‘King of Dials’: Seiko’s Australasian Exclusive Celebrates Whisky and Watches

By Lee Smith - News Published: 27 Sep 2023

When it comes to the world of horology, there’s a niche for every taste and one of our favourites has to be the small collection of watches inspired by alcohol. Okay, so it’s probably only Japanese giant Seiko that has a line designed around the world of mixology, but it’s an exciting niche that has produced some truly memorable timepieces.

Known as Cocktail Time models, and a part of the Presage family, they’re an elegant and colourful bunch of watches with each model dedicated to a specific drink. Seiko’s new addition to the Cocktail Time range is a gorgeous limited edition model inspired by the bespoke Irori Moments cocktail and available exclusively for Australian watch fans.

Seiko whisky 1 — Seiko Presage Cocktail Time SRPK50J | Image: Seiko

Seiko Presage Australasian Cocktail Time

Reference: SRPK50J
Diameter: 40.5mm
Height: 11.8mm
Case: Stainless Steel with Rose Gold Colour Plating
Movement: Calibre 4R35 Movement
Strap: Calf Leather
Water Resistance: 50M
Price: AUD$950

While this latest model celebrates Tasmanian Whisky, previous Seiko Cocktail Time watches have paid homage to the big names of Japan’s celebrated cocktail culture. With this release, Seiko has created a masterpiece that skilfully blends the underlying Japanese ethos of the range with a double measure of Australian craftsmanship.

It’s not often we say this, but to truly appreciate the beauty of this watch, you need to understand the drink it mimics and the ingredients used. The Irori Moments cocktail was created by Lark, an award-winning Australian whisky distillery. The brand’s idea to share ‘whisky moments’ is expressed through a drink inspired by the traditional Japanese hearth. The rich golden tones of the drink are the result of mixing Lark’s Tasmanian Peated Whisky with wasabi and local plums.

Seiko reimagines this cocktail using the same case as previous Cocktail Time models, which boasts a refined aesthetic that is dressy without compromising the lighthearted ethos of the collection. The case is forged from stainless steel and has an eye-catching rose gold coating.

But it’s the dial that Seiko has used to beautifully capture the colour and character of the drink. It has wonderful golden hues and a highly textured finish that recreates the warmth of the Irori Moments cocktail. The hands, indices and date window are rose gold coloured and Seiko suggests that the slender indices reference the graceful lines of a cocktail glass.

Lee Smith

Lee Smith lives in Tynemouth, England. Having graduated with a BA(Hons) from Sheffield University (1996) he spent several years at a FTSE 100 software company. He left to pursue his love of literature and opened a bookstore. As well as exhibiting books at events around the UK, he also became manager of the annual Alnwick Bookfair. In 2016 Lee switched to his other passion - watches. He began retailing niche brands and launched his own microbrand. He then used his extensive knowledge of watches to write a popular blog. Since 2020 he's written about watches full time.

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