This beautiful new Seiko was inspired by mountains at nighttime

We’ve only just hit August, but I’m already thinking about how perfect Seiko’s latest Prospex Alpinist would look on a winter’s day, beneath some appropriately chic knitwear.

It’s called the Alpinist Night Sky, since the dark blue dial and matching calf leather strap were inspired by the colours of a nighttime sky over a mountainous scenery.

Seiko also says how the watch fits into its Alpinist Collection, which launched back in 1959 and included watches designed for Japanese ‘Yama-otoko’.

These so-called mountain men were known for their strength and willingness to help travelers, the Japanese watchmaker says, and to be reliable across treacherous terrains – just what you’d want from your trusty timepiece, in other words.

Limited to 3,000 pieces and only available in Europe, the Alpinist Night Sky features a lovely dark blue dial with a very subtle vertical striped pattern. The colour is nicely complemented by dark grey numerals and cathedral-style hour and minute hands, plus a gold-coloured second hand. I also like the magnification of the date window at the three o’clock position, and that the watch has an exhibition case back.

Through there, you can see Seiko’s in-house 6R35 calibre automatic mechanical movement, which is accurate to -15/+25 seconds per day and has a power reserve of up to 70 hours.

As well as the aforementioned leather strap, the watch also comes with a blue canvas strap with white stitching and stainless steel buckle. Priced at £780, the Seiko Prospex Alpinist ‘Night Sky’ European exclusive is available to pre-order now.