Watches are tools with a very basic purpose: They tell time. But for the human beings who wear them, they are so much more than timekeepers. They are also pieces of fashion, art, history, culture, and engineering.

This can create value that goes beyond the price tag. Everyone has their own story, and nothing beats the joy of finding the right watch for you. This is the story of my Seiko SPB157 Baby Alpinist.

Back in December 2022, I went to Livermore, California, to visit relatives. I also had a blast biking around, especially in San Francisco. While waiting for the return flight at San Francisco International Airport, I checked out one of the shops with watches on display.

My eyes were drawn to the familiar green dial of the Seiko Alpinist. I had been out of the loop since 2017, back when the SARB017 was still a JDM exclusive. But ever since Seiko went upscale and expanded, it seems the watch is now readily available to the global market under the Prospex line.

Looking at the adjacent watches, my eyes were immediately hooked on a blue Alpinist. Unlike the regular one, the SPB157 doesn’t have the compass complication, giving the watch a much simpler and cleaner look.

I took a look at the price tag, a sign that I’d seriously consider getting the watch. And after converting the US dollars and adding sales tax, the total would be around P45,000. I cross-checked with the Seiko Philippines website and found out that it was roughly P10,000 more expensive at the airport.

Being the budget-conscious buyer I am, I checked Facebook Marketplace and found a listing for P26,000. Even better, the seller was my neighbor in Barangay Kapitolyo. I messaged him while lining up for boarding. I told him I wanted to meet ASAP, but I just had to fly back from the USA.

After arriving home and getting a good night’s sleep, the first thing I did was bike to the meetup and get the watch. Aside from the original leather strap, it came with a Miltat bracelet. I remember celebrating my new purchase by having coffee at 1C Coffee.

I hadn’t imagined getting a new watch, especially a Seiko. Still, the SPB157 ticked all the right boxes: a blue dial, a slim 38mm case, the simplified Alpinist design, the robust 6R35 movement with 200m of water resistance, and most importantly, a great deal.

The highlight for me was the dial because it went above and beyond my expectations. It has a textured finish with a subtle color gradient from light to dark toward the edges. The railroad-style outer track, the painted markers, the cathedral hands, and the faux patina give the watch a classic feel.

Even the presence of the Prospex logo doesn’t detract from the visual experience (as opposed to someone who finds Seiko‘s current lineup to be oversaturated and overpriced compared to 2017).

The combination of all these gives the Baby Alpinist unmatched character and style that I value more than the crown logo on a Rolex Explorer. Rather than desiring a watch for the sake of luxury, I actually like the Seiko for its own merits. It was also fitting that I spent my own money on this, as a working adult on my first job.

The more I thought about my Alpinist, the more I realized how much this particular model made sense for me.

I used to like dive watches (I even had an SKX007). But I realized they’re like the SUVs of the watch world. People buy them for the rugged construction, but don’t actually use them for their intended purpose. Hence, there are terms like “desk diver” or “office diver.”

Realistically, a field watch made more sense for me as someone who traveled on foot a lot, especially when abroad. Not only are they slimmer than divers’ watches (and fit my wrist better), but they still have a sense of utility stemming from their military and mountaineering roots.

The Alpinist was my graduation from diver’s watches. In car-speak, it was like realizing that wagons and hatchbacks are much cooler and more practical than SUVs and crossovers.

Sadly, I don’t get to wear my Seiko as much as I’d like. After my accident in Morgan Territory, I can’t wear a watch anymore while biking in Metro Manila without experiencing discomfort from the bumps and potholes. Plus, I wouldn’t want my Alpinist scraping against my equally precious bicycle.

Despite that, my Alpinist has still seen its fair share of usage with the occasional motoring events and overseas trips. My most memorable moments with it include cycling around Taipei, and climbing Huangshan in China, which was the first time I wore the field watch in the mountains.

Although I don’t plan on wearing the Alpinist while riding this bicycle, I realize that the field watch matches my Bridgestone Eurasia very well. Both are Japan-made tools for outdoor adventures that are equally practical and elegant, with a mix of antiquity and modernity.

Given that my Alpinist costs as much as a folding bike, I considered selling it at different times—especially when I was invested in upgrading my gravel bike. However, that never pushed through. All it takes is one look at the dial to remember why.

There’s really no other watch that suits me as well as this one.