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Ventruck

I am Jim Jannard...
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In collaboration with Scuderia Ferrari, Oakley released the Carbon Prime Limited Edition MotoGP, but is it actually a premium product?

Background
On April 29, 2015, @YakuzaFloralGangsta brought attention to Oakley’s new attempt at creating premium eyewear to go with their then-collaboration with Scuderia Ferrari. Forgive me for missing names, but I also recall @supersharp being a bit in-the-know as well.
oakley-oo6021-01fw920fh575-jpg.jpg
Oakley Carbon Prime Limited Edition MotoGP SKU OO6021-0463
Model details

Limited production
Carbon, Woody. Carbon everywhere
Designated as the “SF-16C” (thanks @supersharp )
2,000 USD
2,500 USD — no, 4,000 USD for the Ferrari edition (shows 2,155.17 USD on the ShadeStation...

Continue reading...
 

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April 29, 2015, @YakuzaFloralGangsta brought attention to Oakley's new attempt at creating a premium eyewear to go with their then-collaboration with Scuderia Ferrari. Forgive me for missing names, but I also recall @supersharp being a bit in-the-know as well.

Rumors swirled:
Oakley-OO6021-01fw920fh575.jpg

(prototype version; picture sourced from @Shade Station 's product page — please let me know if you want this picture removed)
  • Extremely limited
  • Carbon, Woody. Carbon everywhere
  • Designated as the "SF-16C" (thanks @supersharp )
  • 2,000 USD
  • 2,500 USD — no, 4,000 USD for the Ferrari edition (shows 2,155.17 USD on the ShadeStation product page, which I don't think ever sold a pair since they never hit true production)
  • We joked about how much cooler the case was than the actual pair (if you can find a pic of it)
  • "Big Big Chubbies"
Ferrari Edition " Ferrari Carbon"or "Oakley Carbon Prime MotoGP"
(original thread started at OakleyForum)

But long story short, over two years passed. We saw the take-down model, the Carbon Shift, hit shelves for some time now. Word finally got out around Q2 2017 that the (first) collaboration was to be with the FIM MotoGP, with a price "scaled down" to 610 USD and limited to 100 units (or so we continue to speculate). Included was a MotoGP microfiber bag and a canned case quite obviously re-used from the Madman/Badman. The official designation of this uncertain über pair? The "Carbon Prime".

This particular edition is the "Carbon Prime Limited Edition MotoGP"
SKU OO6021-0463~(I619XX -I62XXX)

CARBON PRIME MOTOGP™ LIMITED EDITION | Oakley
img_0227-jpg.jpg


To me it doesn't seem to read in completely proper English. Pretty sure "MotoGP" should preclude "Limited Edition". Could just be me. Luxottica is technically based in Italy, and it sounds like they just cobbled this up to recover from the terminated collaboration with Ferrari. They literally considered white icons as a highlight feature (at the website). I guess it's the true color to go with, but of all things to know where your money went....

On the first of June, I just checked my usual sites in the morning before heading to work. I noticed @Oakleynerd posted in the thread linked above, alerting the members of the OakleyForum that Oakley launched Carbon Prime online. I threw in my "bid" presumably 5 hours since launch. and it was very unlikely that I would have a successful transaction for one of the "100" pairs available. .

View attachment 348428
*apologize for the pics looking blurry due to compression. I'm staring at this very photo in my phone as I type this and it's literally as crisp as snap, crackle, and pop.

Someway, somehow, along with others who ordered later than me, Oakley successfully took my money. I hope this review helps summarize the existing threads, and covers whatever needs to be covered for whoever is considering hunting down a pair or any future Carbon Prime release. Lots of words.

