Adding yet another Australasian Limited Edition to their repertoire, Seiko have unveiled a new timepiece over a gorgeous lunch at Conte Sydney.
This past Wednesday, the Australian watch industry was treated to another Seiko limited edition for the second year in a row. Last year, the Japanese brand showcased the robust Prospex line in Bell Shakespeare’s The Seed, unveiling the Australasian Limited Edition Alpinist SPB489J, a piece brimming with thematic and striking aesthetics.
This time, however, the focus shifted in a more classical direction, as Seiko turned its attention to the acclaimed Bar Conte in Sydney – the world’s first dedicated Negroni cocktail bar, and sister location to the original in Surry Hills. If you’re a Seikophile, you probably know where this is going: alongside a superb lunch with esteemed guests, and within the intimate walls of Bar Conte, the brand unveiled another Australasian limited edition inspired by the very cocktail the venue celebrates.
One of those guests, of course, was yours truly. In the blink of an eye, I was whisked away to Sydney, and under pouring rain I made my way to Bar Conte. When I arrived, the celebrations were already in full swing. Dozens of guests buzzed around the intimate yet sophisticated space, the atmosphere awash with elegance and anticipation. After catching up with friends new and old – and steeling myself with a Negroni – we were ushered upstairs for the experience that awaited us.
The upper level was beautifully decorated, with three long tables laid out for guests, and references from the Seiko Presage line. These were displayed among the endless shelves of Campari, gin, vermouth, and Amari – the most I’ve ever seen in one place. Merely glancing at these shelves, with watches as refined as the spirits were tempting, made both my wallet and my liver beg for mercy.
Once seated, we were treated to a four-course feast accompanied by Seiko and Negroni-themed décor. The menu was crafted by Steven De Vecchi, head chef and owner of Bar Conte Sydney. With white wine in one hand, a Negroni in the other, and a steady flow of oysters, tagliatelle, and other spectacular dishes in between, it quickly became difficult to remember that I had a job to do!
Fortunately, I was reminded by Daniel Findlay, Marketing Manager of Seiko Australia. Taking the floor halfway through, he announced the watch we had all been waiting for. After showing a promotional video – and delivering physical examples to each table – he introduced the new reference: the Seiko Presage Cocktail Time SRPL96J, affectionately named the ‘Conte’ after the bar itself.
First launched in 2010, the Seiko Presage Cocktail Time series takes creative inspiration from cocktails served at sophisticated bars, brought to life by Japanese bartenders who share the same reverence for craft and ritual as Seiko’s watchmakers. Each model is distinguished by finely textured dials, smooth curves, and carefully chosen colour palettes. The Seiko ‘Conte’ continues this legacy, channelling the richness and depth of the Negroni through its brilliant design.
Like its Alpinist predecessor, the new piece’s standout feature is its deep red dial – this time derived from the colour of the Negroni rather than the Australian desert. Its hypnotic pattern, evocative by traditional Negroni glassware, accentuates its connection with the fabled cocktail. Housed in a rose gold PVD case and paired with a brown leather deployant strap, it is an outstanding watch that elevated the day’s proceedings even further. Even more outstanding was the price point announced for it, as at just AU$950 the timepiece made for an extremely compelling value proposition.
To mark the launch, Bar Conte also created a bespoke ‘Seiko Negroni,’ featuring an exclusive cherry blossom–infused vermouth, Mancino Sakura, which fused Japanese culture with Italian cocktail tradition. This delicate floral note evoked the essence of Japan’s seasons, subtly transforming the classic Negroni as we watched – and tasted – in awed silence.
All good things must come to an end, though. As I delayed the inevitable return to the airport, I took one last look at the new Seiko ‘Conte’ and the wonderful Sydney bar that helped give it life. Busting out my very best (and extremely broken) Italian for the Conte staff – and dusting off my high-school Japanese for Seiko Australia–New Zealand Managing Director Kinuyo Sakata – I finally said my thanks and goodbyes. Not before Seiko sent me off, of course, with my very own Negroni mixers and glass.
Though the visit was short and the weather unforgiving, I felt that was no better venue for such an elegant occasion than Bar Conte Sydney, no better company than the esteemed guests and staff of Seiko Australia, and no better watch to be unveiled under Conte Sydney’s roof than the new Australasian Limited Edition Presage Cocktail Time Conte.
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