Sabae, Japan. Working on a frame in the TVR workshop.
A sheet of acetate preserved since 1993. A design from the 1940s. A craft learned from a father, then passed on to a son. In Sabae, TVR – True Vintage Revival brings these stories together in handmade eyewear.
The brand began in 2013, but the knowledge behind it reaches much further back. To understand it, start with the people: three masters, three paths and a shared idea of how a frame should be made.
The masters of Sabae
The memory of shapes
Sawada Yaemon
Before turning to eyewear, the Yaemon family built traditional Japanese roofs. The work changed; the knowledge continued to pass from one generation to the next.
Sawada learned from his father and grandfather. In the interview published by TVR in 2023, he describes still using tools from the 1950s. His son has also chosen this craft, specialising in polishing.
In the OCCHIO selection, his name accompanies the Series 2 Vintage 1993: a frame whose sharply cut front calls for a particularly assured hand.
The idea behind Woody Carved
Eizo Onami
As head of production and one of the people behind TVR’s beginnings, Eizo Onami brings a personal exploration of materials to the project.
With Tsubota Masato, he developed Mokuchoroman, “Wood Tone Romance”: working acetate until it evokes the grain of wood. The outline remains that of a classic frame; beneath the fingers, the surface tells a different story.
This idea takes shape in the 505 Black Woody Carved, one of the special editions we have chosen for OCCHIO.
A lifetime devoted to form
Yamada Mitsukazu
Yamada Mitsukazu dedicated more than sixty years to eyewear. His contributions to TVR include the Series 1: an interpretation of archival French shapes through the Diamond Cut technique.
In 2018, Japanese broadcaster NHK documented his career. His collaboration with TVR also developed through the collection bearing his name, until his retirement in 2019.
His portrait belongs to the brand’s history: a generation able to recognise a proportion and bring it to life with the tools of its craft.
The 504, worn
The black front brings the eyes into focus. Rounded lenses and a keyhole bridge soften its presence: that balance gives the 504 its distinctive character.
Explore the 504 Classic BlackThe special editions, up close
A rediscovered material, a carved surface, an engraving inside a temple. The editions selected by OCCHIO reveal how the masters’ work can change the character of a classic.
Limited edition · 99 pieces
Series 2 Vintage 1993
A material preserved since 1993
The Series 2 story begins with a batch of acetate preserved since 1993. TVR chose it for a final production of 99 pieces. In Black Clear, the black front meets a transparent section that reveals the construction within.
Sawada Yaemon works the acetate using Diamond Cut, a finishing technique that preserves crisp, square edges at 90 degrees. In the photographs, the cut is particularly noticeable along the bridge and around the lenses.
This detail gives the frame its strength of character. The acetate’s volume, its transparency and the metal components form three distinct layers, visible even from a three-quarter angle.
Discover the Series 2 Black ClearLimited edition · Mokuchoroman
505 Black Woody Carved
Wood grain, carved into acetate
The 505 Woody Carved draws attention to its surface. The texture follows the front, crosses the bridge and continues along the temples. From a distance, it is a black panto; closer up, fine grooves and grain appear.
This is the result of Eizo Onami and Tsubota Masato’s Mokuchoroman project. The acetate is worked by hand to create the effect of wood, preserving the frame’s construction. Black makes the texture discreet, while metal rivets mark the outer ends of the front.
In our selection, the 505 Black Woody Carved brings this treatment to a compact, recognisable shape. An edition to appreciate by touch as well as sight.
Discover the 505 Woody CarvedX Series
504X
Two materials, greater depth
The 504X revisits the 504’s JD design in 8 mm acetate. Inside sits an engraved titanium ring: a second outline around the lens, inspired by Windsor rim details of the 1970s.
The keyhole bridge and seven-knuckle hinges belong to TVR’s classic vocabulary. The surprise lies in the temple: the metal core features a dragon inspired by the one at Kyoto’s Myōshin-ji Temple. Its motif is developed through Tebori hand engraving.
The subject changes in the 504 Kuro Crystal, Edition 2026. Here the metal core depicts Yatagarasu, the three-legged crow of Japanese tradition. Two frames with related shapes and different stories hidden inside their temples.
Explore the 504XFrom Sabae to OCCHIO
We chose these frames for the way they preserve and transform a craft. Explore the TVR selection online or discover it in our boutiques: some differences are visible, while others reveal themselves when you hold a frame in your hands.
Sources and credits
Portraits and images from the official TVR archive. Original OCCHIO editorial based on the brand’s history, the TVR Journal and the editions in our catalogue.
