When a brand as commercially successful and socially revered as Seiko turns 145 years old, the celebration can’t be too big. A steady stream of anniversary releases has been coming out all year, and the Japanese titan of watchmaking just added a five-piece “Edo purple” collection to the festivities.
Each watch exhibits a specific expression of the honored Japanese hue, and for my money, the standout reference is the Prospex Alpinist. The delicate purple looks so novel and elegant on one of Seiko’s most revered designs.
Seiko revised the Alpinist in late 2025, and this is the first addition to the mountaineering collection since then. The current iteration notably returns the stylized Alpinist logo, which first appeared in 1959, to the watch’s dial, underlining the Seiko logo.
It features a 40mm stainless steel case with dual crowns. The one positioned at 4:00 operates the collection’s signature internal rotating compass bezel.
Another update from 2025 is the Caliber 6R55 automatic movement ticking away inside, one of Seiko’s best movements used outside of its luxury brands. It beats at 4Hz and packs an impressive three-day power reserve, as indicated on the dial.
