Raising the bar with Seiko Presage Automatic Midnight Mockingbird

March 26, 2024
Watch Gonzo
Seiko, watches
0

Seiko’s grand tribute to the cocktail culture of Japan manifested in the form of a series of cocktail inspired watches as part of the Presage lineup. The brand is popular for coming up with many variations in a single watch collection. The Presage lineup was first released in 2010, and became hugely popular. It was in 2019 that the Japanese brand added a small collection of cocktail inspired watches to the Seiko Presage Automatic lineup.

Notable in this collection are the SRPB41 Blue Moon, the SRPB43 Skydiving, and the SRPB44 Margarita among others. But we’re here to bring an underrated gem out of the box today: the SSA4559J1 Midnight Mockingbird. This Seiko cocktail watch features a green dial inspired by the drink ‘Mockingbird’.

Watch lovers can agree that the brand doesn’t usually do an experimental design for their dress watches, but they truly struck a balance with their Cocktail Time collection. There’s a reason the Seiko Presage Cocktail collection has become one of the most globally popular Seiko Automatic Watches for men in the market.

A Rich History

Japan is popular for a vibrant night life. The subtle art of cocktail making is celebrated there because of the precision, discipline and creativity required in it. The Seiko Presage Automatic lineup is one of the most popular dress watches in the market today. We think the success of the Presage series is a huge factor contributing to the popularity of the Seiko Presage Cocktail collection immensely. There aren’t many other dress watches inspired by cocktails.

It’s so brilliant that Seiko integrated cocktail themes to dress watches since most formal events usually have a bar. According to one of the designers of the lineup, Masanori Kawamura, the Seiko Presage Cocktail watches have been selling without any aid from additional marketing. Is this because a cocktail dress watch at formal events just stay in the conversation? Maybe that’s the mysterious allure these watches have over the fans.

The underrated ‘Mockingbird’ watch in this collection has found fame in the overseas market. People have been loving the beautiful green color of the dial. Dress watches are often created with mild toned dials to fit in an elegant gathering, whereas sports watches are mostly made with vibrant dials.

The Seiko cocktail Mockingbird’s Green color is a fresh wave in the dress watch market. We reckon that the aesthetics of the watch beautifully combine its traditional Japanese roots with modern city life.

Design And Features

At first glance after unboxing, the Seiko Cocktail watch may look underwhelming. The green color may just look normal green, and the hype not worth it, but the real magic happens when the watch is tried on in different lighting.

As a dress watch, the dial is exclusively designed to look its best in event-lighting. The Mockingbird green hues will seem more royal with a gold-ish tint under warm light, while the dial will look more shiny under flashy lights. You may even see a gray-ish green hue under dull or darker lights. Combined with formal clothing, the Seiko Presage Green Mockingbird will raise the bar at any event you go.

The watch features an in-house 4R57 automatic movement with Japanese precision, and a great 41-hour power reserve. There aren’t many complications in the Seiko Presage Automatic watch so the cocktail inspired dial runs a standalone show on your wrist. The dial may feature a power reserve indicator and a date sub-dial in one model but if you want a clean cut, you can get a version with just the cocktail dial without any complications.

One point of complain about the watch has always been the use of Hardlex crystal on the dial. The Seiko cocktail series has skipped the sturdier sapphire crystal for the Hardlex crystal, that is more prone to scratches. But hey, this whole lineup is for dress watches, and perhaps the brand wanted users to wear it just to elegant parties, but it is nevertheless a bit disappointing given the price point.

Also featuring just a 50 metre water resistance, this watch can survive accidentally tipping a few full cocktail glasses, but it’s not meant for pool parties. This is a true dress watch without any additional fuss.

Luxury At Affordable Price?

The Seiko Presage cocktail collection offers nothing short of a luxurious feel and watch lovers will agree that the pricing feels at par with the satisfaction. Seiko is one of most popular global watchmakers. Their in-house movements are hugely famed for precision and durability. By extension, Seiko has cast a spotlight over Japanese technology and artistry to the whole world.

Amidst this, the Seiko Presage Cocktail collection combines a modern Japanese aesthetic with the story of its night life. This series is a wonderful representation of the brand and its roots in a global market scenario. The price does not discourage genuine watch lovers from buying this beautiful piece.

When compared to similar automatic dress watches like the Orient Bambino, Hamilton Jazzmaster Performer and Tissot Visodate, watch enthusiasts will agree that the Seiko Presage Cocktail timer will easily win any day. We felt that given the price, the Tissot Visodate was too boring when compared to the vivid green dial of the Cocktail timer Mockingbird, while Hamilton Jazzmaster Performer is a good match but still lacks the inspiration behind the design. The Orient Bambino comes close to matching the allure of the Seiko Cocktail, but ultimately anyone looking at reviews will agree that the latter is a clear winner at this price.

Conclusion

After considering the rich aesthetics behind the Seiko Presage Cocktail collection, we can properly conclude that it is currently one of the best Seiko Automatic watches for men globally. Few dress watch brands can match the level of reliability that Seiko offers.

There are so many watches inspired by aviation, automobile and even Astronomy. Integrating something as mundane as cocktails in a watch’s design is an out-of-the-box thinking. There’s nothing quite like the Cocktail Time collection out in the dress-watch market today. This is one of the main reasons the collection has been maintaining good sales even after so many years.

The Seiko Presage Cocktail Mockingbird truly has the potential to be the “one” watch out of an extensive collection. It will raise the bar at any event you go – be it for the justified price, reliable movement, elegant design or a perfect combination of the three. You can’t go wrong with any watch from this collection.