The Seiko SARB059One of 3 watches from the same alpinist series which come in 3 colors.- Sarb059 All Stainless Steel case and bezel with black engraved text on besel, Comes in stainless steel bracelet.- Sarb061 Black PVD bezel with white engraved text and stainless steel case, Comes in leather strap.- Sarb083 All black PVD with a black PVD bezel with white engraved text, comes in Black PVD Stainless steel bracelet, This one is also limited to 500 units.The watch itself is quite nice. weighs a hefty but not excesive 150g (note : a link was removed. so it should weigh a few grams more when recived new)The case:The case is a polished and more refined version of the same case which is put on the SKX007/9 watches. 41mm and comfortable on the wrist. being the same case allows it to retain the same water resistance of 200 meters.It carries the Alpinist symbol on the back of the case which is 3 mountain peaks with alpinist engraved at the foot of the first mountain aswell as the serial number and the made in japan marking.The bezel and face :Once again excuse the dirt on the face. i thought i cleaned it but it seems that the camara insisted on finding new dirt.The face usualy looks black to the eye but turns a deep dark green in different lightings. I´m unsure if this is particular to the SARB059 or is shared by all 3 watches. the details on the face are quite good.The hands are sword style and the 5 minute markers are actually polished metal plaques with lume painted on top leaving the edges in shiney polished metal. it gives it quite a quality look. The seiko logo is also a laser cut metal plaque. the 1 minute markers are painted in white aswell as the square around the date window. theres also the automatic 23 jewelel 20BAR text printed just above the 6 o´clock position which while painted in a glossy white paint looks quite good.One thing that disapoints is that the watch comes with a mineral crystal insted of sapphire. i guess that for a 500 buck seiko sapphire cant be expected. but i´ve allready managed to scratch it and it didnt feel too well doing it.The bezel has no steps/clocks. its a combination compass/divers besel which "floats". its not easy to move and requires some force (but its not set in stone either). its stiff enough to not move on its own or with small nudges or hits. but still soft enough so you can push it without destoying your fingers.Another interesting feature on this watch is the inner ring. which on diving watches usualy contain minute markers. but in this case it has printed on it Ground to Air comunication symbols for emergencies.Its a curious feature which can be of use for the very very (VERY) few people who will use this watch for its intended use but considering that most people who actually go on these kinds of expeditions usualy wear a sunto or a casio pathfinder series which which is must more usfull. i like it. it gives the watch something unique. other people see it as annoying or breaking the estetics of the watch. thats their opinion which i respect but not share.As a last detail of the case you notice that the crown has the Seiko S engraved on it. the crown is a screw in crown which feels solid but can get fidigity when trying to set the date or time after handwinding it.The bracelet:The bracelet on this watch is a mixed bag. It feels solid and well done with its solid links and full end links like in higher end seiko watches and the SuperOyster bracelets.The bracelet comes with 3 removable links on each side (6 in total). which are easy to remove (i removed one at home with a basic bracelet tool). Heres a picture of it with also the bracelet referance code, the arrows showing that the link in question can be removed.But as i ranted about in a previous thread the clasp is absolute trash.Its a basic seiko pressed sheet metal clasp with 2 adjustment holes and no divers extention. this is probobly the most cheap and basic clasp seiko issues on metal bracelet watches. more fitting of a entery level quartz or Seiko 5 then an alpinist.Its a true disapointment to find such a clasp on a watch of this category. even independent watch makers which make eta 2824-2 based watches in the same 400-500 dollar range put better clasps on their watches and Seiko has the advantage of economies of scale on their side. one of the first modifications you should do to this watch is to replace that clasp. or if you wish it also looks quite well on a nato strap.The movement :The trusty 6R15B Seiko workhorse movement. not as popular as the 7S series but its quite good and solid.21600 V/H, Hacking, Handwinding, Quickset for date. rated at -15/+25 seconds a day with a 55h power reserve.Things i´ve noticed about the movement :The time can be slightly problematic to set after handwinding it, its recomended that you screw back the crown to initial position and start over.The date change starts at around 11pm and takes around an hour to do. while my zenith el primer you hear a smack around 11:59 and the date changes. Not sure if its a good thing being a less violent change or a bad thing for taking so long to change.The movement itself is running between +4 and +7 seconds a day depending on which position the watch is left at. putting it in line with a elaborate level ETA 2824-2. the seconds hand movement is smooth but you can still notice small jumps. as to be expected from a watch running at 21.600.So final thoughts:Its a good solid watch. the case and most of the bracelet feels solid. and the movement offers for the price what is to be expected of a automatic in that price range. its a very nice watch that supposobly 41mm but felt larger then my 42mm planet ocean. the green taint on the face might not be for everyone. and some will dislike the ground to air dictornary on the inner ring. but i like it. i think its an hansome watch thats worth the money i paid for it (410 euros from seiya japan on may 2010)Pros :Solid proven movmenet with goor preformance for its price.Solid case that comes from a long line of proven seiko divers.excelent finish on the dial and caseIts quite hansome and looks a bit beyond its price.Cons :I cant say it enough times. the clasp is absolute garbage. especialy when mounted on such a quality bracelet and case.Feels a bit flimsy when handwinding. probobly a stem issue.Besel and glass arent as scratch resistant as i would have liked.Might not be as competitive as some options from independent watchmakers like christopher ward...If you want a solid japanese auto. this watch is a VERY good option. just take in to mind the few shortcommings