1 of 500 Seiko SSASS Alpinist SBCJ023

I’ve been casually waiting on the sidelines to feature a very special Seiko for some time now. I have search alerts set up for a wide range of rare references. Today, I was astounded to find this recent listing. Alpinists are, at risk of sounding pretentious, the beginner Seiko enthusiast’s pick. This is not at all to say that there isn’t nuance to the Alpinist range, only to say what a great starter watch it is. Nuance in the Alpinist range can come in the form of red signatures, the pair of EU limited editions, or, if you’re a grizzled Seiko hardcore: this.

The SSASS, or Seven Summits Actions for Sustainable Society, was a very limited Alpinist released in honour of Japanese-American mountaineer Ken Noguchi and his foundation. The foundation combats the heaps of garbage growing in remote but frequently-visited natural preserves. The foundation has removed tonnes of trash from Everest and Noguchi has personally donated large amounts to the families of Sherpas lost in avalanche. All around, worthy cause to rally behind and support. It is no surprise that this 2003 Alpinist with its teal dial is highly collected today. The Alpinist is powered by an 8F56 high accuracy quartz.

It’s almost not worth commenting on condition of a watch like this. If you want it, this is your only shot for the foreseeable future. But I will digress nonetheless. The case and bracelet show signs of daily wear. The limited engravings (#414/500) are still visible. Its bezel and crystal show no hard knocks. All components are original. The dial has survived unchanged. The battery has been replaced and its perpetual calendar set correctly. It comes with a full set from a seller with many transactions on the forum.

Find this SSASS Alpinist here on r/watchexchange for 6000 USD.