On 2/24/21 Seiko launched four new Alpinist models for 2021. The hype in this launch is around a re-creation of the 1959 Seiko Laurel Alpinist on a leather cuff strap. This new model SLJE085 is a limited edition with 1,959 being produced. Powered by a Seiko caliber 6L35 automatic movement, the 36.6mm vintage inspired adventurer’s timepiece has a glossy black dial with Lumibrite glowing the hands and mountain peak hour markers. It is very similar to the original watch:

Quick take? Seiko should have left the date off of the new design. And if the strap isn’t your style, don’t worry, the regular strap can slide out of the protective cuff with ease. From the images provided by Seiko, it appears that the strap may be available in 2 color options: brown and grey. Hopefully someone on the Seiko design team didn’t mess up the color filtering, because the grey strap looks way cooler than the brown, plus it matches the old one better. We will know more when this piece becomes available in August 2021. So you have a few months to decide if you will be dropping $2,900 USD  – almost $80 per millimeter of diameter – to cop one.

In addition to the vintage reissue, the 2021 Alpinist drop also includes 3 “modern re-interpretation” pieces for under $1,000.