By the mid-90s Oakley had established themselves as an industry leader of innovative eyewear but founder Jim Jannard believed it was time to develop what would be known as the ultimate sunglasses, setting Oakley aside from all competitors. This is the concept that birthed X-Metal, a special Titanium alloy that would become the foundation of Oakley’s most sought-after line of frames. Jim Jannard stated in an interview with O-Forum: “I was a big fan of titanium and no one had done Ti eyewear. I thought that combining Ti with sculpture would be a really great thing. There were no factories doing what we wanted so we bought a golf club casting company in Nevada and converted it to manufacturing Ti eyewear. We were told by many that what we wanted to do was impossible. The idea of casting long and narrow parts (like the ear stems) was next to impossible. We ignored the warnings”. The X-Metal line was announced in 1996 and launched in 1997 with the iconic ‘Romeo’, which Oakley described as an “evolutionary application of a new metallurgical process and a breakthrough in structural physics”. They were the strongest sunglasses ever made, built to withstand the weight of a car without any damage. The Romeo was succeeded by the Mars and Juliet in the following years, experimenting with different lens shapes that proved to be just as popular, leading to the development of several other frames in the 2000s. Oakley were able to supply leading movie studios in this period, so you can spot Romeo’s on Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible 2 and Bruce Campbell in Spider-Man (2002) and you’ll also find Juliets on James Marsden (Cyclops) in X-Men and Eric Bana in ‘Black Hawk Down’. The X-Metal line perfectly encapsulates what Oakley is all about and there are no sunglasses with as much history and a cult following behind them. Condition: Frames - Great condition with some minor signs of wear - nosebridge secure. Lenses - Great condition with very minor signs of wear. Comes with hardcase and microfibre cloth. AUTHENTICITY GUARANTEED - we are one of the world’s leading Oakley archivists specialising in 100% genuine pieces from the brand’s exceptional history.