Oh no, I'm lost... Sike! I've got my Seiko compass watch to find my way to safety.

Well, you probably won't say that often, but an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Whether you're an adventurous fellow that  loves trekking, or you simply enjoy a two-crown layout with a nice inner bezel, all reasons are good to buy a compass watch.

With so many compass watches available in Seiko's collection, some must surely be better than others. But how can you find out which one is best for you? Simple! Keep reading this article, and within 5 minutes you'll be a true savant on the subject of Seiko compass watches.

1. Seiko Alpinist (SARB017/SBDC091)

Although the Seiko Alpinist is quite expensive, you do get a lot of bang-for-the-buck. For instance, you get Seiko's 6R15 (SARB017) or 6R35 (SBDC091) in-house calibers which are known for outstanding reliability and accuracy.

However, the main reason why people love the Alpinist is the stunning green dial that's very unique. It's definitely not for everybody, and it can be kind of hard to match with your clothes, but once you find a good pairing, you will undoubtedly fall head over heels for it.

Also, I think the Alpinist is in that perfect size range where it looks amazing on small & big wrists alike. It has that slightly under 40mm case that looks substantial even on larger wrists, but its short lug base (46mm L2L) allows for small-wristed folks to rock it in style as well.

2. Seiko Prospex Land (SRPD31/33/35)

Whereas the Seiko Alpinist is a polyvalent piece that suits most wrist sizes, the Seiko Prospex Land is a big & bulky watch that only serves one purpose: braving the wilderness. Like the Alpinist, the new Prospex Land (SRPD31) is part of Seiko's Prospex collection, recognized by the "X" logo on the dial.

Although they're both in the same collection, the SRPD31 is about $200 cheaper than the Alpinist, but this price tag obviously comes with lower-grade components. For instance, you only get a Hardlex (mineral) crystal, which will undoubtedly collect a few scratches over the years. Also, the 4r36 caliber is a bit less accurate than the 6r15.

However, all these minor inconveniences are made up by the amazing tool watch styling of the SRPD31. The big 43mm case will have an imposing presence on your wrist, especially considering the peculiar crown guard at the 3 o'clock position.

Additionally, the Seiko Prospex Land's dial is extremely legible thanks to the large 3/6/9 o'clock Arabic numerals, thick font of the compass, and oversized hands (which also allow for lots of lume).

In short, I think the SRPD31/33/35 is the best Seiko compass watch if you want something robust and big without breaking the bank. Here, you can find our complete review of the watch.

3. Seiko Solar Chronograph (SSC081)

With so many mechanical watches on the list, I had to include at least one solar piece. Indeed, Seiko's solar movements are about as popular as their mechanical counterparts, and for good reasons.

For instance, the V172 caliber is a cool little piece of tech, filled with important functions such as energy depletion forewarning, overcharging prevention, 6-month power reserve, and much more. Also, it will keep time within a +-15 seconds/month range, which is much better than any mechanical caliber out there.

If you're one of those collectors that can't stand more than one crown on your watch, the Seiko SSC081 isn't the timepiece for you. Not only does it have 2 crowns (one for time setting, one to operate the compass), but it also has two pusher buttons for the chronograph complications.

These two chronograph functions are a 60-minute stopwatch (upper subdial) and a single-time alarm (lower subdial). While it's cool to have an alarm on an analog watch, it's not that useful in real life. Indeed, this alarm will only ring once, so you will need to set it every day to wake up for work.

What I love the most about the SSC081 is its crowded dial that's easy to read, and that looks rugged and classy at the same time (nice sunburst finish).

4. Seiko Atlas (SKZ209/211)

If you're on a tight budget, the aforementioned Seiko Prospex watches might be a bit too expensive for you. However, there are also Seiko 5 Sports compass watches, which are much more accessible to us frugal bunch.

As you can see in the table above, the Seiko 5 Sports collection is much cheaper without compromising too much on specs. For instance, you get the same 200m of water resistance (which should allow for recreational diving), a nice layer of Lumibrite lume on the oversized hands, etc..

However, the biggest inconvenience of getting  a Seiko 5 Sports compass watch is the 7s36 caliber, which doesn't have hacking & hand-winding functions. Fortunately, the case and dial still get the same level of finishing and the cool tool watch look that you would get from higher-priced watches.

What's peculiar about this Seiko SKZ211 is the left-hand crown, with the huge screwed-in crown guards. This is a very polarizing design choice that will make you either love or hate the SKZ211. Also, this Seiko Atlas is the only watch on this list with a 60-minute diving bezel, which adds to the polyvalence of this piece.

With its $250 price, I think the Seiko Atlas is the perfect watch if you don't care about hand-winding & hacking too much, and you're strictly looking for the best bang-for-the-buck Seiko compass watch out there.

5. Seiko SARG001

Usually, people don't associate compass watches with dressy styling. However, the Seiko SARG001 is there to prove to us that these two worlds can be combined in a great manner. 

With the SARG001, you get a buttery-smooth cream dial that's uncluttered compared to your average compass/adventure watch. The hands, indices, and scripts are all relatively small, which makes for a very classy dial.

Unfortunately, the Seiko SARG001 has been discontinued for quite a while, meaning its price won't stop going up. Indeed, this timepiece can now be considered collectible, and the few pre-owned examples that go on sale here and there all fetch at least $1,000.

This might seem like a high price to pay, but since it's pretty much the only dressy compass watch on the market, you have no choice but to pay what the seller asks. Whether it's worth over a $1,000 or not will entirely depend on what you cherish in a watch.

The specs are pretty good (accurate movement, scratch-resistant sapphire, etc..) but they definitely won't be on par with a brand new $1,000 watch.