Seiko · Presage Cocktail Time · Ref SRPE15
Green that changes its mind under bar light.
Seiko presses a radial pattern into the SRPE15’s dial and lacquers it in a green that swings from emerald to forest as the light moves. Underneath is the in-house 4R35 automatic. Collectors call it the Mockingbird.
Case
40.5mm
Thickness
11.8mm
Movement
4R35
Power reserve
41 hours
Crystal
Box Hardlex
Water resistance
50m
Cocktail Time
The Presage Cocktail Time line takes its name from the Japanese bar culture that inspired it, and the dials are meant to be looked at over a drink. Each colourway is a pressed pattern under a coloured lacquer. On the SRPE15 that lacquer is green.
The radial texture is what makes the colour move. Tilt the watch and the same dial reads as bright emerald, then as something close to black. That is the whole reason this reference has a nickname and a following.
Inside: the 4R35
The 4R35 is Seiko’s own automatic, running at 21,600 vibrations per hour on 23 jewels with a stated 41-hour reserve. It hacks and hand-winds. It is the date-only sibling of the 4R36 found in the Seiko 5 Sports range.
A screw-down exhibition caseback shows it working. Seiko’s figures are the ones we quote; we have not timed one ourselves.
Size and strap
Seiko lists 40.5mm across, 11.8mm thick and 47.5mm lug to lug, with 20mm lugs. A box-shaped Hardlex crystal adds height at the edge and gives the dial some old-fashioned distortion at an angle.
It ships on a dark brown leather strap with a double-deployment clasp. Water resistance is 50m, which is enough for rain and washing up, not swimming.
Specs
- Reference
- SRPE15
- Case size
- 40.5mm
- Case material
- Stainless Steel
- Movement
- Automatic Caliber 4R35
- Caliber type
- Seiko In-House Automatic
- Crystal
- Hardlex Crystal
- Water resistance
- 50m (5 ATM)
- Power reserve
- 41 Hours
- Complications
- Date
- Jewels
- 23 Jewels
- Frequency
- 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
- Origin
- Made in Japan
Specifications as published by Seiko. We research from manufacturer documentation and published sources rather than hands-on testing. Researched 2026-09-03.
Verdict
A textured green dial that outperforms its price in photographs and in person, on a hacking, hand-winding Seiko automatic.
Strengths
- The pressed dial genuinely shifts shade with the light
- In-house 4R35 with hacking and hand-winding
- 40.5mm and 47.5mm lug to lug suits most wrists
- Box crystal and deployant clasp at a dress-watch price
Trade-offs
- Hardlex, not sapphire
- 50m water resistance is dress-watch territory
- 21,600 vph is a slower beat than Swiss rivals
- Leather only; the bracelet Cocktail Times are other references
Buy it if
Someone who wants a colourful dress watch that still reads formal on a strap, and enjoys a dial that rewards a second look.
Skip it if
You want a sapphire crystal, a bracelet, or a watch you can swim in.
FAQ
The nickname comes from collectors. The green dial shifts noticeably between shades as the light changes, and the name stuck to this reference in particular.
Sources
Researched and last updated 2026-09-03. We do not test watches in hand; every figure above is traceable to the manufacturer or the sources listed here.
Seiko Presage Cocktail Time SRPE15
Reference SRPE15 · $250–$500
Prices and availability change; the band above is a research figure, so check the current listing.
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