Matcha or Hojicha, The New Seiko Presage Cocktail SRPF41 and SRPF43

Despite the current situation, and on the contrary of many brands in the watchmaking industry, Seiko is on fire, launching watches after watches. And, to be honest, there’s not much to complain about seeing how attractive most of these new models are. This intense product launch strategy concerns all the ranges, including Presage, the collection focused on elegance and originality. Following the refined models with textured dials we covered here, Seiko is again releasing original and attractive watches in the Presage collection, this time back to the original concept behind the Cocktail watches, being inspired by typically Japenese beverages. Let’s find out more about the Seiko Presage Cocktail Matcha SRPF41J1 & Hojicha SRPF43J1.

Presage watches are all attractive classics with a twist. While some of them are clearly focusing on traditional Japanese craftsmanship, such as the Rikki enamel watches or the handsome Urushi lacquered dial model, the “Cocktail” sub-collection is playing on different inspirations. As indicated by their names, these watches are inspired by some of the finest cocktails offered in Japan. And not only this results in very original watches, with textured dials and striking colours, but mainly there’s a sense of creativity that is rarely seen in this usually conservative industry.

For the new Presage Cocktail SRPF41J1 and SRPF43J1, Seiko remains true to its roots and relies on two typically Japanese beverages to create dials. The first one, used on the green SRPF41J1, is modelled after the colour of the most well-known Nippon tea, matcha. As such, the dial shows a deep green colour with a gradient effect, the periphery of the dial being darker than the bright green centre. On this model, the hands, the applied indexes and the date metallic frame are all silver-coloured and polished. Finally, the dial has a nice, refined and original texture (obtained by a pressing process) that mimics the texture of tea leaves. And even if you remove this story from the equation and just focus on the looks, the dial itself is very, very attractive. The dial colour is complemented by a tone-on-tone vintagey leather strap.

The second model is inspired by another Japanese tea, named Hojicha – which “is distinctive from other Japanese green teas because it is roasted in a porcelain pot over charcoal,” resulting in a golden, roasted colour ranging from green to reddish-brown. With this in mind, Seiko offers here a warmer, even more striking colour to the dial of the SRPF43J1, with a golden-brown dégradé effect, highlighted by gold-coloured hands, applied indexes and date frame. The texture used on the dial is the same as its green counterpart, again inspired by tea leaves. Here again, a tone-on-tone strap finished the warm, brownish look of this Presage Cocktail Hojicha.

Other than these new dial colours, we’re in front of well-known models. The case is, for instance, the same as used in multiple other Presage Cocktail watches – such as the SRPF37J1 & SRPF39J1. Dimensions are attractive, with a compact 38.5mm diameter and a reasonable height of 11.8mm. The lug-to-lug measurement is also restrained, at 45.4mm. As such, these are perfect unisex models. The case, topped by a Hardlex box-shaped mineral crystal for an old-school look, is entirely polished and nicely executed considering the accessible price of these watches. A see-through caseback and a folding clasp with security push-buttons are also part of the package. Finally, a nice touch, the straps feature quick-release spring bars.

Inside the case is a classic Seiko movement, the calibre 4R35. This entry-level in-house automatic calibre is nothing high-end, yet it is known for its decent precision and great reliability. It displays the time via central hours, minutes and seconds hand (the latter equipped with stop-seconds mechanism), as well as a date at 3 o’clock. It is finished with a gold-coloured oscillating weight.

Availability & price

The Seiko Presage Cocktail Matcha SRPF41J1 and Hojicha SRPF43J1 are handsome additions to the Cocktail collection, with truly attractive dials, a beautiful organic look and just enough vintage style to make them cool. Both are limited editions of 7,000 pieces, available worldwide as of December 2020, and priced at EUR 490.

More details at seikowatches.com.