"Dear Oakley, This Is What I Want . . . . "

[Batwolf]

There have been other cool releases as well

Time Bomb 2 - First Oakley watch with automatic movement
FMJ - Pocket watch converson
Elite boot - Fire and puncture resistance
Hydrophobic solution
Removable Wind Jacket attachment
Eyeshade with tennis ball fuzz
Customizable backpacks, cases and watches in OCP
Blade boardshort - compression technology

Great mention of non-eyewear technology. I was thinking eyewear but these are all a good call too.

 

[Herbsley]

@Herb
you really looking for those Eyeshades?
it´s a part of the STPL edition and hard to come by!

Yeah - never seen or heard of them before - or the golf-ball radars.
I've seen them now - and, yes, I admit - a very good idea.
I wouldn't buy them, of course. But a good idea, nonetheless.

Good old STPL.

 

[Batwolf]

The main issue is that when something cool does come along, it's either super expensive or limited edition and hard to come by. Such is the case with the STPL Eyeshade and Radar.

 

[Herbsley]

The main issue is that when something cool does come along, it's either super expensive or limited edition and hard to come by. Such is the case with the STPL Eyeshade and Radar.

Indeed. As I reflected upon earlier in the thread. Ho hum - I'll keep on keeping my fingers crossed for something cool (and non-Elite) in the near future. But as I also said earlier, this thread was intended as a positive call out for what we as O-customers really want to see. And I suppose the bottom line is that I really want to see more innovative and cool eyewear in the Mens range - and less samey squint-to-tell-the-difference remix frames.

 

[TOWSNBN]

It's true the really cool stuff is expensive but that has been the case for a lot of the stuff I have wanted from Oakley. $1500 for a Time Bomb was crazy expensive back in the late 1990s and so was $275 for X-metals even though it does not seem like much these days. $700 or more for a Medusa and goggle set is unheard of and is still pricey by todays standards. Though $180 is not much by todays standards it was pricey back then for a pair of Overthetops back in the early 2000s. I guess you do pay for the cool stuff and a lot of the cool stuff will be expensive.

When it comes to cool and innovative design in eyewear it all depends on the angle you want to look at it. It can be said the eyewear of today has very little difference amongst each other but that can be said about the eyewear of the late 1990s as well. Gascan, Fuel Cell, Hijinx, Antix, Oil Rigs et al may look similar but so do the Straight Jackets, New Straight Jackets, New Frogskin, Trenchcoat, XX, Minute et al. There will always be models that look very different from other models and there are others that look very similar. That is just Oakleys design history.

 

[Herbsley]

Valid points, well made.
Good balanced view there, mate.

Doesn't stop me wanting something radically different right now, though! haha

 

[Razerwire]

A friend of mine who's really heavy into timepieces keeps telling me to avoid Oakley. That they're overpriced and there are far better options out there. I thought the FMJ was awesome until I saw the price tag. My friend then proceeded to tell me that the whole switching between wristband and pocketwatch was nothing new and in fact the FMJ looks rather familiar with another brand which came out well before the FMJ. So I guess I'm wondering if Oakley's watch division is truly unique in terms of design or function. My friend insists that they aren't.

 

[TOWSNBN]

Yes Oakley watches are overpriced but then most watches in their segment or above really are overprice anyway. No when it comes to the entire watch industry as a whole Oakley is not unique or special in any way. They have not been in the game that long and they have not made the investments that true watch brands have made to make them truly innovate in that industry. They are not game changers. However when it comes to the action sports segment they are a step above the rest. No other sports brand has put the effort Oakley has into their watches that they have.


It is true the FMJ does have similar attributes with other brands and the wristwatch to pocket watch conversion is not a new thing. However the entire package as a whole is unique. For example, you do not see the type of chain or the type of casing on the pocket watch on other brands. That stuff is a work of art.


Yes there are far better options then Oakley at all price ranges but we are Oakley collectors. We do prefer a certain styling that most would vomit at which is one of the reasons we are willing to pay their price.

 

[Razerwire]

Yes Oakley watches are overpriced but then most watches in their segment or above really are overprice anyway. No when it comes to the entire watch industry as a whole Oakley is not unique or special in any way. They have not been in the game that long and they have not made the investments that true watch brands have made to make them truly innovate in that industry. They are not game changers. However when it comes to the action sports segment they are a step above the rest. No other sports brand has put the effort Oakley has into their watches that they have.


It is true the FMJ does have similar attributes with other brands and the wristwatch to pocket watch conversion is not a new thing. However the entire package as a whole is unique. For example, you do not see the type of chain or the type of casing on the pocket watch on other brands. That stuff is a work of art.


Yes there are far better options then Oakley at all price ranges but we are Oakley collectors. We do prefer a certain styling that most would vomit at which is one of the reasons we are willing to pay their price.

Actually I'd say Casio G-Shock is the front runner in the action sports segment. The solar powered atomic G-Shock/Waveceptor being a good example. You're definitely correct that this is Oakley's first foray into the timepiece game but to set the prices so high with what is essentially borrowed technology and designs seems a little over ambitious.

The example that my buddy showed me on the FMJ comparison was far too similar in casing design to be coincidence, IMO. I need to ask him what brand and model it was. My memory is failing me right now.

I agree that many people will but Oakley watches simply because of the name attachment but to any one else the price just seems like such a huge turnoff.

 

[TOWSNBN]

LOL I suppose I should have explain my stance on Oakley's effort vs. a brand like Casio. I am a huge watch nut and come from forums where automatics are inherently superior to quartz based watches despite inferior performance and reliability...basically I'm a watch snob. The fact that Oakley is making good efforts to put decent automatic movements in its top tier watches when most of the action sports brands are sticking with quartz is a huge thing.

Like I said the FMJ has a lot of similar attributes to other previous watches but the total package is uniquely Oakley. I am sure brand you saw did not have the artistic pocket watch chain, the type of half hunter casing or the wristwatch bracelet design that the FMJ does. A lot of well regarded watches nowadays borrow elements of previous designs.

Yeah the FMJ is more a Oakley collectors thing rather than for the masses. At $9000 there are way too many excellent options for the average consumer to look at before they get to Oakley.