BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
In case you are a watch enthusiast who is into high-quality, value for money timepieces, Seiko is a brand you are most certainly familiar with. Similarly, if you love listening to Classic rock, there is a high probability that you would have sometime swayed your head to rock band Queen’s music. So, what happens when a Japanese watchmaking giant like Seiko and Brian May, the legendary guitar player from Queen, join hands to create a product? It results in something special, such as the new Seiko 5 Sports Brian May Special edition, a watch that is inspired by the ‘Red Special’, a guitar that was hand-crafted by Brian himself and has been behind Queen’s sound signature for a long time.
Based on the recently revived Seiko 5 line of sports watches, the Seiko 5 Brian May Special Edition showcases a nice familiarity in its overall design. The case has been constructed from stainless steel and features the popular and distinctive Seiko SKX007 style silhouette. It measures 42.5mm wide with a thickness of around 13.5mm and sports a Hardlex crystal on both front and the back, offering water-resistance of a decent 100 meters. Sitting on top of the case is a grippy uni-directional bezel with a black aluminum insert that can come in handy to time those underwater dives.
The face of the watch is where is the Brian May influence is immediately noticeable. To pay a tribute to Brian May’s ‘Red Special’ guitar, the dial of this watch has been designed to mimic the body of the guitar. Presented in a black and red color scheme, the dial features a delicate wood-like pattern similar to one found on the ‘Red Special’. The rest of the dial is once again a familiar affair. There are lume filled applied indices for hours, an outer flange with a printed minute track, a day and date window at 3 and a bold looking handset, all of which translates into a highly legible dial.
Driving the watch is Seiko’s trustworthy workhorse caliber 4R36. This automatic movement operates at a low frequency of 3 Hz and offers a power reserve of around 41 hours when fully wound. The movement is visible through the exhibition case back that has been stamped with Brian May’s signature along with the ‘Limited edition’ text.
The Seiko 5 Sports Brian May Special Edition is a fitting tribute to a great artist and his beloved guitar. The watch would come attached to a black nylon strap packaged inside a special box that resembles a guitar case. Production would be limited to 9000 pieces and the retail price has been set at EUR 560.
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