Carbon. Carbon Fiber. Carbon-injected O-Matter. Carbon Prime — what is it all?
View attachment 348424
The stems are carbon fiber. Simple, flat carbon fiber. There is a curve/contour as well as hammer profile.This has been showcased on the earlier Carbon Blade, and take-down model Carbon Shift to an extent. Earsocks slip over the ends and screws secure these carbon fiber arms to the temples. I am concerned about if/how Oakley plans to support replacement earsocks, because I'm pretty sure these can slip right off.

This isn't like the machined carbon fiber you'll find in the C-SIx. Dare I say it's not all that impressive from an engineering standpoint in modern day. We just rarely see it on eyewear so casual consumers get a bit of a rise out of it. I mean it's just...nice. I personally would take more intricately-shaped alloy over this any day of the week.

View attachment 348426
This is what it looks like when you're drunk

The orbitals,are carbon-injected O-Matter. Some people have their doubts on this material setup. It's not a marketing ploy. It's a legitimate approach to creating a strengthened material with the upside of having multi-directional reinforcement. In some ways, it can be better than simply-laid out carbon fiber.
View attachment 348433
Windy day, which explains why a lot of dust and stuff got on the lenses.

Carbon injection has been used in various applications before. First example that comes to mind are Shimano's higher-end pedals. They have that same flat appearance, but you can make out scattered fibers in sunlight. You have to look closer since there's less estate in which its applied. I had my own doubts to how much carbon is mixed into this blend, but in the picture below, it is apparent.

View attachment 348421
This particular edition of the Carbon Prime comes with Prizm Daily Black Iridium polarized lenses. In brief review, I find these to be more neutral than VR28 BIP, but there is that tad bit of contrast over Black Iridium. Unfortunately I cannot comment on the comparison to OO BIP or regular Prizm Daily, latter of which I assume is simply a difference of light transmission and finish. In all, PDBIP


The highlight feature to most consumers: the temple and hinge setup. Much piston, so titanium, very hinge. There's a very positive feel to the opening and closure of the arms. The cuts into the titanium housing are finished very nicely. It really comes off as one of life's fancy things — no, fancy tings. No "h".

View attachment 348429 View attachment 348425
But on the flip side, it's a small assembly. I wouldn't be surprised if there are not even springs in there because it's not smart that something under pressure is so close to your eyes. That's an impending lawsuit or injury just begging to happen. Nonetheless, this assembly can still pass as impressively intricate, but nothing that makes a statement. It won't be noticed on the street, but rather in conversation. The onlooker wouldn't even bring it up, but rather see the "O" logo and look it up on their computer at home to further deliberate their interest.

View attachment 348427

Believe me when I say the entire pair looks bigger in pictures. The orbitals are smaller than the Jawbone's. With my limited amount of reference pairs on- hand, I'd say borderline Flak 2.0. The end opening of the stems is very narrow, more-so than the Radarlock. Pair that with the fact the earsocks cover the tips, and you do need both hands to put on the Carbon Prime. It's not brain fissure-tight, though. The carbon fiber stems have some give, if you look through the pics, you'll notice there's space for the temples to deflect a bit further outward from the resting position. But yes, the Carbon Prime on the smaller side.

View attachment 348443

On the face, it's light. You could say it feels like a wire pair. The nose piece is preset a bit narrow, so Asian Fit nose pads need not apply — although you can adjust narrower/wider carefully if need be. The resulting hold is very secure. The frame/lens spacing is relatively casual with minor gaps. Perhaps some may dislike the bottom coverage or lack thereof if you're used to sport/wrap designs.Nonetheless, cheek and brow interference is expected to be a non-issue for most.

View attachment 348447

The Carbon Prime cost me a total of 663.68 US dollars to be exact. This is more than three times the price of the average Oakley pair. Included is a not-so-original case I mentioned early on, which the Carbon Prime doesn't really fit into — I'm not kidding. On the upside, it's not rattling, but I'm personally not a fan to putting undue stress on such a pricey frame. Add the also-reused microfiber bag, and the obvious "plan B" of a collaboration...This really hasn't been the best overall package by Oakley. To me, the money just went to the eyewear itself, and the hope that there really are only 100 pairs. At the time of this review, @pjd1234 has got been on scalp patrol, noting attempts to drive up the resale value upwards of 2,000 USD. I'll get into value later, but I'll tell you already: don't be a sucker.

