Valentine’s Day Watch Idea: Seiko Ladies’ Cocktail Time
It’s the 14th of February, you’re at a bar sipping a cocktail with your date and you notice her bare wrist. If only I got her a watch, you may think. What watch may suit the occasion and what would be a good starter watch for her? I may have a suggestion: the Seiko Presage Ladies’ Cocktail Time “Bellini”.
Inspired by the female-friendly bellini cocktail made of prosecco and peach puree, the rose gold, pink-dialed Presage Bellini definitely will not feel out of place on a romantic night out. At just 33.8 mm across and 40 mm lug-to-lug, it’s a size that will fit most Asian female wrists. The faceted hour markers, dauphine hands, and iconic radial ridge dial pattern are great light catchers, ensuring a noticeable presence among other jewelry that may be adorning her. In addition, the rose gold finish is also consistently extended to the applied Seiko logo, second hand with diamond counterweight and date window frame. The minute marker dots and date wheel are printed in black, providing great legibility to tell accurate time and date. At the bottom, you’ll find the Presage Automatic and Made in Japan labels, indicating the Bellini’s higher position in Seiko’s line-up.
Turn to the side and you’ll find a fully-polished side that still looks well done although not comparable with the Zaratsu polishing of their Grand Seiko offerings. A knurled push-pull crown enables hand-winding, date and time setting while still guaranteeing 50 m of water resistance. The ramekin-shaped, Seiko-signed crown will probably remind you to order a dessert if you’ve forgotten about it. On top of the case lies a domed mineral glass crystal which Seiko calls Hardlex. A sapphire crystal would be nice but Seiko’s sapphire-covered Presage Prestige line options start at about 3 times the price of the Bellini. You’ll have to opt for microbrands if you’re looking for more bang for your buck.
On the back, you’ll find an exhibition caseback to view the ubiquitous 4R35 movement. While it is by no means exceptional, it does allow wearers who are new to automatic watches to see the various parts of the movement and to understand what timekeeping before the advent of battery and quartz looked like. As a workhorse movement, there aren’t decorations unless you count the well-aligned CNC machining stripes. While the gold-plated rotor is a nice touch, I wish they spent the plating budget on the rim of the caseback instead as the polished stainless steel rim is visibly different from the side when worn. The 4R movement used to be a step up from the entry-level Seiko 5s sporting the 7S series of movements. However, with the new Seiko 5 Sports models now sporting the same 4R movements while being a hundred dollars or so cheaper, the price difference really is for the finishing and dial.
The strap is the most frustrating part of the watch. With an odd 17 mm lug-width, after-market strap options are extremely limited. While 19 mm straps have become increasingly available over the past few years, 17 mm options have not. Custom straps from the likes of Delugs or Yi Leather are probably the way to go although they’ll cost much more than off-the-shelf options. The redeeming factor is that the original brown, crocodile-pattern calf leather strap is soft and comfortable out of the box. You won’t be rushing to swap it out. The strap tapers down to a width of 14 mm and comes with a double push-button deployant clasp with matching rose gold finish. The Seiko-signed clasp feels surprisingly well made in terms of finishing, clasp mechanism, and material thickness for the price. For that, I guess one can wear the Bellini with the original strap and spend the cost of custom straps on another watch.
All-in-all, if you are looking for a ladies’ jewelry piece from a proper watchmaker (not fashion brands like DW), the Seiko Presage Bellini is a great option that won’t break the bank. We should thank Seiko for making women-size options for their popular Cocktail Time series. Just like cocktails, watches should be enjoyed by all genders. If you are looking for a watch based on specifications, there are definitely better options out there than the 4R35-powered, Hardlex-covered Bellini. Nevertheless, the Bellini will look great on any lady’s wrist on a night out. That’s more important than anything else for a Valentine’s Day gift, isn’t it?
Specifications
Model: Seiko Presage Cocktail Time “Bellini” SRRY028 or SRP852J1
Movement: Seiko 4R35B automatic (21,600 vph / 3 Hz / 6 ticks per sec, 23 jewels, +45 s to -35 s per day accuracy, 41 hr power reserve, hand-wind, hacking seconds)
Size: 33.8 mm diameter, 40 mm lug-to-lug, 17 mm lug width, 11.3 mm thickness
Case Material: Rose gold-plated stainless steel
Crystal: Mineral glass / Hardlex
Complications: Date
Water Resistance: 5 bar / 50 m
Strap: Brown crocodile-patterned calf leather with deployant clasp
RRP: 51,700 JPY, including taxes (~523 SGD)
Gallery
