I’m probably not the only one, but there are a few watches I class as my “first”.
Technically, my first ever timepiece was a plastic-cased Mickey Mouse watch I wore from around the ages of five to seven. I don’t remember much about it, sadly; and my terrible long term memory refuses to provide any significant details about it other than the fact it had a white dial and the iconic cartoon mouse at the centre. I have tried my luck scouring the internet to see if I can find something remotely similar, but nothing seems close. If I had to guess, this watch probably cost no more than £5, possibly even less since we’re talking about the 90’s here.
Marc Jacobs MBM1329 Baker
Marc Jacobs MBM1329 Baker - Credit: Charlotte Harris, author
The first watch I ever bought myself was a Marc Jacobs model. At this point, I’d just got my first full-time job working at a jeweller as a copywriter. I’d been there for about six months, and I’d seen many fancy watches come and go through the head office. As a 21-year-old just out of university, I didn’t have the bank balance to support purchasing one of the more luxurious Breiting’s or Bell & Ross’ that came through the door. So instead, I ended up purchasing a £200 fashion watch.
The model was the Marc by Marc Jacobs MBM1329 Baker watch, and it had a rose gold-tone 36mm case, quartz movement, deep navy dial with a matching navy strap. I still have this watch now and even though it sometimes feels a little out of place in my watch box beside brands like Seiko, Oris and Junghans, I still really love this watch. It’s a reminder of where my career and watch collecting journey began.
Marc Jacobs MBM1329 Baker - Credit: Charlotte Harris, author
I haven’t worn this watch for a long time, and I think it’s partly down to having developed a little bit of snobbery about fashion watches. Eight years have passed since I purchased it and during that time, I’ve definitely gained more appreciation for brands that focus on heritage, craftsmanship, and quality compared to fashion brands which typically concentrate solely on design. At the end of the day though, a watch is still a watch and if I get joy out of wearing it, it deserves just as much wrist time as any other.
Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Diamond Twist SRE010J1
The watch I class as my first “real” watch is my Seiko Prospex Cocktail Time. Why? Because this was the first watch I purchased that started off my collection.
Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Diamond Twist SRE010J1. Credit: Charlotte Harris, author
Trust me when I say choosing my first luxury watch took way too long. I’d been writing about watches for six whole years at this point and I’d been very fortunate to test drive many designs – both men’s and women’s – from some incredible brands. But none of them felt quite right for me. They were either too expensive for my budget, too large for my wrist or just generally not to my taste.
I’d always loved Seiko and there were plenty of Prospex and 5 Sports models that I loved the look of, but this was my first proper watch after all, so I wanted something I knew I would comfortably wear every day. Seiko didn’t have many women’s watches before 2022 but their Presage line-up did have some well-sized dress watches that tempted me. In fact, I was very close to purchasing one just before the Japanese watchmaker launched their Cocktail Time Diamond Twist collection.
Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Diamond Twist SRE010J1. Credit: Charlotte Harris, author
I was very fortunate to receive reference SRE010J1 to review just before the full collection debuted and as soon as I strapped it to my wrist, I fell in love. The two-toned yellow gold-plated and stainless-steel design arrived with another two-toned rose gold model and a full steel variation, and like the entire Cocktail Time family, they were named after drinks mixed by Hisashi Kishi, the head bartender at the Star Bar in Ginza, Tokyo.
Model SRE010J1 is nicknamed ‘White Lady’, taking its name from a citrus flavoured, golden-coloured cocktail. It’s a good choice for a watch with a bi-coloured case and bracelet and creamy iridescent dial. It really is a pretty watch and rather dainty in size at just 30.3mm in diameter. I’ve found this is a really good size for my wrist when I want something effortless to wear. Those day-to-day occasions where I want to wear a watch, but I don’t necessarily want to feel like I’m wearing one.
Saying that, the design of my Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Diamond Twist watch is a little flashy and dressy. It’s not exactly unnoticeable. As mentioned, it is two-toned and utilises gold-plating on the smooth fixed bezel and knurled crown as well as on the two middle links of the bracelet. The rest of the architecture is left bare in stainless steel.
Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Diamond Twist SRE010J1. Credit: Charlotte Harris, author
I’ve never been a huge fan of mother of pearl dials. I think they’re a little overdone on women’s watches. So, one of my favourite things about the Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Diamond Twist SRE010J1 watch is the iridescent dial that isn’t mother of pearl. We all know Seiko are masters of dial crafting and this model has a gorgeous cream gold display that is cleverly textured with waves to create an unusual, glassy finish. The dial is then punctuated by yellow gold hands, indices and eight diamonds.
This Seiko Presage was also my first ever mechanical watch, utilising the Calibre 2R05 automatic winding movement. This isn’t Seiko’s best movement, but it offers a reasonable 41-hour power reserve and I’ve had no issues in terms of accuracy over twelve months of wear.
I purchased reference SRE010J1 for just under £400 over a year ago and you can buy it at retail from £510. Honestly, I do think this is really great value for money. It’s a beautiful looking watch and for me, it wears like a dream. It’s a model I’ve recommended to many other women looking for an automatic timepiece that’s not in the thousands price bracket.
Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Diamond Twist SRE010J1. Credit: Charlotte Harris, author
I love hearing how people got into watches and especially comparing everyone’s watch “firsts”, so if you have a story about your first timepiece, please leave it down in the comments below!
Technical Specs:
- Brand: Seiko
- Model: Presage Cocktail Time Diamond Twist
- Price: £510
- Material: Stainless steel and yellow gold plating
- Movement: Calibre 2R05 automatic
- Complications: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
- Dial: Cream
- Size: 30.28mm