I wouldn't say this is the worst Oakley has done. In fact, far from it in my mind. The Madman Raw, with its cooler case, magnesium make up, limited run of 150 units and I think a book....was also a twig of a pair retailing for a whole grand. The retail Madman and Badman have been discussed thoroughly. Ask anyone if those were truly worth 400+ USD. There was also Carbon Blade, which was seemingly re-hashed from a Ray Ban design and can also break in very non-Oakley fashion.

But on that note, the Carbon Prime is a far cry from bombproof. I haven't found reason to expect it to be any less reliable than your typical eyeglasses, but you're going to be as careful/selective of when and where you wear it just like the pairs I mentioned above.

main_OO9302-03_carbon-shift_matte-black-black-iridium-polarized_001_93361_png_hero.jpg

Oakley Carbon Shift Polarized in MATTE BLACK / BLACK IRIDIUM POLARIZED

I never took ownership of the take-down Carbon Shift, which literally takes every design cue (sans pistons) of the Carbon Prime and softens it a bit — like the Pit Bull vs. Pit Boss. I originally thought I'd be having the Carbon Shift instead of the pair I'm currently reviewing, and call that end of story....but it just didn't fit me at the nose (too wide for me), and I was disappointed that it didn't come with rubber nose pads to start. I don't get why a pair would cost above 300 USD and not have something as simple as that. However, if it does fit your face, it's still a very good-looking pair. Color options are in your favor, it's likely a bit more robust than the Carbon Prime, and you can find pairs below 200 USD if you try hard enough. Like I said, I thought I'd be owning a Carbon Shift instead of the Carbon Prime.

My last recollection of the fit comparison is that the Carbon Shift lenses seems a bit bigger and run closer to the face.

And so all that discussion leads me to the last pair I believe to have lived up to a premium price point (apart form the unfathomable C-Six).
View attachment 348446
Lenses cut by and purchased from @Chris A Hardaway

The Pit Boss II was a functionally-improved version of the original with tweaked geometry and Unobtainium contact points. A functional derivative of a pair that Jim Jannard was involved in. Undoubtedly stylish pair with a lot of substance, which was effectively capable for active use and quite frankly meant to be worn, topped off with a solid wooden box you could sniff all day. Their only fault was their retail price hike at a similar 600 USD. Combined with the simple lack of Elite logos, these were slept on to the point they could be had for as low as 1/3rd their retail value.

Now I don't mean to go on a tangent, but a depreciated Pit Boss II is one of the best buys out there. At least in my mind it was the last "premium" pair that anyone could put on with the same peace of mind and expectations of protection as with any regular Oakley pair. I definitely would say, go to the Exchange Forum or whatever, and get a pair if you haven't already, before bothering to chase down most anything else in the premium price bracket that isn't an X-Metal.

So where does the Carbon Prime stand?


View attachment 348457
In respect to this limited(?) edition, it's only limited to me because of the number. It could've done without the MotoGP affiliation because it all seems so obviously cobbled-up. "Ooooh the case is rubber-ish like tyres!" Man, get out. What this should've been, to me, was a limited debut edition of the Carbon Prime that celebrates the brand itself instead of a collaboration. They went with.the basic, fundamental colors: black and white as we'd see on all Oakley signs and headers. It would've made more sense to me. But go figure: those pistons needed marketing context of some sort.

If you're a die-hard collector out to get every.single.pair to exist with the "O" branding, yeah I'd get it just to get it — expect to pay a premium, but nothing outrageous. A couple hundred up from the original price if unopened is not crazy to me, when we're talking about keeping a long-invested, otherwise complete collection intact.If we're talking over a grand, I'll honestly tell you that you shouldn't let this break your collecting bug. You'd have to be a certain weird-o who buys 10 of almost everything in life.

