The Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition SRPL35 (or SBSA281) is a limited edition of 2,000 pieces. The basics of this Fusion watch date back to the famous SKX series, with details finished in indigo hues. The bezel, dial, and strap feature plenty of jeans-like hues. If you’re looking for the Denham logo, look at the 12 o’clock position. The inverted equilateral triangle subtly expresses the logo.
For those who aren’t into blue jeans or don’t know this, British jeans maker Jason Denham founded his eponymous premium denim brand in Amsterdam in 2008. One of Denham’s taglines is “The truth is in the details,” and its logo is a pair of scissors. The Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition SRPL35 also incorporates details and scissors.
Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition: Touches of red and scissors…but no denim
Let’s take a look at the details that make this Seiko 5 Sport so special. The color of the second hand is taken from the distinctive red button found on Denham’s Made in Japan jeans. If you look at the rehaul surrounding the shiny dark indigo dial, you’ll also notice a pattern that resembles the stitching on a pair of jeans. And the strap has real stitching. I have nothing against sewing. This is the strap I’m having trouble with. You can already see why: this watch comes with a NATO-style strap made from nylon rather than Denham denim.
Why doesn’t the Seiko 5 Sport Denham Limited Edition come with a denim strap? Maybe it’s because Seiko plans to release 2,000 pieces and doesn’t have enough (spare) Denham denim for the strap. However, cost may also be an issue. The Seiko 5 Sport Denham Limited Edition SRPL35 retails for 450 euros. However, if the strap had been made of blue jeans instead of nylon, the price could have broken through the 500 euro ceiling. But if that’s the case, prices above 500 euros shouldn’t be a problem for denim fans in general, and denham fans in particular.
Premium denim, premium watch
Browsing through Denham’s catalog, it becomes clear that the brand is truly a premium denim manufacturer. Prices start from 150 euros for basic jeans. However, if you want Japanese selvedge denim like Eastwinder Bonsai, the price is €600. Just like mechanical watches, denim can last a lifetime if properly cared for. I think there are probably more than 2,000 people around the world who are interested in Japanese denim and interested in watches. Two people have already qualified at Fratello, leaving 1,998 people. If you’re willing to pay a premium for jeans with a specific story, cut, fabric, and finish, you can also appreciate the storytelling behind mechanical luxury watches. But is the Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition such a watch?
Wearing Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition
If you’re a watch and jeans fan who’s willing to pay extra for quality craftsmanship, emotional storytelling, and exclusivity, the Seiko 5 Sport Denham Limited Edition should be your watch. I recognize myself in a fictional character, so I’ll let you know if I do. As you may know, I own the Oris x Momotaro Diver’s Sixty-Five. This model combines a Swiss made watch with a Japanese denim strap. Yes, the Oris is four times more expensive than the new blue jeans-themed Seiko 5 Sport, but the watch itself is of a higher standard in every way, and most importantly, it comes fitted with the signature authentic Momotaro denim strap. It means that there is. Two white stripes as icing on the cake. The combination of colors and materials (for example, the bronze bezel resembles the rivets on jeans) works well, convincingly merging the twin stories of exclusive quality and craftsmanship.
When you look at the Seiko 5 Sport Denham Limited Edition, it doesn’t seem like two worlds come together naturally. The NATO-style nylon strap is the loudest dissonant element, but the watch itself doesn’t win me over either. To say the least, this watch isn’t as high-end as Denham’s premium denim. Even the display case back that reads “The truth is in the details” can’t make up for it.
Why not a Prospex model?
The SKX-inspired Seiko 5 Sports Series couldn’t be a better platform to collaborate with a premium brand. There’s definitely something special about the SKX series that Seiko introduced in 1996. These ISO-certified diver’s watches gained a lot of street cred and served as the entry point into luxury watchmaking for many, including some members of the Fratello team. Yes, the SKX007 and SKX009 are two of the most popular entry-level mechanical watches ever produced. But if you look at the 2024 Seiko 5 Sport Denham Limited Edition, you’ll find a glossy, slightly shabby blue watch with a strap that’s both very bulky and not very comfortable on your wrist. With its connection to Denham, this watch promises denim and delivers nylon. That’s not correct.
Also keep in mind that while the Seiko 5 Sport is an entry-level watch, the Denham is not an entry-level denim. Perhaps choosing a high-end Prospex model as the starting point for the collaboration would have resulted in a more luxurious watch in the same spirit as fine artisanal denim. A Prospex Marinemaster 1968 Heritage Diver’s Watch with a denim strap, like SLA079, is a good choice. If a 2,900 euro watch is a little too expensive, the 1,400 euro SPB453 works just as well.
Strap options and suggestions
A possible denim-themed Prospex would of course be a denim strap rather than a steel bracelet. So it’s not a faux denim strap with embossed leather like you’d find on the Patek Philippe World Time Date 5330G or the Nautilus Automatic Chronograph 5980/60G. Nor would IWC choose a blue rubber strap with denim-finish textile inlay for its blue ceramic Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Oceana. Instead, we recommend straps made from real denim. How about heavy raw denim in a striking indigo hue with selvedge keepers and a leather interior for the comfort you need?
What do you think? Does the Seiko 5 Sport Denham Limited Edition SRPL35 speak to you from a Seiko or denim fanboy perspective? Is this a prime example of a promising collaboration executed in the best possible way? ?Let us know in the comments.
