It can sometimes be easy to forget that there was a time when finding high-quality, affordable mechanical watches was a bit of a challenge. Back in those days, Seiko was the name of the game, and while plenty of worthy competitors have risen through the ranks to challenge the Japanese brand, Seiko still has a few tricks up its sleeve.
Namely, Seiko knows how to make a hell of a dress watch. While there are plenty of iconic tool watches available at a true entry-level price point, finding great dress watches ? especially mechanical ones ? is harder to do. Since its initial introduction in 2010, the Cocktail Time series has offered collectors a genuinely exciting, and beautiful, dress watch at an almost shocking price.

Today, Seiko has expanded its Cocktail Time lineup with the introduction of their latest collaboration with Hisashi Kishi?s famed Ginza watering hole, STAR BAR. This is not the first time Kishi and STAR BAR have collaborated with Seiko either. You might remember that back in 2022, Kishi and Seiko released the SSA455J1 and SSA457J1. That duo, based on the familiar colors of classic cocktails like the Martini, were distinguished by the cutouts in their dials reminiscent of a ripple on the surface of a drink.
This time, Kishi and Seiko have released a pair of watches with inspiration taken from proprietary cocktails Kishi has created for STAR BAR inspired by the Tokyo skyline. What results is a pair of watches offered with beautiful gradient dials, perf...