Seiko Alpinist & Hamilton Khaki Field - Sub $500 Swiss Vs. Japan Watch Comparison by 555 Gear 

I must agree, thanks for watching

Date wheel is black. Dial is green. I think this is a lazy, epic fail by Seiko and should be fixed in the next Alpinist model. Date wheels should either match the dial or match/balance the opposing indice (i.e. 9 o'clock).

the new alpinist's price raised a lot, in europe it's 650€ more or less... :(

Thanks for noticing! 👌

H10 is awesome

I've got a nice scratch on my Khaki auto brushed clasp. Any diy to fix it? Thanks

Good point. Final score should be Hamilton - 5, Seiko - 3.

But the movement has also just 21.600 bph same frequenz like the saiko. So they can give 80h of powerreserve. I love this hamilton. Timless and understatement but also elegant👍🏻

I think the difference in water resistance ratings is much more than just a talking point. There’s a common misconception that 100m resistance rating means it can withstand 100m depth - it actually means it may only resist light immersion. 100m does not give full confidence for surface swimming let alone snorkelling. A 30m watch will barely resist gentle splashing under a tap. 200m is ok for surface swimming, and the Alpinist here has a screw down crown but the compass crown is not, so I’m not sure I’d trust it.

That's why I say get them both :)

Oh no!!

Seiko will likely come out with a blue and/or black dial with the 4R35/36 movement or bump the price up to $800 range if it keeps the 6R15. Seiko is making the 6R15 movement series for the ~$1000 watches and the 4R35/36 movement series for their $300-$500 watches.

I think Seiko has also an "Alipinist-like" model with a compass again and a sand/cream dial, as well as a model with black dial.

may I ask your wrist size?

@@michaell3128 7 1/4 inches

@@Robalansson im at around 7.4, but thick wrist, i think i will go for the 38 as well, thanks for the reply! have a nice day.

No problem

Thanks for your comment!

Yes. I love mine but the lume is not good.

Agreed. The lume isn't great, which can sometimes be a problem. Bring back radium, I say.

Glad to hear you're enjoying it

That's a great watch, enjoy it & thanks for stopping by.

I just picked up a Hami Khaki King. It’s a real nice watch w/ a lot of the similarities in this Hamilton Khaki Field and it’s a 40mm so it might be what your looking for. Good luck on your watch journey.

Online I found 1!! AD in Vienna that carries the Brand. Kind of funny for a Swiss Company as we are a neighbouring country. But I plan to drive there in April. It's pretty far. But I rather check it out in person than Blind buy. That price is a bit too much just to spend for a review and then being stuck with a watch I might not like. I've been looking forward to this for a while but never treated myself to it, so I think it's finally time. Thanks for the info.

555 Gear there is 38mm

@Mickey Tuck But I've heard bad things about the water resistance. I don't dare go swimming with my Hamilton. I'm thinking of having a threaded crown installed on this watch.

Yeah the Swiss made Hamilton beats it hands down!

Uhmm guys.. No

lmao too relatable

You know you can still get them? I just got a Sarb033 for very good money. These videos helped me make up my mind. if you have your heart set on one, go for it. I wouldn't feel pressurized into it though.

They're still available.

I got on the Alpinist bandwagon about a year ago. I wasn't sure about the green dial but you simply can't tell how beautiful it is until you have one in your hand. I was so impressed I bought a second Alpinist to hand down in the family or as a backup in case I break it, which I doubt.

Oh no! I keep hearing that. I may just have to get one to scratch that itch. ;)

I reviewed this watch 2 years ago check out my annotations, personally I'm glad it's getting press I hope they would make a good replacement.

Thanks this is a nice balanced opinion!

So, then you can try to be alpinist, work at hight.

It's a super thin strap it doesn't make much of a difference

But still bro, the devils in the details

Glad you enjoyed it

Thanks for your comment. That Grand Seiko is a really amazing watch. I'm a big Seiko fan here, but I haven't had the bad experiences with ETA movements if some people have. Appreciate you weighing in at any rate!

Actually 3. A Baume Mercier, a Doxa, and a Glycine...

Seiko quality control, especially the Turtle, has been complete shi*t. Seiko bias is definitely hurting Seiko quality.

sharpsvilleBill I agree. I’ve never been impressed with any of my ETA 2824 powered Swiss watches. Accuracy, run-time, and quality of finish has varied from one brand to another. I’ve never had an issue with my Seiko’s, whether equipped with the 7s26 or 6r movement.

