The Seiko Presage line is unique in that, while technically a Seiko, Presages are among Seiko’s higher end watches, and often compared to Grand Seikos. The Seiko Presage line uses a variety of mechanical Seiko movements, including the higher quality 6R and 8R movements.

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The Seiko Presages also included many limited-edition models, but perhaps their most popular collection is the Seiko Presage Cocktail Time, a collection inspired the elaborate cocktails of one of the world’s best mixologists, Ishigaki Shinobu of the Ishinohana Bar in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Design

Seiko Presage Cocktail Time ‘Blue Acapulco’ ref. SARY199/SSA439

The Seiko Presage Cocktail Time watches’ designs are influenced by the sleek look of the cocktail bars they are inspired by. This is evident in the colourful dials with intricate patterns that they often have. Dials come in a whole host of colours including blue, light blue, green, white, silver, brown, and more. Seiko Cocktail Time watches are all very dressy and also have display casebacks, with some even having ‘open heart’ displays on the dials, like the SSA405 or SSA359. This is typical of Seiko, which is known for its design, including of its vintage models.

Seiko Presage Cocktail Time History

The first Seiko Cocktail Time was the reference SARB065, nicknamed ‘Cool’, that was released in 2010. Starting the ‘craze’ that exists for many other Cocktail Time watches since.

The Seiko Cocktail Time SARB065 had a light blue dial with a textured dial. It was powered by the Seiko Cal. 6R15 that had 23 jewels, a 50-hour power reserve, 21,600 bph rate, and a Hardlex crystal. To this day it is one of the more popular models of the Seiko Cocktail Time series. While not originally part of the Presage line, the Cocktail Time collection was made part of the Presage line in 2017 when Seiko introduced several new models into the collection, with “Presage” on the dial. Thus far, 4 different Seiko movements have been used in the Cocktail Time collection: the Cal. 6R15, 4R35, 4R38, and 4R57 – all of which are automatic, with manual wind and hacking functions.

Ultimately, the Seiko Presage Cocktail Time collection is not only popular right now, but surely collectible in the future as well. The combination of robust and reliable automatic Seiko movements and uniquely designed dials, is sure to make them attractive to collectors and enthusiasts for years to come.

By: Andres Ibarguen