Max Pittion is one of three new premium optical brands at Gimme Five under the guidance of Tommy O'Gara of The Light Co. Ltd. Japan (Native Sons & OAMC Optics being the other two).

Max Pittion was born on the 1st March 1921 in Oyonnax, a small town located in the French Alps. The area was best known for the manufacturing of combs, originally crafted in wood or cow horn before the discovery of celluloid. Emile Pittion (Max’s father) began manufacturing combs in the 1920s, and by the 40s had started producing limited quantities of celluloid eyeglasses in the family factory, Pittion Lunetterie.

After World War II, Max began to work in and eventually took over the factory. He expanded the business and sold his glasses under a license negotiated with high fashion brands such as Lanvin and Azzaro, which was the the modus operendi of most eyewear factories in Oyannax.

From the 1950s exportation to the US grew. The Golden Era of Pittion Lunetterie was the 60s and 70s when the factory grew to over 200 employees. In 1967 Max became a founding member of the “Salon International de la Lunetterie,” SILMO - which has since become the largest, most prestigious and attended eyewear fair in the world.

By the end of the 1970s Japanese eyewear manufacturing had become more aggressive and most customers had left the manufacturing of Oyonnax to buy directly from Japan. In 1977, Max merged 2 factories to become ILSA, before retiring in 1981 at the age of sixty.

Re-Designed and Re-Launched by the Light Co. Ltd. in Japan, these are some of the most beautiful hand-crafted frames you will ever see.

The line is Creative Directed by musician John Mayer and designed by Tommy O'Gara.

- Each frame design is hand-drawn before any machines are utilised for design and manufacturing.

- Pre-pressed and carved out of single plates of Takiron acetate, the frames are held together by custom 5 barrel 16k yellow gold hinges (Yoshida Kogyou), along with custom laser etched core wires, riveted together with 10K white gold rivets.

- Cellulose-based acetates are made from cotton oil, without any petro-chemicals, which is very sustainable and means the the frames are stronger and also deeper and richer in colour.

- Acetate colours are all original - Max Pittion create controlled colour gradient percentages as opposed to the common practice of using solid to ½ tones.

- Rivets are delicately drilled through the frame for a beautiful clean finish, a tricky technique of the 1940s which also makes the frames stronger and adjustable.

- All sun lenses are 100% UV protected. They are CR-39 tinted to match the frame gradients, then flashed with a clear mirror coat - both to reflect light and also match the polish of the frames themselves.

- All are made at the Light Co. Ltd. factory in Japan.

Max Pittion frames are stocked at Colette, Dover Street Market, Goodhood, The Bureau & Optica, as well as a number of stores in Japan.

For sales enquiries, please contact sales@gimme5.com.

Introducing Max Pittion