I’ll start this off with a confession. Up until about a year ago, I kept my watches on a fairly regular rotation. Each had a specific purpose, and I tried not to wear any particular one for more than a couple of weeks. That all changed with the acquisition of the Submariner. My father handed this piece down to me last year on his birthday, and it has since become my daily driver.
I do intend to review the Submariner. After all, a year on the wrist is more than enough time to form a proper impression. However, this is not that review. I’ve been trying to get my full collection back into the rotation, and in doing so, I’ve re-discovered another favorite of mine, the Seiko SARB065, affectionally known as the Cocktail Time.
Seiko has been undergoing a lot of changes recently. Grand Seiko, formerly a sub-brand, is now an independent company. Since going independent, they’ve been busy releasing a new line of watches to mark the occasion. (The old Grand Seiko SBGA211 “Snowflake” remains a grail watch of mine.) Several years ago, Seiko discontinued the original run of the Cocktail Time, updated it, and added it to its Presage line. The Presage version looks to be a solid timepiece, but there’s something to be said about the original, as demonstrated by the price increase on the second-hand market.
The most striking feature of the watch is the dial. It’s easily the first thing most people notice. It has a silver sunburst dial that really shines (literally) in natural sunlight, but even indoors it easily catches the eye. If you’re wearing this watch, it takes some serious self-restraint not to stare at the dial while moving your wrist back and forth, hoping to catch reflections from every possible facet. The silver sword hands and batons help to complete this look, and a blued second hand provides just enough contrast to keep it from being monotone.
The back of the watch is almost as striking as the front, thanks to its gorgeous exhibition caseback. In fact, I had been considering purchasing this piece for a while and was still on the fence until I saw this video, which prominently features the caseback. Five minutes after watching that video, I had placed my order.
The movement in the SARB065 is Seiko’s 6R15. If you couldn’t tell by the video, it is an automatic movement that is hackable and hand-winding, with a 50 hour power reserve. Okay, you probably couldn’t tell those last three things, but the rotor should be a giveaway that it’s an automatic movement. I haven’t measured the rate of the watch, but it has a specification of +25 / -15 seconds a day, and it operated well within those parameters. The 6R15 is used in a number of Seiko’s other watches, and it’s a reliable movement, so while the watch itself is considered a dress watch, you can get away with wearing it on a daily basis without having to worry.
It feels like nit-picking to find negatives on this watch, but it’s not without its imperfections. The most glaring of which is the date window, and I’m not a person that is categorically opposed to date windows on watches. Out of the five watches I own, only one is without a date window. And I still try to check the date on it. On the SARB065, however, the numerals on the datewheel don’t exactly line up with the date window, resting just a bit below center. It’s such a minor flaw that you might not even notice it unless someone points it out. I can’t say whether this is consistent across the line, and this appears to be fixed in the Presage update, so don’t let this dissuade you from picking one up if you’re interested.
The other negative about the watch is the strap. It comes with a deployant clasp, the first watch I’ve owned to have one, which was exciting. However, the material on the strap itself is a hard, plasticky, faux leather. It was serviceable, but felt like a weak point on an otherwise nice dress watch. I replaced it with a Hirsch Modena Alligator strap in blue, which feels like a fitting replacement. I haven’t yet replaced the deployant clasp, but I don’t find myself missing it all that much.
Pictures of the Cocktail Time don’t do it justice, but I’ll share a few more anyway.
Even with the recent price increase on the second-hand market, the Seiko SARB065 “Cocktail Time” is a watch that punches above its weight. My only recommendation for potential buyers would be to find a slightly better strap, but that’s certainly not a deal breaker. And although it’s certainly meant to be dressy, the right strap can dress it up or down, making it a great everyday watch.
Wristgazer 
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