Oris × Momotaro — Swiss Watch Meets Japanese Selvedge Denim

There is something intriguing about a watch brand’s collaboration with a clothing company. These two worlds are so close in some ways yet far away from each other in many others. This brings an exciting ambiance to the partnership. That’s what captivated me about Oris’s new collaboration with Japanese denim manufacturer Momotaro Jeans. Let’s check that piece out.

I don’t even know why am I doing this piece and not Jorg. He has an eye for those things as much as I do, if not better. Granted, in the past, I have written about similar collaborations. Remember the Pinion × Iron Heart watch? Or the Hamilton × Schott project? Well, this one is equally cool in my book. One of the most excellent indie brands out there teaming-up with an up-and-coming Japanese denim company. Such a project cannot go wrong.

Overall

However, when I saw the initial press photos, I was not too impressed. For me, the Oris X Momotaro Divers Sixty-Five was a bit too busy. There was too much was going on, especially on the watch head. A steel case, bronze bezel with a black inlay, and a light green dial? Not to mention the dark blue denim strap with the yellow stitching and the two white stripes. No, for me, it all seemed a little…scattershot.

…after a few days, the watch started to appeal to me…

I guess this is one of those occasions when it takes time for a watch to grow on you. The more you look at it, the more it makes sense. Liking a watch is a subjective thing, right? But you can have appreciation without falling in love with it. For me, this appreciation was always there. And after a few days, the watch started to appeal to me also. This is precisely why you do hands-on reviews, to experience the timepiece. By the end of the week, I had moved from indifferent to infatuated. Suddenly, the Oris Momotaro became a favorite of mine.

On the wrist

The real test, however, only comes when you take the watch out of the box and strap it on for the first time. Initial thoughts: the Oris × Momotaro is a very well-balanced timepiece. It is not head-heavy at all. Despite its relatively large case size of 40mm, the watch is not too thick. I feel that for this model anything over 40mm would be too big.

While I’m a vintage guy at heart and the Divers Sixty-Five is indeed based on a model from, well, the ’60s (duh) it should not have been smaller. Despite the larger case size, the lugs are short and thick. This, as well as the fact that they have a brushed surface, makes the watch face look even more significant. Since we are looking at a diver, after all, the crown is large and easily usable. Yet, it is not annoying or uncomfortable.

Black and yellow

Moving on from the case, we have to talk a bit about one of the most prominent features of the watch — its bezel. I’m not sure I’d go as far as to dub the Oris × Momotaro Divers Sixty-Five a two-tone watch, but a significant part of it, namely the bezel is not steel like the rest of the case. Yes, you know it by now, the bezel on the watch is bronze.

This very subtle, almost unrecognizable feature adds a lot to the overall look. The bronze bezel frames the black divers’ inlay perfectly, not to mention that it corresponds to the color of the indexes on the dial. Speaking of which, another important (if not the most important) part of the Momotaro Oris is its gradated, light green dial. The dial comprises large, open spaces, barely any text, huge complementary indexes, and not a single numeral. Simple, clean, and pretty immersive.

733

Now that we’ve talked quite a lot about the Oris X Momotaro Divers Sixty-Five’s external features, but let’s take a look inside the case. Although the movement in the watch is automatic, this is not “advertised” anywhere on the outside, front nor back. I love this little twist. Oftentimes, brands label their products with every little detail, no matter how insignificant they may be. But not Oris.

Still, the caliber inside is Oris’s 733, which is basically a Sellita SW 200-1 base movement. The company uses the 733 in many of its watches. It features in various Aquis, ProDiver, or Chronoris pieces. We are talking about a 26-jewel caliber with a 38-hour power reserve, 28,800vph, and a date feature as standard. As such, it is also the caliber inside the 36mm, 40mm, and even the 42mm Oris Divers Sixty-Five all with a date feature. In the Momotaro Oris however, the movement the date complication is not being used.

Momotaro

As the Oris × Momotaro collaboration is with a clothing company you already know on which part it is going to leave its mark. Clearly this cannot be the case or the movement (perhaps the dial, but that would be very costly). Instead, Momotaro did what they do best, created something awesome out of denim — the strap. If you think that your trusty Levi’s 501 from the department store is the pinnacle of denim jeans I suggest you google “Japanese selvage denim”. That’s a whole other world. The problem with denim straps is that they are often thick, without tapering but with heavy fraying already after a few weeks of wear. Not this time. The strap has a soft leather lining. Admittedly, it is not thin but it’s still wearable. The tapering is perfect and adds to the overall look driving the focus to the watch head.

Final words

I was very happy having the Oris × Momotaro Divers Sixty-Five on the wrist for this short period of time. It is not your average watch with an understated look nor does it try to be. Instead, you have a very distinct image with the undeniable Oris Divers DNA but also with a touch of coolness from the Far East’s denim culture.

At €2,000 is the Momotaro Oris something I’d consider buying if I was on the market for such a watch? In a heartbeat. It is different enough to stand out but not edgy or quirky in any way to make the wearer feel odd. The size works well, the timepiece is comfortable, the collaboration is different and attractive. If you will not miss the date feature and want a neo-vintage watch, there is no need to look any further.

If you would like to visit Oris’s website, please click on this link.