A Thread for Sunglasses (High End and Rarities Welcome)

[JDelage]

May I ask which premium sunglasses brands are using polarised lenses ? Thanks.

Oh, and Barton Perreira.

 

[ramsker]

I'd like to thank @Tsujigiri for the awesome information in this thread, along with its participants over the years.

About a month ago I started researching higher-tier sunglass options beyond the Revos I have worn since adolescence in the late 80s, and while I thought I'd end up with a pair of the Vaurnet Glacier glasses due to the childhood nostalgia they represent, the final choice was completely different:

Salt. + Aether Voyage

I'm in love with the aesthetic, the optics seem first rate to my admitted novice eyes, at least when it comes to exceptional eyewear, and I cannot believe their light weight. The reported heft of the Vaurnets was what turned me off them as we have a good amount of travel coming up where I will be wearing glasses for most of the day, and these are as light as my pair of rimless plastic-framed sport Revos that I've worn since 2013.

Thanks again!

Keep those pictures coming! Really cool to see some of those 80's maximalist frames and the modern equivalents.

As for Dita vs Cazal, I would have to admit that Dita is heavily inspired by Cazal, which is hard to ignore since Cazals were so distinctive. But the Ditas I had were high quality, nice detailing and interesting construction. I ended up selling them off because of one detail I didn't like, though. The matte frames they make aren't bead blasted; they're coated with a thin rubberized coating that, as you might expect, wears away easily and doesn't look too great when it does. It's a shame that they undermine otherwise very nice frames like that.

I do still have a pair of snake embossed leather wrapped Cazal 607's. Leather wrapping means more care is necessary, but I love the bold and unexpectedly classic design.



Thanks for sharing! Those Aether collaborations look really cool. I don't have any experience with polyurethane lenses, so I'm very interested to hear what you think of them

I'm curious how the Polyurethane lenses have held up over time.

 

[JDelage]

What are people's favorite aviators (or navigators if you really want a square version)?

I got a pair of Mr. Leight Rodeo SL off eBay and I really like them. They're aviators, but the lens is rounded off so that it's not as triangular as the typical aviators (but still some). They're a bit bigger than the Ichi (which are very small for aviators) but quite a bit smaller than the Randolph Aviators. Also, the semi-rimless & gradient lenses are pretty chic, if I may say so.

 

[CMT1]

I'm curious how the Polyurethane lenses have held up over time.

Very well. I picked up another Salt. + Aether collab that also has PU lenses and they have been misplaced, sat upon, caught between car seats and generally mistreated in the past ~ 1 year and both pairs look brand new with zero marring on the lenses.

Given a do-over, I would absolutely buy both pairs again. I think what I like the most about them is that they fly way under the radar compared to more ornate high-end eyewear, and "compliments" range from being asked who makes them to which gas station I sourced them from.

I still want a pair of Vaurnet glacier glasses, but I'll be waiting until the world is less volatile before rationalizing those into being.

 

[Tsujigiri]

I'm curious how the Polyurethane lenses have held up over time.

Since that post, I've realized that Trivex is actually polyurethane (as a materials engineer, I should have known that). So I do have a few pairs with polyurethane lenses, some of which I've had for a while. I haven't noticed any issues, although one of my shooting lenses looks like it has yellowed slightly. That could just be something particular to that lens formulation, though. I don't think I would have noticed it at all if it wasn't a completely clear lens (99% light transmission).

 

[JDelage]

Do you have a pair dedicated to driving, and if so what are they? Thinking of getting the SALT A'Maree's Un for that...

 

[JDelage]

Native Sons Clark, bone colorway...

 

[ramsker]

Native Sons Clark, bone colorway...

Very interested to hear your thoughts on Native Sons. What are they on par with quality wise?

 

[JDelage]

Very interested to hear your thoughts on Native Sons. What are they on par with quality wise?

Hard to tell because I don't have a lot of frames to compare them to. I can tell you that the lenses are not up to Maui Jim's and the acetate is not up to JMM's, but that's not very helpful...

 

[MichaelR]

I was able to get old stock of Dita Avocet 1. I hate most of Dita sunglasses but I think Avocet 1 is great because of minimalistic design and golden-ratio frame.
I sold Mach 1, Mach 6 and midnight special - out of proportion mess.
I think Avocet 1 will be a keeper.

 

[ramsker]

I was able to get old stock of Dita Avocet 1. I hate most of Dita sunglasses but I think Avocet 1 is great because of minimalistic design and golden-ratio frame.
I sold Mach 1, Mach 6 and midnight special - out of proportion mess.
I think Avocet 1 will be a keeper.

Any idea when those first came out?

 

[shopcanoeclub]

 

[MichaelR]

Any idea when those first came out?

2010

 

[MichaelR]

View attachment 1454931

love vintage Porsche Design!!!!! They came out with different sizes. Smaller sizes are hard to find.

 

[JDelage]

Mr. Leight Rodeo can be found for a good price on eBay and they are beautiful!