Alpha Sierra Intruder A-6B Watch Review

Gigantic watches seem to have calmed down a little bit recently; a couple of years ago almost every other watch was +45mm in diameter, but not so much nowadays. So if you’re after a new manufacturer producing watches that are oversized, then Alpha Sierra have got you covered. This model, the Intruder, is a quartz chronograph that is rather striking and reasonably priced at €229. Let’s take a closer look.

The specs

Dimensions: 50mm diameter x 13.5mm height x 58mm lug to lug
Weight: 135g
Water resistance rating: 10 ATM / 100m
Movement: TMI / Seiko VD51
Lug width: 24mm
Warranty: 2 years
Price: €229 / £200
Available from: https://www.alphasierrawatches.com/product/chrono-intruder-a-6b/

The case

There’s no doubt about, it’s pretty huge. With a 50mm diameter and 13.5mm height, it’s certainly not for the faint hearted or tiny-wristed. 135g is also surprisingly heavy for a watch with a quartz movement and rubber strap.

The case is a PVD coated mammoth with a rugged appearance; which is pre-worn around the edges.

There’s no mention of the crystal type on the site, so I assume it’s mineral which is a shame. It is flat so it’s nice and clear and it’s protected by the protruding bezel so it’s less likely to get scratched or damaged.

The case provides an aggressive and angular feel to the watch: but one thing’s for sure, you have to be able to pass off a watch like this to wear it.

The case has a polished caseback which is a bit out of place, and the details are only laser etched.

The pushers feel good to use, and provide decent feedback whilst activating the chronograph. The crown has the logo embossed on the end, albeit very lightly.

The dial

The dial features very large subdials with interesting shapes acting as hands. These seem to the key to the “Intruder” theme – they look like the aliens from the old “Space Invaders” game.

The hour and minute hands are black filled with polished borders. The dark nature of them effects legibility a bit, but because of the size you can still read the time ok.

The applied hour markers are trapezoids at every hour, bar at 12 and 6 due to the subdials.

The logo is located at 9 and is printed with a petite applied icon. The icon is a bit on the thin side for my liking, I’d much prefer a thicker application.

The date window at 3 displays previous and next days too; I think this is an effective use of space as a single date indicator would get lost.

The heavy rehaut features a printed minute track with numeral markers at 5 minute increments and dots in-between.

The lume is fairly average, and the hour markers are the only elements lumed anyway so you won’t be able to read the time in the dark.

The strap

The strap material is officially labeled as “silicon plastic”. It is very malleable and soft, easy on the wrist, and hugs it well.

The 24mm lug width is large enough to match the case visually, as well as keeping the balance well. There is a central channel for the length of the strap plus the brand name stamped within it at the top to keep things interesting.

The strap has a fairly standard PVD coated tang buckle with the logo engraved on the top bar. It’s very easy to use.

The movement

The movement powering the Alpha Sierra Intruder A-6B is the TMI (Seiko Group) VD51 quartz chronograph. The chronograph seconds are located at 12 and the chronograph minutes are at 6. It has a 2 year battery life and 0 jewels. Whilst I’ve not come across this particular movement before, it’s unlikely to give you any issues thanks to the Seiko Group relation and just the fact that it’s quartz.

Final comments

As I mentioned previously, new timepieces in this style have gotten a little bit less popular. However, I’m sure that those out there who like this style still do – and therefore this will pose an intriguing option. At €229 it’s quite competitively priced: whilst you can get “better” watches for this price (such as a few automatics), few of them match this style – oversized and rugged.

The case finishing is cool, but the caseback should be a better match. The strap is comfortable and pleasant to wear too. There are pluses and minuses, but if you’ve got your heart on this style then the Alpha Sierra Intruder A-6B would be a good option over certain alternative designer brands such as Diesel. N.B: I wouldn’t recommend this watch if your wrist is less than 7.5”.