Seiko is taking its iconic Seiko 5 on the wild side, entering the world of extreme sports by partnering with Japan’s leading skateboarder, Yuto Horigome. The latest piece to come from the Japanese watchmaker is for sure one of its most contemporary looking, all the while looking like the quintessential Seiko 5 model. It’s an exciting piece full of exhilarating details, and it’s a piece that I’m seriously considering pulling the trigger for.
But, before I get into the Seiko 5 watch, let’s get a better understanding as to who Yuto Horigome is and what makes him the best skateboarder in Japan. Yuto Horigome was born in Tokyo on January 7, 1999. He began skateboarding at the tender age of six, and from his early teens had been in the top ranks of domestic competitions held regularly throughout Japan.
His talent really blossomed when he moved to the US, where he debuted in the Street League Skateboarding, the world’s top skateboarding competition series, where he won first place in three of the competitions. Fast forward to 2021 and after many accolades, he won the World Championship for the first time, solidifying his place as one of the world’s best skateboarders.
So, with that in mind, it seemed only natural for Seiko watches to partner with the champion skateboarder. Both are natives of Japan, both excel at their own respective arts, and both have an either for the extreme. And so, herein lies the collaborative timepiece, the beautiful Seiko 5 SRPJ39K Yuto Horigome Limited Edition.
From the outset, the Seiko 5 SRPJ39K Yuto Horigome Limited Edition is instantly identifiable as your typical Seiko 5. With the off-centre crown placed at four o’clock to the day-date apertures sitting side by side at three o’clock, the SRPJ39K Yuto Horigome Limited Edition is a Seiko 5, through and through.
But there is a lot more going on here. For the first time in the SKX series, there is a camouflage pattern on the dial. Selected by Yuto Horigome, the colour palette, materials, finishes and graphics are all unique to the skateboarder’s personal tastes and preferences. Like the radiating finish on the dial, combined with a three-dimensional stamped pattern, which gives it a textured look.
Yuto Horigome also applied his own unique tastes to the 42.50mm wide and 13.40mm thick case, opting for a black-coated stainless steel case with a matching black silicone strap, giving the Seiko 5 SRPJ39K Yuto Horigome Limited Edition a more street look and feel. The contrast of the darkness of the case matches the colour tone of the camouflage dial really well, again adding to the Seiko 5 SRPJ39K Yuto Horigome Limited Edition’s street style and appeal.
Powering the Seiko 5 SRPJ39K Yuto Horigome Limited Edition is the watchmaker’s esteemed calibre 4R36. A true workhorse movement, the calibre 4R36 boasts standard time-telling indicators by way of a central hour, minute and second hands, a day/date indicator visible through two apertures, and a power reserve of a very respectable 41 hours. The caliber 4R36 is visible through the open hardlex caseback, which also features Yuto Horigome’s signature alongside the words “LIMITED EDITION’, as well as the serial number of the watch.
The Seiko 5 SRPJ39K Yuto Horigome Limited Edition is a marvelous piece that combines some bona fide skateboarding street cred with exceptional watchmaking. I love this almost organic partnership between two of Japan’s greatest exports, working together to create something that is characteristically individualistic but still in-keeping with the age-old traditions of the Seiko manufacture.
The Seiko 5 SRPJ39K Yuto Horigome Limited Edition comes in a special box with Yuto Horigome’s signature, is limited to 6,000 pieces worldwide and is priced at $595AUD.
