perfect.
Gugliermo
1317
Jan 3, 2018
PetrosDI like 40mm as well for a dress size, but 1/2mm won't matter. When I go for the green, it will be the Alpinist.. So many watches, so little time....
PetrosD
3702
Jan 3, 2018
GugliermoI actually now have three green dial watches, each with its own character.
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Gugliermo
1317
Jan 3, 2018
PetrosDThat Evant is also striking...very attractive watch!
PetrosD
3702
Jan 3, 2018
GugliermoThanks!
middlepath
60
Jan 5, 2018
PetrosDI have a 6.75" wrist. Do you think the Alpinist would fit me okay?
PetrosD
3702
Jan 5, 2018
middlepathAbsolutely. I think it will wear better on your wrist than mine. What size watches do you normally wear?
middlepath
60
Jan 5, 2018
PetrosDThe last watch I owned was a very nice Raymond Weil rectangular watch and I think that was around 32 mm tall (they made watches smaller back then). I lost it in a move fifteen years ago and haven't bought a watch since. But I've been looking for a nice watch for a few months now as I want to start wearing one again.
PetrosD
3702
Jan 5, 2018
middlepathI have three Raymond Weil watches, two from 1997 when sizes were smaller. One is 34mm and the other is 36mm. I've given the 34mm to my wife and I occasionally wear the 36mm even though it's pretty small on me because I love the design. RW makes wonderful watches and they are highly underrated.
It's great that you want to wear a watch again. You've come to the right place. There are many wonderful watches to choose from, and Seiko makes a quality watch. If you like the design, I can definitely recommend the Alpinist. It's a nice balance of sports/tool watch and dress watch and, depending on strap, can be dressed up or down.
PetrosD
3702
Jan 5, 2018
middlepathI also suggest visiting some watch stores and trying some on at different sizes to see what you are comfortable with on your wrist. If you have a Macy's nearby, they'll have a selection of Seiko, Tissot and Victorinox, among others, that you can try. For the ones you think fit best, be sure to get all the info on the tag so you can look them up later and confirm the diameter. I am guessing that for you wrist, you would be comfortable with watches from 34-40mm, depending on watch style.
middlepath
60
Jan 5, 2018
PetrosDWhat a coincidence. I bought my Raymond Weil around the same time as you did. I had a Movado before that and grew tired of it, so I traded it in for the Raymond Weil. I loved my RW as it was a beautiful watch and had a very nice weight to it.
I really like the look of the Alpinist and I know Seiko makes quality watches. And I totally see your point re it has a nice balance of sports/ tool watch and dress watch. Now I just need to find a seller that offers a US warranty, not the Japan-only warranty.
Thanks for all your feedback. I truly do appreciate it.
PetrosD
3702
Jan 5, 2018
middlepathGlad to be of help my friend. Here are my 1997 RWs. The Parsifal is 34mm and the Tango is 36mm.
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middlepath
60
Jan 5, 2018
PetrosDI’ll stop by Macy’s here in San Francisco this weekend. That should be fun. Thanks for the suggestion.
middlepath
60
Jan 5, 2018
PetrosDYour Raymond Weils are very nice. Classic and elegant styling.
PetrosD
3702
Jan 5, 2018
middlepathIf you're at a mall, see if there is a RW dealer. You never know, you might find one you like. I still think they make fantastic watches. The quality of their cases and bracelets are as good as any other watch I've tried on. And after 20 years, my RWs are still incredibly accurate with no servicing other than battery changes (both are quartz).
middlepath
60
Jan 5, 2018
PetrosDI would love to have another RW watch but am leery of spending as much as I did on the last one then losing it. I recall there used to be a RW dealer in downtown San Francisco. I’ll check it out this weekend.
Btw, what do you think of the Glycine Combat 6 36mm watch that’s currently on Massdrop?
PetrosD
3702
Jan 5, 2018
middlepathGlycine makes a solid watch (I own two). I hadn't considered that watch myself because of the 36mm size but that would be a great size for you. That watch can also look a little more dressy or casual. I'd you like a blue or black dial, I would opt for the bracelet version to make it more dressy, and then you can get leather or NATO straps to change up the look. Not a bad first watch after 15 years of not owning one.
middlepath
60
Jan 7, 2018
PetrosDWhere do you suggest I buy the Alpinist. It’s on Amazon with a two-year Asurion warranty, and on eBay and a few non-eBay sites with Japan-only warranty. All sellers are in Japan.