But yeah: it's not like it complements the X-Metals of this world. That is still a complete collection in itself.

View attachment 348422
If you are of the general Oakley fandom and hated to miss out because you simply wanted a pair, sit tight for possible future releases of the Carbon Prime. They can be limited again, or as cheaper and wider releases. For this particular edition, unless you want these exact colors, lens, and are into that MotoGP etching, the Carbon Prime isn't worth bending over for above retail. It's far from being the best way to spend 600 USD, however I do think this is a legitimately cool pair, and they feel pretty nice in-hand.

Unless it's discovered that the Carbon Prime self-implodes, I wouldn't quite say it's a rip off of any sort. I genuinely like my pair. I could return it ,or sell it with a possible minor gain, but I won't. I do like it. It is a showcase of Oakley in a new guise. If there is a more general release, especially if it can line up with a future F&F or whatever discount, I might just do it.

We have seen Luxottica take this brand, and re-shape it to appeal to the ordinary masses. What I find happening here, is that building upon the casual market, Lux is looking to establish Oakley in the designer market as well. I'd continue to expect some kind of sport or machine-inspired aesthetic, but nothing of the bold and intimidating character that originally drew many of us to the brand, and surely with less mind to performance practicality.
View attachment 348434

I don't want to be the guy who has to tell people to "accept it", but we are almost a decade into this brand changing hands and it's not going back. This is Oakley today. I never cared to buy something like Ray Bans for the sake of having a toned-down, more acceptable pair that blends better into casual settings. Coach, Prada, whatever. That stuff is also ridiculously expensive. But if I ever needed to fill that void, the Carbon Prime has done it for me. It can fit in, yet you still know it's different in the details, and perhaps still a smidge better in any arbitrarily Oakley way possible.

Excellent review. I think that about sums it up.
 
i don't wanna hijack this thread - but i think this fits perfectly in here and we don't need another thread about the CP . . .

we all know that this pair is cool even if the price tag doesn't fit but the bigger problem imo is the funny tube case (inpired from the MotoGP - come on Oakley/LUX)!!
the tube can stay in the uninspired black standart box and i will not touch this again ;)

IMG_8260.JPG


i decided for me to check which Oakley case is perfect for my pair. and i found two great options.

the custom soft case for travelling - this would be a great version with a etched plate like the Echelons have!!

IMG_8266.JPG


IMG_8268.JPG


or even better for the display a box like the PB II got - fits perfect and all we need is a white icon . . .

IMG_8265.JPG


IMG_8264.JPG


the carbon shift case is to small - would be great to get a matte carbon larger version and then it would work perfectly for the display and traveling.

IMG_8269.JPG


IMG_8270.JPG


but anyway - i love my CP and will use them all day long on my next vacation in a week!!!!
 
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i don't wanna hijack this thread - but i think this fits perfectly in here and we don't need another thread about the CP . . .

we all know that this pair is cool even if the price tag doesn't fit but the bigger problem imo is the funny tube case (inpired from the MotoGP - come on Oakley/LUX)!!
the tube can stay in the uninspired black standart box and i will not touch this again ;)
i decided for me to check which Oakley case is perfect for my pair. and i found two great options.

the custom soft case for travelling - this would be a great version with a etched plate like the Echelons have!!

View attachment 348490

View attachment 348492

or even better for the display a box like the PB II got - fits perfect and all we need is a white icon . . .

View attachment 348493

View attachment 348494

the carbon shift case is to small - would be great to get a matte carbon larger version and then it would work perfectly for the display and traveling.

View attachment 348495

View attachment 348496

but anyway - i love my CP and will use them all day long on my next vacation in a week!!!!

Totally agree :) please consider the squared graffic case as well
 
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