Two-for-one cocktails on Monday night. Dinner at the 20-capacity restaurant that doesn’t take reservations on Tuesday. Early 2000s-themed office karaoke on Wednesday (feel free to skip this). Our diaries get hectic during party season, so we need stylish, go-to pieces to see us through the late nights.
Although a small component of an outfit, a watch can bring it all together – and the Seiko Presage range does just that. For more than 140 years, the Japanese brand has been at the forefront of watchmaking innovation (aesthetically and technologically), introducing the first wristwatch in 1913 and creating the world’s first automatic chronograph model equipped with both vertical clutch and column wheel in 1969.
We've picked out our dream party shirt and watch pairings, so you can conquer the season in style – regardless of how chaotic the calendar becomes.
Basic Rights & The Aviation
Workwear and party season are two areas of menswear that don’t usually gel, but sustainable essentials brand Basic Rights has crafted a hardwearing hybrid shirt in a sumptuous royal blue that complements either cargos or cropped wool trousers.
For the watch, you’ll want a piece that pairs well with the serene blue, which is where ‘The Aviation’ comes in. Seiko’s Presage Cocktail Time Collection is inspired by Tokyo’s Ginza area and its craft-drink culture, with each watch in the 16-piece range emulating a beverage or ingredient (in this instance, crème de violette). The combination of a radiating dial pattern and the box-shaped crystal replicates the shimmer of the violet liqueur, while the indexes mimic ice fragments.
Pikol & The Irish Coffee
Pikol selects textiles from the past, such as embroidered tablecloths, tapestries and antique linen sheets, then pieces them together to create sustainable one-off shirts and jackets with contemporary details. And although each piece is unique, we have seen famous Guinness advertising slogans appear in a number of shirts.
We selected Presage ‘The Irish Coffee’ for this pairing. The brown leather strap and coffee tones in the dial make us want to sink into a wingback chair for chats with old mates by a roaring fire. That’s what the Cocktail Time collection is all about; in Japan, ‘Nomunication hour’ – a combination of nomu (drink) and communication – takes place after 5pm, when cocktail hour strikes and it’s time to talk things over.
Endless Joy & The Illuminate
The nights may be getting darker, but this shirt by cryptic symbology-obsessed brand Endless Joy is a wearable SAD lamp. Featuring original artwork and crafted in 100 per cent ethically-sourced rayon, the design is inspired by the Ken Russell-directed film Altered States, based in part on John C. Lilly’s psychoactive-fuelled sensory deprivation research conducted in isolation tanks.
Trippy? Indeed, but an existential crisis never looked so good, especially when paired with the Presage ‘Illuminate’ Limited Edition (only 5,000 have been made), a modern update on the classic skeleton design with a rippled texture emulating the shimmering light on the surface of a cocktail.
Karu Research & The Mockingbird
For some, the ’ember months are a green light to experiment with opulent fabrics that won’t fly in summer. This earthy green camp collar shirt by Karu Research is made from classic Indian silk and features traditional ajrakh motifs (one of India’s oldest textile-printing methods).
For the watch, we're going all in on standing out. The Mockingbird cocktail’s vivid green hue is thanks to crème de menthe, and is reflected in the dial of the Presage ‘Mockingbird’. This watch also boasts a 41-hour power reserve and a stainless-steel case with anti-reflective coated curved Hardlex glass, making it delicate-looking but all-round tough.
Get the party season started with Seiko Presage, available soon at its new Bond Street boutique in London from the end of November
