Seiko Spirit

Watches in the Seiko Spirit collection are especially popular among collectors and Seiko enthusiasts. This is primarily due to the fact that, between 1990 and 2019, Seiko limited the release of these watches to the Japanese market. They're what's known as Japanese domestic market (JDM) models and are extremely difficult to find outside of Japan.

The Spirit collection consists of a wide variety of different watches. The selection ranges from sporty dress watches and retro quartz timepieces with LCDs to new editions of cult watches like the “Ripley.”

However, individual Spirit models have turned up in Seiko's regular portfolio again and again. The SARB line's Alpinist, for example, was originally limited to the Japanese market but is now one of the most popular watches in the Prospex collection.

You can purchase a Seiko Spirit from the 1990s on Chrono24, starting at around 100 USD. Such models are most often simple three-hand quartz timepieces with a date display. Watches with a similar design and an auto-quartz caliber (predecessor of the current Kinetic caliber) cost about 100 USD more. There's an entire series of quartz chronographs for roughly the same price, in a wide range of designs.

Classic dress watches like the Spirit SZSB012 or SARB033 come with automatic in-house calibers and change hands on Chrono24 for between 440 and 850 USD. The JDM version of the popular Alpinist will set you back about another 200 USD.

Collectors are particularly interested in the Seiko Spirit Smart models created together with designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, a line that includes watches like the Ripley and the Rider. Depending on the model and condition, you can call one of these watches your own for between 300 and 850 USD.

The Spirit collection contains a few interesting automatic models. A particularly popular model is the reference SARB033, which, due to its resemblance to the Grand Seiko SBGA003, is also known as the “Baby Grand Seiko.” The 38-mm stainless steel dress watch features a black dial with applied bar indices, dauphine hands, and a date window at 3 o'clock.

The watch is fitted with the precise in-house caliber 6R15, which boasts a power reserve of 50 hours. Seiko discontinued the SARB033 in late 2019, which drove up demand and prices for this watch. In December 2019, you could have called this timepiece yours for roughly 460 USD; in January 2022, the same watch cost approximately 900 USD.

If you're looking for an affordable alternative, look no further than the Seiko Spirit SZSB012. The SZSB012 speaks the same design language as the SARB033, but at 40 mm, it's somewhat larger and powered by the comparatively simple caliber 4R35. The watch features a 41-hour power reserve and will set you back roughly 450 USD in mint condition.

Coveted and Rare: The Spirit “Rising Sun”

Another popular Spirit is the SCVE003 “Rising Sun,” which gets its nickname from the red subdial located at 10:30. The subdial is a 24-hour display, and the interplay between it and the silver-white dial is evocative of the Japanese flag. Other red accents can be found on the seconds hand and frame of the date display at 6 o'clock. The narrow line indices and hour and minute hands are black.

One of the Rising Sun's special attributes are its slender wire lugs, a design element that hearkens back to watches from the early 20th century and lends the SCVE003 an indisputable retro charm. Inside the 40-mm stainless steel case, however, Seiko utilizes very modern tech: the automatic caliber 4R37A.

The SCVE003 is extremely rare, and seldom seen on Chrono24. The original MSRP of 190 USD is also something you won't see anymore: A well-maintained Rising Sun will set you back three or four times that amount now.

The Spirit Alpinist

The Alpinist is an absolute classic in the Seiko catalog. The original model was introduced by the Tokyo watchmaker in 1959 as a tool watch for mountaineers. In 2006, the Alpinist became part of the Spirit line with the models SARB013, SARB0515, and SARB017. While the first two variants have a cream and a black dial, respectively, the especially popular model SARB017 features a green dial with a sunburst finish. These timepieces are powered by the caliber 6R15, which boasts a 50-hour power reserve. Depending on the condition and version, plan to spend between 1,000 and 1,400 USD on a Spirit Alpinist.

Alternatively, you could get yourself a Prospex version of the Alpinist. The ref. SPB121J1, for example, is nearly identical to the SARB017 visually, and differs from the Spirit only in the Prospex logo on the dial, bright date disc, and more modern caliber 6R35. This watch will set you back about 700 USD.

