Sunday Morning Showdown: Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm Vs. Seiko Prospex Alpinist

It’s another Sunday morning, so it’s time for a hot cup of coffee and a heated watch battle. This week, Daan is back, and he takes on Jorg once more in a clash of two cult favorites. Daan’s pick is the recently released 38mm Hamilton Khaki Field Murph. The Murph has become a proper darling among enthusiasts due to its ties to the Interstellar movie. It takes on the classic Seiko Prospex Alpinist. This is another crowd favorite that has become a staple in the brand’s collection. Most recently, we’ve seen a purple-dial Alpinist, part of Seiko’s 145th-anniversary collection, that shows the watch’s great versatility. But which of today’s two contenders will win? That, dear Fratelli, is up to you.

Hamilton has done great work with the Murph. The original 2019 release was a cool timepiece tied to the movie, but most enthusiasts quickly labeled it too big for comfortable daily wear. That’s why the 38mm version, unveiled in 2022, was so welcome. A white dial followed in 2024, and just a few weeks ago, a blue-dial version joined the lineup. At €995 on a strap and €1,075 on a bracelet, it’s a great, affordable daily wearer.

The same goes for the Seiko Alpinist from the Prospex collection. Seiko has discontinued the “Baby Alpinist” in most countries, so today, we’re pitting the Murph against the classic two-crown model. A purple-dial version recently joined the 145th-anniversary collection. It retails for €980 on a strap. Two standard versions also sell for €1,080 on a bracelet, making the Alpinist the perfect rival for the Murph. Let’s find out which will win!

Last week, on Sunday Morning Showdown…

Last week’s showdown saw the Tissot Gentleman 38mm go up against the brand-new Orient Star Sakigake Three Hand. Early in the battle, the Tissot had a comfortable lead, and it seemed it would easily win. But later in the week, the Orient Star started gaining ground, and the battle became more exciting. The result was a win for Tissot by the closest margin possible. In all fairness, we hadn’t expected that, especially not after the early stages of the battle. Let’s find out if this week’s contest will be just as close.

Jorg: Seiko Prospex Alpinist

Let me start by stating that I like both of today’s contenders a lot. Hamilton has handled the Murph’s evolution very well. After the initial 42mm release tied to Interstellar, a downsized, more wearable version offered the magic that watch enthusiasts had desired. I had a chance to review the white-dial Murph in 2024, and it seriously impressed me. When the new blue-dial version landed in our office recently, it further proved that the Murph is a great line of affordable daily wearers with an interesting backstory.

But my history with the Alpinist goes back much further and is also more personal. In the early days of my watch hobby, back in 2006, Seiko released a series of JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) Alpinist models, including the SARB017, which would become a fan favorite. When word spread and reached me, I quickly became intrigued by the Alpinist. First, not many Seiko series have official names. As most of you know, Seiko watches are usually called by enthusiast-given nicknames. However, the Alpinist was different, which instantly made it interesting.

A walk through Seiko’s Alpinist history is special

It also immediately links to the Alpinist’s interesting history, which dates back to the late 1950s. As soon as you dive in, you’ll find many great stories to unpack, all starting with the Laurel Alpinist from 1959. Seiko specifically created that watch for Japanese mountain men, also known as yama-otoko. Besides being the first Alpinist model, it was also the only one to carry the Laurel name, which was generally reserved for dress watches. It makes that first series an intriguing one to check out.

And as you dig deeper, you quickly come across the “Red Alpinist” models unveiled in 1995, which introduced the aesthetic we know today. After that, the underappreciated titanium Alpinist GMTs with quartz calibers from 2003 were some amazing follow-ups that I really enjoy.

Seiko Alpinist SARB017

Then, we get into the famous SARB series from 2006, which basically started the modern era of the Alpinist as we know it today. But it took until 2019 for Seiko to release a modern non-JDM Alpinist. That’s when the super popular SPB089 was released in the United States. This US-exclusive sold out in no time and demonstrated the Alpinist’s great popularity beyond Japan’s borders.

The modern era of the Seiko Prospex Alpinist series

It marked the start of a new age in which you didn’t have to look for an Alpinist in Japan and import it with all the costs and practical challenges that entailed. So when Seiko released the first Alpinist models as part of the Prospex series in early 2020, I was immediately excited, as were so many watch enthusiasts. Later that year and in early 2021, we collaborated with Seiko on two European-exclusive limited-edition Alpinists that sold out in no time. The first was the SPB199, and the second was the SPB201. Both showed the Alpinist’s great popularity among the Fratelli.

This brings me to why I love the Alpinist over the Murph. As I already said, the Alpinist’s story is intriguing, and its history goes back much further than the Murph’s. Consequently, my love for the Alpinist runs much deeper. I’ve also always adored the Alpinist’s distinct look, with its dual-crown 39.5mm case, rotatable internal compass ring, and cathedral hands. It’s instantly recognizable as the Alpinist aesthetic, and it has more character than the Murph.

