diff --git a/swh/model/identifiers.py b/swh/model/identifiers.py
--- a/swh/model/identifiers.py
+++ b/swh/model/identifiers.py
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@
 import hashlib
 
 from functools import lru_cache
-from typing import Any, Dict, NamedTuple, Union
+from typing import Any, Dict, Union
 
+import attr
 from deprecated import deprecated
 
 from .collections import ImmutableDict
@@ -650,19 +651,8 @@
 }
 
 
-_SWHID = NamedTuple(
-    "SWHID",
-    [
-        ("namespace", str),
-        ("scheme_version", int),
-        ("object_type", str),
-        ("object_id", str),
-        ("metadata", ImmutableDict[str, Any]),
-    ],
-)
-
-
-class SWHID(_SWHID):
+@attr.s(frozen=True)
+class SWHID:
     """
     Named tuple holding the relevant info associated to a SoftWare Heritage
     persistent IDentifier (SWHID)
@@ -700,44 +690,38 @@
         # 'swh:1:cnt:8ff44f081d43176474b267de5451f2c2e88089d0'
     """
 
-    __slots__ = ()
-
-    def __new__(
-        cls,
-        namespace: str = SWHID_NAMESPACE,
-        scheme_version: int = SWHID_VERSION,
-        object_type: str = "",
-        object_id: str = "",
-        metadata: Union[ImmutableDict[str, Any], Dict[str, Any]] = ImmutableDict(),
-    ):
-        o = _object_type_map.get(object_type)
-        if not o:
-            raise ValidationError(
-                "Wrong input: Supported types are %s" % (list(_object_type_map.keys()))
-            )
-        if namespace != SWHID_NAMESPACE:
+    namespace = attr.ib(type=str, default="swh")
+    scheme_version = attr.ib(type=int, default=1)
+    object_type = attr.ib(type=str, default="")
+    object_id = attr.ib(type=str, converter=hash_to_hex, default="")  # type: ignore
+    metadata = attr.ib(
+        type=ImmutableDict[str, Any], converter=ImmutableDict, default=ImmutableDict()
+    )
+
+    @namespace.validator
+    def check_namespace(self, attribute, value):
+        if value != SWHID_NAMESPACE:
             raise ValidationError(
                 "Wrong format: only supported namespace is '%s'" % SWHID_NAMESPACE
             )
-        if scheme_version != SWHID_VERSION:
+
+    @scheme_version.validator
+    def check_scheme_version(self, attribute, value):
+        if value != SWHID_VERSION:
             raise ValidationError(
                 "Wrong format: only supported version is %d" % SWHID_VERSION
             )
 
-        # internal swh representation resolution
-        if isinstance(object_id, dict):
-            object_id = object_id[o["key_id"]]
-
-        validate_sha1(object_id)  # can raise if invalid hash
-        object_id = hash_to_hex(object_id)
-        return super().__new__(
-            cls,
-            namespace,
-            scheme_version,
-            object_type,
-            object_id,
-            ImmutableDict(metadata),
-        )
+    @object_type.validator
+    def check_object_type(self, attribute, value):
+        if value not in _object_type_map:
+            raise ValidationError(
+                "Wrong input: Supported types are %s" % (list(_object_type_map.keys()))
+            )
+
+    @object_id.validator
+    def check_object_id(self, attribute, value):
+        validate_sha1(value)  # can raise if invalid hash
 
     def __str__(self) -> str:
         o = _object_type_map.get(self.object_type)
@@ -762,13 +746,12 @@
 
     """
 
-    def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
-        return super(cls, PersistentId).__new__(cls, *args, **kwargs)
+    pass
 
 
 def swhid(
     object_type: str,
-    object_id: str,
+    object_id: Union[str, Dict[str, Any]],
     scheme_version: int = 1,
     metadata: Union[ImmutableDict[str, Any], Dict[str, Any]] = ImmutableDict(),
 ) -> str:
@@ -788,11 +771,14 @@
         the SWHID of the object
 
     """
+    if isinstance(object_id, dict):
+        o = _object_type_map[object_type]
+        object_id = object_id[o["key_id"]]
     swhid = SWHID(
         scheme_version=scheme_version,
         object_type=object_type,
         object_id=object_id,
-        metadata=metadata,
+        metadata=metadata,  # type: ignore  # mypy can't properly unify types
     )
     return str(swhid)
 
@@ -854,7 +840,13 @@
         except Exception:
             msg = "Contextual data is badly formatted, form key=val expected"
             raise ValidationError(msg)
-    return SWHID(_ns, int(_version), _type, _id, _metadata)
+    return SWHID(
+        _ns,
+        int(_version),
+        _type,
+        _id,
+        _metadata,  # type: ignore  # mypy can't properly unify types
+    )
 
 
 @deprecated("Use swh.model.identifiers.parse_swhid instead")
@@ -864,4 +856,4 @@
     .. deprecated:: 0.3.8
         Use :func:`swh.model.identifiers.parse_swhid` instead
     """
-    return PersistentId(**parse_swhid(persistent_id)._asdict())
+    return PersistentId(**attr.asdict(parse_swhid(persistent_id)))