Seiko Presage Cocktail SRPE19 Review & Complete Guide
The Presage Cocktail collection from Seiko is appreciated for its elegance, solid build quality, and timeless design.
Seiko’s watches are known to offer great value for money, and the Presage cocktail is no different. In fact, this particular collection is one that is particularly praised because not only does it offer a good build quality, but it also offers a level of finishing that punches well above its own weight and is rare to see in watches at this price point.
In the Seiko Presage Cocktail collection, there are tons of watches to choose from, and the SRPE19 is one of them. This is good news if you appreciate the line’s concept since you can be sure to find one that suits your taste and style.
Seiko uses different formats for its reference number, and this watch is often referred to as the SRPE19 or SRPE19J1.
In this article, we are going to review and look closer at just this timepiece, the SRPE19.
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Seiko Presage Cocktail SRPE19 case
This watch features the sleek and refined case that the Presage Cocktail is known for. This particular case is made of stainless steel and has a diameter of 40.5mm, a thickness of 11.8mm, and a lug-to-lug of 47.5mm. This is a balanced size that, for a men’s watch is considered not too big, nor too small. It’s just a size that works exceptionally well for everyday wear.
This watch is not built as a sports watch, or a dress watch, instead it has found a sweet spot between sportiness and elegance which is what makes it so versatile. This is a watch that will work just as great with a suit as it will with jeans, and it is this perfect balance that makes it so popular.
The case has a fixed thin polished bezel which leaves room for all of your focus to be directed toward the dial. The case is not meant to steal the show, but rather complement it.
As a nice touch, the crown is ”oversized” and positioned at 3 o’clock. The large crown gives the watch a distinct look, but it also makes it easy to operate it. It is a push-pull, however, which means that the water resistance isn’t great. The watch has a water resistance of 50m/5 bar/100 feet. In practice, this means it can handle water splashes but should not be submerged underwater.
The lugs are relatively short and integrated into the case in a sleek way. To maintain their elegant look, they are also polished. To follow this theme, the sides of the case are polished too.
On top of the case, it uses Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex crystal which is box-shaped.
Seiko Presage SRPE19 dial
As is the case with all Presage Cocktail timepieces, the dial is really the star of the show.
The dial has the Presage Cocktail signature ”sunburst” pattern with deep grooves which gives it an appearance that is out of the ordinary. The grooves give depth to the dial, but most importantly, reflect the light beautifully. This particular dial has a lovely light blue color which also shifts in color depending on how the light hits it. I can’t emphasize it enough but the dial truly is something special.
Around the outer edge, the seconds markers are printed in black. Furthermore, the dial has applied hour markers made in polished stainless steel with lovely bevelings. It is details like these that truly make the Presage Cocktail SRPE19 stand out and make it appear much more elegant and refined. These small yet important details really take the watch to a different level of finish and make it appear more premium and luxurious than what its price reflects.
To match the hour markers, the hands are made in a similar design, made in stainless steel with a polished finish and bevelings which allow them to reflect the light beautifully. The second hand is thin and has a blue color.
Positioned at 3 o’clock, it has a date window with a printed black frame around it. Since many people will wear this as an everyday watch, the date function is something that can be truly convenient to have.
Presage SRPE19 movement
Inside this watch ticks the in-house Seiko automatic caliber 4R35. This movement is an improvement from the caliber used in Seiko’s most affordable automatic watches since it features both hacking seconds and manual winding capabilities.
The movement beats at a frequency of 21600 BPH and has 23 jewels.
If you look at the case back of the SRPE19, you’ll notice that it is equipped with a see-through, enabling you to see the movement inside. What you’ll also notice is that this movement has gotten a gold rotor, which is something it normally does not have. However, this is done to enhance its overall elegance to match the ethos of the Presage Cocktail.
Whilst the movement is not decorated, the gold rotor is a detail that makes it appear much more elegant and luxurious.
All in all, this is a robust and durable automatic movement that has proven to be a workhorse that can continue to tick year after year. This is a trusted companion and a great such to have in an everyday watch that you want to be reliable. The movement incorporates three key features to make this possible, which are Diashock, a magic lever, and Spron.
Disahock is Seiko’s device to make the movement more resistant to shocks. This device absorbs impact on the balance-staff pivot and reduces friction to ensure that the balance wheel operates at the correct amplitude.
The magic lever was invented by Seiko in 1959 and increases the winding efficiency of the movement, thus shortening the time needed for the mainspring to become fully wound.
Lastly, the Spron mainspring and hairspring alloys are exclusive to Seiko watches. The Spron is built to offer exceptional elasticity, strength, corrosion, and heat resistance.
Bracelet
The watch is presented on a stainless steel bracelet with brushed and polished links. The bracelet has a butterfly deployment clasp.
Now, if there is anything that we can complain about when it comes to this watch, it is the bracelet. As is common with affordable watches, the bracelet is the part that has been compromised with the most. The bracelet has some rattle and does not give the same impression of quality and robustness as the rest of the watch.
But, with the above mentioned, it is to be expected, and therefore, it is a detail we can live with.
But regardless, the bracelet design goes very well with the watch and, just like the watch, has a nice balance between sportiness and elegance.
Specifications
- Thickness: 11.8 mm
- Diameter: 40.5 mm
- Length: 47.5 mm
- Lug Width: 20 mm
- Case: Stainless steel
- Clasp: Butterfly clasp with push-button release
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Jewels: 23
- Movement: Seiko in-house caliber 4R35B. Features manual winding and hacking seconds capacity
- Water Resistance: 5 bar/50 meters/100 feet
- Bracelet: Stainless steel
- Power Reserve: 41 hours
- Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m
Conclusion
We have said it many times before about Seiko watches, and we’ll say it again for this watch. The Seiko Presage Cocktail SRPE19 is a watch that offers exceptional value for money. At this price, there really are few automatic watches on the market that can offer the same finish, build quality, and finish that the SRPE19 offers.
The watch has found a perfect balance between sportiness and elegance, therefore making it a perfect watch for all of life’s occasions.
The Seiko Presage Cocktail SRPE19 is available to order on Amazon.
