Oris x Momotaro

Oris x Momotaro

Oris pairs up with independent Japanese  company Momotaro Jeans to create a  special edition Divers Sixty-Five

Jeans therapy

As an independent company, Oris can go its own way. This year, we’re collaborating with a fellow pioneer – the maverick Japanese brand, Momotaro Jeans

Oris is proud to introduce the Oris x Momotaro, a special edition watch produced in collaboration with Momotaro Jeans, the spirited Japanese company whose highquality jeans are worn by style-savvy people in the Far East and around the world.

The new watch is a steel and bronze  version of the iconic Oris Divers Sixty-Five, and comes on an indigo Momotaro denim strap with two white ‘battle stripes’, the denim manufacturer’s famous signature.

Named after a Japanese folklore hero, Momotaro was launched in 2006 by Mr  Hisao Manabe. Its roots lie in his textile company, which he established in 1992  with just three employees in the small coastal town of Kojima in Okayama.

From the outset, Mr Manabe’s vision was clear: no compromise on quality. His denim would use only the finest long-staple cotton, and only deep indigo rope dye to achieve the best possible fade. His workshops would  use vintage shuttle looms to create a handmade feel to the weave, and every detail would be hand-sewn. Mr Manabe wanted  to set a new international denim standard.

Nearly 30 years later, Mr Manabe’s company employs 140 people in factories, stores and offices in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Okayama. Okayama, once depressed, is now a denim capital, revived by enterprises that grew  up around Mr Manabe’s businesses. Momotaro today is known by its mantra: ‘Made by hand without compromise’.

For Oris, this new partnership just makes  sense. The independent Swiss watch company combines precision manufacturing with traditional hand-craftsmanship to  make beautiful, high-quality watches. The  Oris x Momotaro celebrates a shared spirit.

Momotaro today is  known by its mantra: ‘Made by hand without compromise’

Earn your stripes

Momotaro’s signature ‘battle stripes’ are more than  a style reference point – they’re a hard-won quality symbol, as the company’s Mr Katsu Manabe explains

Mr Manabe, tell us a bit about yourself and your role with Momotaro Jeans. My name is Katsu Manabe and I’m the son of the company’s founder, Mr Hisao Manabe. My job is to take the Momotaro story to the world and develop the overseas market.

What’s the story behind the company? The story began in 1992 when my father established a textile company called Collect.

At the start, there were just three people working in a tiny office near Kojima station. It was very basic, but it was just what they needed – from there, the company has grown to 140 people, who work at our headquarters in Okayama and in Tokyo.

Why the name Momotaro? The original idea was to find a strong name that would capture our drive to create the best indigo denim in Japan, and to be the best denim company in the world. Momotaro is a heroic figure in Japanese folklore and really closely associated with Okayama. Our airport is even called Okayama Momotaro Airport. It’s the most famous symbol of this city and prefecture, and so we proudly named our company after it.