kronin323
Font of Useless Knowledge
As most of you know, other than XS SKUs all starting with OO6011, x-metal SKUs primarily started with 04.
AFAIK, all R1, Mars, Penny, and XX SKUs started with 04.
But R2, HX, and especially Juliets had some SKUs that started with 12 (and Juliets had some that started with 24 and even one that started with 22).
I've been wondering what convention Oakley used when choosing to give a 12 SKU instead of a 04. I've done some searching around the forum but have only found one real relevant detail: those 12 SKUs that were replaced by an apparently identical colorway with a 04 SKU in 2009 had hydrophobic lenses in the 04 replacement.
Using the o-review x-metal database as my source, this is what I've been able to figure out:
HX:
All HX SKUs were first released in 2008; there were no later or replacement SKUs. It appears 12 was used to designate polarized colorways and 04 for non-polar.
R2:
Same as HX, a 12 SKU was used to designate the single released polarized colorway. And it was replaced by an 04 hydrophobic polar model in 2009. But it was also used to designate a special edition, in this case the vaunted Scelzi in 2006. (BTW as of this writing, hereispunishment has a very nice one of these for sale in the exchange...) [EDIT - withdrawn from sale; you snooze, you lose...] And that leads us to Juliets...
Juliet:
There were lots of 12 SKU Juliets. Most were special editions: Ducatis, a bunch of Ichiros, Finitos, even the so-called Corvettes. The Ti Clears also had 12s, for whatever reason.
But the polar / non-polar use of 12 vs. 04 doesn't seem to be followed. The only one like that I can find is 12-835 carbon / BIP from 1999 that was replaced by 04-149 in 2009. But the 1999 release of plasma / ice polar got 04-123, replaced by 04-153 in 2009. Same thing with polished / fire polar.
And then there's the Juliets with SKUs that started with 24...
The 24K Juliet in 2011. Makes perfect sense. The IH at the same time. Fine. But there were two 24 SKUs released in 2009 that don't seem to be anything special: 24-125 x-metal / ruby and 24-126 polished / VR28BIP.
Then finally, there's the single 22-350 Ichiro, marked as a Japan exclusive in o-review.
In summary, it appears 12 SKUs were used to designate special editions and, prior to 2009, polarized colorways. But to me, some questions remain, if anybody here can provide some insight:
- Why didn't the 12 SKUs HXs get replaced by hydrophobic 04s in 2009? Had they bombed already so much by then that it wasn't worth it?
- Why did Ti Clear get 12 SKUs? Are they considered some sort of special edition?
- Why did Oakley break from their 12-for-polar convention for the original plasma / ice polar and polished / fire polar Juliets? They still used it later for HX and R2...
- What's up with 24-125 and 24-126 Juliets?
- Was 22-350 actually Japan exclusive? I ask because the so-called Corvettes are also marked as Japan exclusive in o-review but some threads here show that they weren't; they were available elsewhere, too.
Thanks guys for any answers...
AFAIK, all R1, Mars, Penny, and XX SKUs started with 04.
But R2, HX, and especially Juliets had some SKUs that started with 12 (and Juliets had some that started with 24 and even one that started with 22).
I've been wondering what convention Oakley used when choosing to give a 12 SKU instead of a 04. I've done some searching around the forum but have only found one real relevant detail: those 12 SKUs that were replaced by an apparently identical colorway with a 04 SKU in 2009 had hydrophobic lenses in the 04 replacement.
Using the o-review x-metal database as my source, this is what I've been able to figure out:
HX:
All HX SKUs were first released in 2008; there were no later or replacement SKUs. It appears 12 was used to designate polarized colorways and 04 for non-polar.
R2:
Same as HX, a 12 SKU was used to designate the single released polarized colorway. And it was replaced by an 04 hydrophobic polar model in 2009. But it was also used to designate a special edition, in this case the vaunted Scelzi in 2006. (BTW as of this writing, hereispunishment has a very nice one of these for sale in the exchange...) [EDIT - withdrawn from sale; you snooze, you lose...] And that leads us to Juliets...
Juliet:
There were lots of 12 SKU Juliets. Most were special editions: Ducatis, a bunch of Ichiros, Finitos, even the so-called Corvettes. The Ti Clears also had 12s, for whatever reason.
But the polar / non-polar use of 12 vs. 04 doesn't seem to be followed. The only one like that I can find is 12-835 carbon / BIP from 1999 that was replaced by 04-149 in 2009. But the 1999 release of plasma / ice polar got 04-123, replaced by 04-153 in 2009. Same thing with polished / fire polar.
And then there's the Juliets with SKUs that started with 24...
The 24K Juliet in 2011. Makes perfect sense. The IH at the same time. Fine. But there were two 24 SKUs released in 2009 that don't seem to be anything special: 24-125 x-metal / ruby and 24-126 polished / VR28BIP.
Then finally, there's the single 22-350 Ichiro, marked as a Japan exclusive in o-review.
In summary, it appears 12 SKUs were used to designate special editions and, prior to 2009, polarized colorways. But to me, some questions remain, if anybody here can provide some insight:
- Why didn't the 12 SKUs HXs get replaced by hydrophobic 04s in 2009? Had they bombed already so much by then that it wasn't worth it?
- Why did Ti Clear get 12 SKUs? Are they considered some sort of special edition?
- Why did Oakley break from their 12-for-polar convention for the original plasma / ice polar and polished / fire polar Juliets? They still used it later for HX and R2...
- What's up with 24-125 and 24-126 Juliets?
- Was 22-350 actually Japan exclusive? I ask because the so-called Corvettes are also marked as Japan exclusive in o-review but some threads here show that they weren't; they were available elsewhere, too.
Thanks guys for any answers...
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