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Seiko Presage SSK037J1 'Skydiving' Cocktail Time GMT Watch - W25450
Ref. SSK037J1
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The Cocktail Time series has always drawn its dials from specific drinks served at the Star Bar in Ginza, and this is the first time Seiko has extended that premise to include a GMT complication. The "Skydiving" takes its pale blue colouring from the rum, lime and blue curaçao drink of the same name, and the sunray finish on the dial is intended to replicate the view through a cocktail glass held up to the light — a conceit that works better in person than it sounds on paper. The 4R34 movement uses what is sometimes called a "caller" GMT: the 24-hour hand can be set independently of the main hands, so crossing a time zone does not require stopping the watch and resetting the time. At 40.5mm with a 47.5mm lug-to-lug, the case wears closer to 38mm in presence — the proportions read as a dress watch despite carrying the extra hand, which is not always easy to pull off. The cocktail glass stem and stirrer references in the hands are subtle enough that most wearers will only notice them once told, at which point they become impossible to unsee.
- Reference
- SSK037J1
- Brand
- Seiko
- Collection
- Presage
- Case size
- 47.5mm
- Case thickness
- 12.8mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Hardlex
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 4R34
- Functions
- GMT, Date
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 41 hours
Learn more about Seiko
Kintaro Hattori opened a watch and clock shop in Tokyo in 1881, aged twenty-one, and began manufacturing under the name Seikosha — roughly, house of exquisite workmanship — in 1892. The Seiko name appeared on watches from 1924.
The company's significance is that it broke the Swiss monopoly twice. First on precision: Seiko was appointed official timekeeper of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and built the quartz chronometers and printing timers to do it, and in the 1960s its movements placed highly at the Neuchâtel and Geneva observatory trials against the best Swiss houses.
Then on technology. On Christmas Day 1969 Seiko released the Astron, the world's first quartz wristwatch, accurate to five seconds a month where mechanical watches managed that per day. The consequences for Switzerland were catastrophic — employment in the Swiss industry fell by roughly two-thirds over the following decade. Seiko deliberately did not enforce its quartz patents, allowing the technology to spread.
The same year it produced the 6139, among the first automatic chronographs, and it has since introduced Kinetic, Spring Drive — a hybrid regulating a mechanical mainspring electronically, giving a perfectly gliding seconds hand — and its own dive and field lines.
Seiko remains fully vertically integrated, making its own hairsprings, quartz crystals, and even the Zaratsu-polished cases, at price points from under a hundred pounds upward.
- 1881
- Kintaro Hattori opens his Tokyo shop.
- 1924
- The first watches carry the Seiko name.
- 1964
- Official timekeeper of the Tokyo Olympics.
- 1969
- The Astron becomes the first quartz wristwatch.
- 1999
- Spring Drive enters production.
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Second time zone for travelling
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 47.5mm is a large watch with real presence
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | SSK037J1 |  PWVBA0423 |  010-02784-00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £520 | £479 | £400 |
| Case size | 47.5mm | 44mm | 45mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Silicone strap | Silicone strap |
| Power reserve | 41 hours | 40 hours | — |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Will the glass scratch?
It resists most everyday knocks. Hardlex is a hardened mineral glass — tougher than standard mineral, softer than sapphire.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 41 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are F.Hinds?
F.Hinds has been run by the same family since 1856 and is now in its fifth generation, with more than 115 shops across England and Wales. They are a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council and an Authorised Diamond Dealer.
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