On top of that, I prefer the Alpinist’s dials and details to the Murph’s. From the extra compass functionality that makes it a proper tool watch to the style of the applied numerals and markers, the date magnifier, and the “Alpinist” font, there is a lot to love. It’s also one of those watches that I love wearing on a bracelet and a strap. As someone who loves bracelets, I don’t find that happens often. But with the great versatility of the Seiko Alpinist, it looks awesome on both.

The updated series is a wonderful daily wearer

In 2025, Seiko also updated the caliber and introduced a series of new dial variants that instantly reminded me of the Alpinist’s brilliance. The current series houses the in-house Seiko 6R55 caliber. This automatic movement ticks at 21,600 vibrations per hour, offers a 72-hour power reserve, and maintains accuracy between +25 and -15 seconds per day. Dial-wise, you can choose from the classic “Green Alpinist” with a deep forest-green dial (SPB507), the also-familiar black-dial version (SPB501), and a new teal-blue version that also looks stunning (SPB503).

But it was the purple-dial Alpinist (HBC006) I tried on recently that seriously impressed me. I have a soft spot for a nice purple dial, as the Grand Seiko SLGB005 showed, but I never expected the lighter “Edo purple” of the 145th-anniversary Alpinist to remind me how much I want one. As I write this, I only feel that desire getting stronger.

Unfortunately, I don’t feel the same excitement for the Murph. I do like it a lot, but I don’t love it the way I love the Seiko Alpinist. While I own the JDM “Alpinist” SZSB006 that I love dearly, it’s not the classic Alpinist. It’s about time I finally bought one. Knowing that makes it an easy choice in today’s matchup.

Daan: Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm

Good morning, everyone, and Jorg, of course. Thanks for handing over the baton, Jorg, and you’re completely right: that 145th-anniversary Edo-purple Alpinist looks very attractive. I would’ve never expected to say that about a purple-dial watch, but the light, almost lavender shade works really well. I also understand why you appreciate the various Seiko Alpinists released over time. For some reason, though, the Alpinist has never managed to convince me. This Sunday Morning Showdown is a good way to find out and explain why it doesn’t work for my tastes. Of course, I’ll also explain why the Murph is the absolute winner here, as it’s actually quite a distinct watch in Hamilton’s Khaki Field collection.

But let me start with the quirky Seiko Alpinist. I think that quirkiness is exactly why so many people like it, with the internal bezel, date magnifier on top, two crowns, cathedral hands, and alternating Arabic numerals and markers. For many, that quirky combination, including the occasional gold accents, works. For me, though, it doesn’t. My biggest gripes are the numerals’ font and execution. The font is simply a little boring and characterless, and the numerals seem to be stamped from the back of the dial, making them less sharp than properly applied numerals.

Image: Vintage Seiko

Another important complaint is the Alpinist’s nearly 13mm thickness. I’m not saying such a dimension can’t work on my 17cm wrist, but for some reason, the Alpinist’s case doesn’t sit right on it. And that brings me to the Hamilton Khaki Field Murph’s great overall package.

A Murph with great proportions

To start with that last argument, the 38mm Hamilton Murph has great proportions all around. With an 11.1mm profile, it’s significantly thinner than the Alpinist, and it also has a 2mm-shorter lug-to-lug. That means the Hamilton Murph 38mm wears much better on my wrist than the 39.5mm Seiko Alpinist. Sure, there’s a lot less quirkiness here. Without the internal bezel, no date, and only a single crown, the Murph might be a bit boring to Alpinist lovers. However, it also looks a lot cleaner, and there are still many design features to enjoy.

First, I love the font chosen for the numerals and the fact that they all face the reader. The absence of a date window also makes the layout very consistent and symmetrical, which is a joy to look at. The faux-patina color wasn’t really necessary for me, but I guess it’s the same color used in the movie. What I do like is the texture on the white- and blue-dial Murphs, while the black-dial version simply has a matte finish.

A very different automatic Hamilton Khaki Field model

Another thing I’d like to highlight here is the Murph’s fairly distinct position in Hamilton’s Khaki Field lineup. Let me start by saying that I’m a fan of the collection. But if you’re looking for an automatic sub-40mm watch, your options are quite limited. Of course, there’s the Khaki Field Auto, which Nacho thoroughly enjoys. I’m not a huge fan of its dial layout, though. The other automatic option is the more recently introduced 37mm Khaki Field Expedition with its steel compass bezel. However, if you want just a clean, no-date, no-functional-bezel automatic Hamilton Khaki Field in a smaller size, then the Murph is a great option.

So even for people like me, on whom Interstellar didn’t leave a very long-lasting impression (like most movies and series, by the way), the Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm is still a great option. It’s a cinema-related watch that, aside from its overall design, doesn’t have any blatant movie references in its design. That’s great news for people who are just looking for a great, modestly sized, automatic, good-looking Hamilton Khaki Field watch.

Time to cast your vote!

So, there you have it — a Sunday Morning Showdown between two fairly affordable explorer-style watches. On one hand, the Seiko Alpinist has quite an impressive history, and on the other, the Hamilton Khaki Field Murph is backed by its Interstellar appearance. Which one would you go for? Cast your vote now, and please let us know why you voted the way you did in the comments below.