Seiko Prospex Land Alpinist 39.5mm

Like many of you, I stumbled into the watch world wide-eyed and full of curiosity. I started off with a bunch of Casios and quartz pieces that I bought without much thought. But once I discovered the “real watch world,” I dove deep — research, YouTube, forums, Reddit… the works. And among all the watches that kept popping up as a fan-favorite was the Seiko Alpinist SPB121.

Everything about it fascinated me: the history, the green dial, the cathedral hands, the internal compass bezel — it felt like a proper enthusiast’s choice. After weeks of reading and watching, I decided: this was it. My first real mechanical watch.

And when it arrived, I was blown away — but also… confused.

There’s no doubt it’s a beautiful watch. The sunburst green dial in changing light, the golden indices, the smooth sweep of the seconds hand — it screams quality. But once the honeymoon wore off, I started asking myself: Was this the right first watch for me?

The Alpinist felt a bit too “special.” It wasn’t something I wanted to wear every day, and I found myself babying it more than wearing it. It sat oddly between dressy and sporty — not quite versatile enough for daily use, not flashy enough to wear just occasionally. And with its compact yet chunky case (especially with that thickness), it didn’t sit as comfortably on my wrist as I hoped.

And let’s be honest — the strap it comes with is crap. It looks fine in photos, but it’s stiff, squeaky, and felt like an afterthought. I swapped it out almost immediately. I eventually put the watch on a bracelet, which definitely helped — made it feel more solid, more wearable. But the feeling stayed: I had bought a great watch… but maybe not the right one at that moment.

Looking back, I think I jumped ahead. I wanted to be the kind of person who owned the Alpinist, without asking if I was ready to wear it. And that’s something I’ve come to appreciate more now — how our taste in watches evolves, and how sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.

Would I recommend the Alpinist? Absolutely — but maybe not as your first mechanical watch. It’s a watch you grow into. One that makes more sense once you know your style, your habits, and what kind of wrist presence actually suits you.

I still keep mine. Not because I wear it all the time, but because it reminds me of how far I’ve come in this hobby — and how much further I’ve got to go.