Trying On Some New “Denim” — Hands-On With The Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition

The Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition SRPL35 (or SBSA281) is a limited edition of 2,000 watches. The fundamentals of this fusion watch can be traced back to the famous SKX series, and the details are done in shades of indigo. There are lots of jeans-like hues on the bezel, dial, and strap. And in case you’re looking for the Denham logo, take a look at the 12 o’clock position. The upside-down equilateral triangle shows the logo very subtly.

For those who aren’t into blue jeans or may not know this, English 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 the logo is a pair of scissors. The details and the scissors also made their way to the Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition SRPL35.

Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition: touches of red and a pair of scissors…but no denim

Let’s examine the details that make this Seiko 5 Sports a special model. The seconds hand gets its color from the characteristic red buttons found on Denham’s Made in Japan jeans. When you look at the rehaut surrounding the radiant, dark indigo dial, you will also notice a jeans-stitching-like pattern. And then there’s the real stitching on the strap. I have nothing against the stitching. It’s the strap I have a problem with. I think you already saw why: the watch comes on a NATO-style strap made of nylon instead of Denham denim.

Why doesn’t the Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition come on a denim strap? It could be because Seiko will release 2,000 units, and there’s just not enough (spare) Denham denim for straps. But it could also be a matter of cost. The Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition SRPL35 has a retail price of €450. However, with a strap made of blue jeans instead of nylon, the price could potentially have broken through the €500 ceiling. But if that were the case, the €500+ price shouldn’t be a problem for denim fans in general and Denham fans in particular.

Premium denim, premium watch

When you browse the Denham catalog, one thing becomes apparent: the brand truly is a premium denim maker. Prices start at €150 for a basic pair of jeans. But if you want Made in Japan selvage denim, like the Eastwinder Bonsai, the price is €600. This is denim that will last a lifetime if properly cared for, just like a mechanical watch. I guess that more than 2,000 people worldwide have a thing for Japanese-made denim and a soft spot for watches. At Fratello, we already have two people who qualify, so that’s just 1,998 people to go. If you’re willing to pay a premium for a pair of jeans with a certain story, cut, fabric, and finishing, you can also appreciate the storytelling surrounding a mechanical luxury watch. But is the Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition such a watch?

Wearing the Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition

If you’re a watch and jeans fan willing to pay extra for artisanal quality, inspiring storytelling, and exclusivity, the Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition should be your watch. Since I recognize myself in the imaginary person, I will tell you if it is. As you might know, I have an Oris × Momotaro Divers Sixty-Five. It’s a Swiss-made watch paired with a Japanese-made denim strap. Yes, the Oris is four times more expensive than the new blue-jeans-themed Seiko 5 Sports, but the watch itself is of a higher level in every respect, and, most importantly, it’s worn on a genuine Momotaro denim strap with the characteristic two white stripes as the icing on the cake. The combination of colors and materials — the bronze bezel resembles the rivets of the jeans, for instance — works well, and the two stories of exclusive quality and craftsmanship come together compellingly.

When I look at the Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition, I don’t see two worlds merging naturally. The NATO-style nylon strap is the loudest dissonant element, but the watch itself also doesn’t convince me. To put it not so mildly, the watch is not premium enough to match Denham’s premium denim. Not even the display case back that reads “THE TRUTH IS IN THE DETAILS” makes up for that.

Why not a Prospex model?

The SKX-inspired Seiko 5 Sports series is not the right platform for collaborating with a premium brand. There is certainly something special about the SKX line that Seiko introduced in 1996. These dive watches that met ISO standards have loads of street cred and served as the gateway to luxury watches for plenty of people, 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 when I look at the 2024 Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition, I see a shiny and somewhat crude blue watch with a strap that makes it not only very bulky on the wrist but also not so comfy. The watch, with its link to Denham, promises you denim and gives you nylon; that’s just not right.

Also, keep in mind that the Seiko 5 Sports may be an entry-level watch, but Denham is not entry-level denim. Maybe choosing a higher-end Prospex model as the starting point of the collaboration would have led to a more luxurious watch in the same spirit as exclusive artisanal denim. A Prospex Marinemaster 1968 Heritage Diver’s Watch, like the SLA079, with a denim strap would do the job. And if that €2,900 watch is a bit too expensive, the €1,400 SPB453 could do the trick as well.

Strap options and suggestions

A possible denim-themed Prospex would, of course, not come on a steel bracelet but on a denim strap. So it wouldn’t be a faux-denim strap in embossed leather like you’ve seen on the Patek Philippe World Time Date 5330G and Nautilus Self-Winding Chronograph 5980/60G. It also wouldn’t be a blue rubber strap with a denim-finish textile inlay, which is what IWC chose for the blue ceramic Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Oceana. Instead, I suggest a strap made of real denim. How about weighty, raw denim in a striking indigo shade with selvage keepers and leather on the inside for much-needed comfort?

What do you think? Does the Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition SRPL35 speak to you from either a Seiko- or denim-fanboy perspective? Is this a prime example of a promising collaboration executed in the best possible way? Let me know in the comments.