Even if you don't immediately know the Red Special, you know its sound. The instrument, built by Queen's guitarist Brian May and his father in the early 1960s, has had a consistent and pivotal place in Queen's work — a homemade guitar that has more than earned its place in rock history. The Red Special was the perfect sonic harmoniser, its closely layered harmonies cutting through and complimenting Freddie Mercury's soaring vocals on tracks like Bohemian Rhapsody and Another One Bites the Dust.
Of course, the Red Special looked as distinctive as it sounded. The 24-fret neck, carved from the oak mantle of a fireplace, stretches into a rich red lacquered body that has become, after decades of touring and recording, as distinctive as May's flop of hair on stage.
It's this very special red that Seiko has painstakingly recreated with the SRPH80K1, the Seiko 5 Sports Brian May Limited Edition. The dial has been pressed to replicate the texture of the Red Special and given its own glossy red coating, which fades into deeper tones toward the edge of the dial. What really makes this very special stand out is the flowing line along with the left hand of the dial, which evokes the Red Special's profile, down to the white trim. Above the 'Automatic' text, the dial read 'Red Special' in cursive gold script. The overall effect of this dial is rich and evocative — it's already a fitting tribute to an iconic instrument and the musician who plays it, but the fine details don't stop there.
In this limited edition, the sporty 42.5mm case, water-resistant to 100m, is unmissable thanks to the hard-wearing gold IP coating — a finish requested by long-time Seiko fan Brian May himself, in honour to mark the 'gold series' reissues of his solo albums. Symbolism aside, the combination of red dial, with gold hands and hour markers filled with Lumibrite, framed by a black unidirectional bezel and rich yellow gold case, is irresistible and stands out on the wrist.
The Seiko 5 Sports Brian May Limited Edition wears as good as it looks. Partially that's down to the refined case ergonomics, with short lugs that hug the wrist. The other main factor in the comfort (and cool) factor of this Red Special is the woven strap. Now, you may be familiar with this sort of nylon strap, often called NATO straps, but Seiko watches are exceptional in both feel and style. For this model, the hardware matches the case, and the six golden horizontal stripes woven through the fabric represent guitar strings.
If you unlooped the strap to inspect the caseback, you'd find it individually numbered, and catch a glimpse of the calibre through the translucent red display back, which features May's signature. The 4R36 calibre displays the day, and the date at three and holds 41 hours of power reserve off a full wind.
This limited edition has all the hallmarks that make the Seiko 5 Sports watch a legendary performer in its own rights, making it the perfect platform to celebrate one of the most famous guitars of all time, the Red Special. And, like any precious instrument, the SRPH80K1 comes in dedicated packaging, here, it is a red-lined black box in the style of a road case.
And in a final nod to the legendary musician, there's a commemorative coin in the case, with the Queen's head being May's unmissable profile.
For fans of Queen, this limited-edition tribute to the Red Special is unmissable, but like May's music, this watch stands on its own merits. The red dial and gold case, with black detailing, is genuinely stunning, perfectly paired with the Seiko 5 aesthetic to create a watch guaranteed to rock you. Unfortunately, this piece is sold out but keep your eyes peeled for more exciting Seiko launches!