PetrosD
3702
Jan 7, 2018
middlepathSomehow when I bought mine, Amazon was selling it with a 3 year Seiko warranty, not Asurion, but now they don't appear to be selling that way. Since it's a JDM watch, most likely the best you'll find is an international 1-year warranty. I've heard good things about Seiya Japan but have no experience with them. Gnomon watches also sells them and I've bought two watches from Gnomon (a Squale and an Evant), so I can recommend them. I was personally reluctant to buy from the many eBay sellers, but most people wouldn't hesitate to buy from one with a lot of feedback and 100% rating.
You can also check out the recommendations in this thread: https://www.massdrop.com/talk/2062/where-to-get-seiko-sarb-017
middlepath
60
Jan 7, 2018
PetrosDThanks again for your feedback. Seiya and a few other online sellers offer an international one-year warranty. I don't see a warranty on Gnomon's site so I sent them a message asking if they offer one.
PetrosD
3702
Jan 7, 2018
middlepathThey address it on their FAQ page. http://www.gnomonwatches.com/faq
middlepath
60
Jan 7, 2018
PetrosDAwesome. Thank you.Any idea what is better, a one-year international warranty or a two-year Asurion warranty via Amazon.
PetrosD
3702
Jan 7, 2018
middlepathI don't know for sure. The international warranty would be provided by Seiko, which is better, but I don't know the mechanics of sending it in for repair. I would imagine that Seiko USA would support an International Warranty claim and, if so, I think that's what I would choose. Seikos, by reputation, are pretty reliable, so I would think that if a problem doesn't crop up in the first year, you're probably good to go.
middlepath
60
Apr 2, 2018
PetrosDI just received my Alpinist from Japan. Overall, I’m disappointed. I thought it would be bigger @ 38 mm. The face on my Glycine Combat 6 36mm is bigger than the Alpinist‘s. Not sure if I’ll keep it.
PetrosD
3702
Apr 2, 2018
middlepathI'm sorry you're disappointed. I thought with your wrist size it would be fine, but that's a matter of personal preference. I wear mine all the time with a much larger wrist. I'd like it to be a little bigger, say 40mm, but it doesn't bother me. You should have no trouble reselling it if you decide not to keep it.
PetrosD
3702
Apr 3, 2018
middlepathI think the problem you have with the Alpinist isn't that it's too small, it's that it wears small. Take a look the the following picture, comparing a Victorinox Alliance with the Seiko Alpinist. The measurements are those I took with my calipers. The Alliance is rated as 40mm and the Alpinist is 39.5 (not 38). My measurement of the case diameter is the top line, measured at the 2 and 8. You can see that the Alliance is about .5 mm wider (.6 by my measure). However, the third measure shows the distance across just inside the bezel. It's a 4 mm difference between the two. The middle measurement is the distance across the dial from the bottom of the slope of the Alliance chapter ring and the Alpinist compass bezel. Here is difference in diameter is nearly 5mm. When you look at the Alpinist, the eye is drawn to the indices and chapter ring, which is just over 27mm. When you glance at the watch to read the time, that's really what the eye sees. I believe that is the problem you have with the watch, not the actual case size. Although the watch cases are only marginally different in size, the Alliance clearly looks far bigger than the Alpinist, and believe me it wears much bigger.
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middlepath
60
Apr 3, 2018
PetrosDThank you. Yes, that's exactly it, the Alpinist wears small. Your analysis explains it very well. That explains why my Glycine Combat 6 36mm looks bigger when in actuality it's not. I haven't tried the Alpinist on yet as I don't want to damage it in any way just in case I return it. But the more I look at it, the more it grows on me. I really hate the strap it came with, though.
PetrosD
3702
Apr 3, 2018
middlepathThe OEM strap is not very good, and it was too small for my wrist anyway. I really like the Strapcode bracelet I have it on now, but have also put it on some other leather straps that look great on it.
It's a gorgeous watch, the size might grow on you once you start wearing it. No doubt in my mind that the case size is fine for your wrist, just whether the size of the dial gives you what you want.
middlepath
60
Apr 4, 2018
PetrosDI was looking at the Strapcode Double Oyster and Angus today. Both look great on the Alpinist.
middlepath
60
Apr 4, 2018
PetrosD
3702
Apr 4, 2018
middlepathI went with the oyster bracelet. I've never been a fan of the way jubilee bracelets feel, but I'll admit it looks good.
middlepath
60
Apr 14, 2018
PetrosDMe again. What is it about the feel of jubilee bracelets that you like?
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