In reply to bouldery bits:
have only had my alpinism for a couple of months but so far it's a very nice jacket for the price. Time (and a winter season) will tell on durability but the aforementioned zip is one of the main reasons I bought it. I would say it feels more "bomber" than medium weight.
At the lightweight end of the spectrum, the rab spark jacket is really nice for around the same money. They were the only two appealing jackets I found around that price range, and in the end I went for durability over weight.
Also as stated many times by many people before, the alpinism softshell trousers are amazing, and I bought the jacket with hopes of similar value for money (although even money no object I can't think of many better trews)