Palms-On Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Star Bar SRPH78J1

Seiko’s Presage assortment, initially reserved for the Japanese market, has loved a meteoric rise on the worldwide market because of its mixture of strong mechanical actions, its demonstration of ancestral Japanese creative crafts and extremely aggressive costs. Starting from Arita porcelain and Urushi lacquer to Shippo enamel and patterns used to embellish kimonos up to now, the Presage assortment affords much more aesthetic pleasure than a traditional Swiss three-hand gown watch. The newest Presage mannequin is the Cocktail Time Star Bar (SRPH78J1), a three-hand-and-date impressed by the golden colors of the “Houjou” sake cocktail made by one of many world’s main bartenders, Hisashi Kishi.

Cocktail craftsmanship

One of many ‘narratives’ within the Presage assortment – Cocktail Tradition – won’t sound very Japanese, however as Seiko explains, Japan’s cocktail tradition is an entrenched phenomenon (keep in mind the bar in Misplaced in Translation?). Like all issues adopted from overseas, cocktails are elaborated with a attribute Japanese twist that’s nearer in spirit to the ritual of a tea ceremony. In Japan, expert barmen working in absolute silence put together cocktails individually, guaranteeing the right mixture of elements and refined aesthetics. To develop its Presage Cocktail assortment, Seiko enlisted proprietor and head bartender, Hisashi Kishi, of the Star Bar in Ginza as an advisor for its cocktail-themed collection. Final yr we noticed the Matcha and Hojicha fashions (SRPF41 & SRPF43) with textured gradient dials impressed by the color of Nippon teas and two fashions (SRPF37J1 & SRPF39J1) with stamped dials and Milanese mesh bracelets.

In contrast to the Cocktail fashions listed above, the Cocktail Star Bar SRPH78J1 is bigger with a diameter of 40.5mm (in comparison with 38.5mm) and, as an alternative of Arabic numerals, makes use of sharp, utilized indices to underscore its stronger classic spirit. With a peak of 11.8mm and lug-to-lug measurement of 47.5mm, the watch is photographed right here on Robin’s 19cm wrist.

The color theme is golden, operating from the gold-plated case to the dial, palms and indices. Utilizing Hisashi Kishi’s “Houjou” sake-based cocktail as inspiration, the dial recreates the color of the golden fields of rice which might be used to brew sake. The delicate crackled sample could be interpreted as glistening shards of ice within the sake cocktail or the golden fields of rice swaying within the breeze. The faceted indices won’t be Zaratsu polished, however they shine just like the golden case and play with the sunshine, as do the razor-sharp hour and minute palms. The date window at 3 o’clock has a golden body, and the utilized Seiko brand can be golden to match the nice and cozy golden really feel of the watch. A box-shaped Hardlex crystal protects the dial for an old-school look; the reverse facet has a see-through caseback.

Calibre 4R35

Contained in the case is the traditional Seiko entry-level in-house computerized calibre 4R35 famend for its respectable precision and wonderful reliability. It shows the time by way of central hours, minutes and seconds palms (the latter geared up with stop-seconds mechanism), in addition to a date at 3 o’clock. It encompasses a gold-coloured oscillating weight and delivers a 41-hour energy reserve.

Availability & Value

The Presage Cocktail Time Star Bar SRPH78J1 comes on a brown calfskin strap with golden stitches on the lugs and a triple-folding clasp and push-button launch. It’s restricted to five,500 items and retails for GBP 450.

Extra data at Seiko Watches.