Beginning in 1983, Seiko, together with Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, began developing a number of unique watches. One of Giugiaro's most famous creations is the DeLorean DMC-12, and the watches he designed for Seiko are just as futuristic as the legendary car from “Back to the Future.”

The models 7A28 6000 and 7A28 7000 feature the first quartz-powered chronograph caliber with an analog display, and both watches became famous after appearing in the Hollywood blockbuster “Aliens.” Seiko fans have given the former ref. the nickname “Bishop,” because it was worn in the film by Lance Henriksen, who played the android, Bishop. The quartz chronograph's main attraction is its lugs, which are offset to the left.

The latter model was the watch Sigourney Weaver wore while reprising the iconic role of Ellen Ripley, which is why the 7A28 7000 is known as the “Ripley.” The most striking feature on this timepiece are the start and stop push-pieces, which are housed on the top and bottom of a rectangular case extension on the right side of the otherwise round case.

Today, a 7A28 6000 or 7A28 7000 in working condition is hard to come by, which is why Seiko began producing reissue editions of the two iconic watches in 2013, under the Seiko X Giugiaro Spirit Smart label. The Ripley reference SCED039 in brushed stainless steel features a black and white dial. The technically identical SCED043, however, is coated in black, and comes with a black dial. The only splashes of color on this version are the red hands. Depending on the condition and version, a Spirit Smart Ripley changes hands on Chrono24 for between 620 and 1,100 USD.

Reissue editions of the Bishop include the black-coated ref. SCED033 and the stainless steel SCED025, which has a yellow and white dial. This watch will set you back anywhere between 320 and 750 USD.

New Edition of the Rider's Chronograph

The Rider's Chronograph was also a product of Seiko's creative partnership with Giorgetto Giugiaro. This line of quartz chronographs, designated the 7A28 7A00, is characterized by the fact that the dials are rotated clockwise by just under 15%. If you look at a Rider's Chronograph in profile, you'll see that the case is slightly narrower on the left-hand side than on the right. The case itself has soft lines and is coated in black, as is the integrated bracelet. The dial also features a dark color scheme, which is off-set by bursts of bright color on the minute track and push-pieces, which come in red, orange, or blue.

You'll find all these features on the Spirit Smart models launched in 2016 and 2017 as well. References SCED053 (black and orange) and SCED055 (black and red) were released in 2016 in a limited edition of 1,500 units. The chances of finding one in very good condition on the secondary market are excellent, and prices range from 420 to 550 USD. The 2017 Spirit Smart editions, of which Seiko produced only 1,000 each, are much rarer, and change hands for between 430 and 760 USD, depending on the condition.

The Spirit collection also includes a line of sporty chronographs with quartz movements. The watches belong to the SBTR series and are powered by the caliber 8T63. The chronograph function in this “meca-quartz” caliber is realized via a mechanical module, while all the other functions, such as the time, date, etc., rely on quartz technology.

One of the more popular watches in the SBTR line is the ref. SBTR027, which comes with a light blue sunburst dial and black subdials. The bezel is coated in black and features a tachymeter scale. If a two-tone watch is more your style, check out the ref. SBTR024. The dial and subdials on this timepiece are white, while the bezel, hands, indices, push-pieces, and subdial frames are gold-plated. The SBTR011, on the other hand, is much more restrained, and features a black dial with silver hands, indices, and subdial frames; the tachymeter bezel is made of brushed stainless steel.

Plan to shell out between 150 and 220 USD for a SBTR chronograph.

The 80s Are Back

The Spirit collection has taken the ongoing 80s cultural revival into account with a series of watches with LCDs. These models include the Spirit SBFG001, for example, which has a brushed stainless steel case and, in addition to the time, also displays a second time zone, perpetual calendar, up to three alarm times, and a chronograph accurate to 1/100th of a second. Thanks to a radio receiver, daily deviation is minimal, and a solar module provides sufficient energy.

If stainless steel isn't your thing, Seiko also offers the watch with a black or gold-coated case.

SBFG models are very rare outside of Japan. If you spot one of these watches on the secondary market, it's likely to cost around 325 USD.