Thanks! I believe I reviewed this watch a couple years ago favorably. 👍

Thanks for weighing in!

The Alpinist does not have a day as well as date complication. It does not have quick-snap functionality in the watch movement. The movement is not as accurate as that the adapted ETA - I know I have two watches with the alpinist movement and two watches with this same adapted ETA and the Hamiltons are far more accurate. The quality of the case is superior in terms of precision in the Hamilton - the internal bezel of the Aplinist is often a little wonky. The hands of the Hamilton are more precise with the second hand running exactly along the track right out to the indices where the seconds are marked. The watch strap with the Hamilton is superb, one of the best leather straps I have ever had on a watch in this price bracket and vastly superior to that useless tat that comes with the Alpinist. It also comes with a superb signed buckle - to put the Alpinist on an equivalent quality strap it will cost at least 100 pounds to get a top quality Hirsch. The Alpinist is actually more expensive by some margin in the UK as it requires importing from the US or Japan. In total around 200 pounds more than the Hamilton. Absolutely no contest - the Hamilton wipes the floor with it. As for Seiko, i'm a big fan, but am far happier with my Sarb 033 and Sarb 035 as well as my classic SKX 007. Alpinist is an ok watch. The dial looks lovely, but it has far too many drawbacks and there are superior options in this price range. In fact for around 200 pounds more money, in the UK it is possible to get the Hamilton Interstella watch and that wipes the floor with the Alpinist on every conceivable level.

ETA 2824-2 is a better movement in my opinion. They are both about the same... however the beat frequency of the ETA 2824-2 is 28,800 while the Seiko 6R15 is 21,600. This creates a smoother second hands sweep, which is pleasing to the eye. If this didn't matter, then ask why does Grand Seiko brag about the "Hi-Beat" 36,000 and Spring Drive movements' smooth second hand sweep actions?

Shipmate That's something to consider. Of course, a lower beat rate causes less wear to the movement... But I agree, the higher rate is nice. I still prefer the in-house movement of the Seiko. I think it adds a lot to the piece, whereas the Hamilton has the "same-old" ETA 2824-2. Both are nice movements.

Shipmate Actually the 2824 in the Hamilton is modified by Hamilton and has been slowed down to 21,600 bph, so in that regard they are the same.

Yeah those macros pick up a lot of details, thanks for watching

DonjonArmory Hamilton khaki mechanical

I think in real world applications they would hold up equally well and it's more matter of preference

Isaac Rogers Good point.

lol

That's what it's all about!

The hammy is much more versatile. You can use it in basically any situation and to most outfits. Meanwhile the Alpinist is a specialist which you can wear a few days per month.

Clever738 can't see it myself, the Alpinist is my daily wear,(admittedly I mostly wear black!) can be dressed up or used as a beater due to its 200m water resistance & diashock & spron mainspring, whereas the Hamilton is too plain (IMO) to be dressed up & lacks the WR for me to be a daily wear. Either way, both very cool watches & it'd be boring if we all liked the same thing! Cheers 👍

Green compliments almost every color. One exception might be black.

You are so wrong. The Hammy is way better and not butt ugly.

Thanks for watching!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

TGV

@@Mezbaul_Skywalker_Alam no TGV is low key biased because he is a sponsored reviewer. He even suggests shitty nato straps that I fell for.

Taylor W. Point the twelve at the sun then move the compass north marking to the position right the middle of the 12 and the hour hand, voila!

David Song Wrong...

I'd love to see some made-in-usa Hamilton's, but honestly the trickle-down quality from Swatch hasn't been bad in my experience

555 Gear Ya, im just bitter. Couple years ago i got my wife a tissott T-race. It always had some kind of problem but finally got bad enough we sent it in for repair. They wanted slightly less than the cost of a new one so ww just had them send it back. I have a couple hamiltons myself and have had them both fixed at high cost. I have the frogman replica and the touchscreen t-touch and the only one i really like is the frogman but its been expensive! Won't be buying any more in the future. I'd recommend looking at Ball watches! That'll be my next watch.

Thank you!

I'm not a big fan of day dates but if you like it then good for you!

I happen to love the full day and date on the Khaki King. I also prefer the 40mm size to 38mm. To each his/her own.

Wrong .. both have sapphire glass .