So I'm finally connecting the dots. Back at the co-pilot trivia session, we were pretty much all done. Each person could only claim one prize and I had ended up with a Ducati Juliet, but they mentioned that there were three Hand Painted Flying Tiger prototypes that would be given out throughout the day. You decided to just offer a question right then and there; the question asking to name the first 4 Oakley models. No one raised their hand, so I offered even though I knew it wouldn't be for a prize. I think I got about 9 deep before you laughed and tossed the pair at me.

I ended up with the Hand Painted Flying Tiger Hijinx for presenting you a Texas flag flown over the state capitol in Austin in honor of Oakley. You guys were so cool that you flew the Texas flag over HQ during the co-pilot event... good times.

As a proud Texan, the highlight of my trip was seeing the mighty Lone Star flying over HQ that day. I have a picture of it somewhere in a memory stick......somewhere!!!

Good question on the "PROTOTYPE" engraving on the .2 and .3. I truly don't recall. I have a pair myself that I was just looking at and tried to remember the significance. I don't remember it being athlete specific, but more that "PROTOTYPE" was cool back then so we might have engraved some just to spark some buzz.

They may have come from Hegg as he was close to Oakley, but he didn't compete in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. For the Atlanta Olympics we also focused on the Pro M Frame for athlete placement and not as much for Zeros.

Yeah, I'm not putting as much stock in the story. The glasses stand on their own in any case. The only evidence I found was this, which isn't much but did show that he was using some Zeros



After looking some more, it appears he was in trials to go to Atlanta but didn't. He was wearing a Pro M Frame Red/Persimmon for those.



Hmmmm, looks like a Clear 0.2 Prototype too. That's a new one

I don't remember it being athlete specific, but more that "PROTOTYPE" was cool back then so we might have engraved some just to spark some buzz. - Bazooka

That makes sense it was done to spark interest. Marketing did the same thing with the Carbon C Six where "Prototype" was etched onto the ear sock and/or signature plate as a marketing prototype rather than an actual prototype.

Hence this thread:

http://o-review.com/forum_detail.php?ID=13617

Ha! Thanks for the reminder! I had forgotten that thread existed.

I think I echo the comments before - this thread is an awesome read for sure. Appreciate you sharing all the history details/images.

Not sure where to put this question, so I will put it here...

Scott,
When did the insiders first realize that people "collected" and there was some sort of a cult following, for the lack of a better word.

Also, what did "insiders" think about this? Was it discussed much within the walls? What are your thoughts around this?

Thanks,
Robert

Robert,

Around '91 we started recognizing we had a bit of a following as some of our fans would submit photos of their collections and even their own paint they were doing to their Blades and Razors. We also recognized our deep cult following just from the massive "sticker" sales we had and how many cars you would see running them. We actually despised it a bit and felt the brand was getting over exposed. To the point we discontinued sales of 18" Themonuclear Protection decals.

It really wasn't until O-Review came along that we began to take collectors and loyalists more seriously. However, looking back, we should have been more engaged. We admired the loyalists, but took them for granted. It wasn't until around 2010 that we actually placed initiatives around loyalty. It's ironic as we always placed word-of-mouth marketing and peer influencing as our most important marketing, but it took us too long to activate around a group that were begging us to do more with.

Not sure where Oakley is today with loyalists. In modern brand development building loyalty and embracing fans are critical to a companies success.

Scott

Scott, there was a story back in '96 that someone offered to buy a pair of Romeo for $1,500 at the event where it was first introduced (but before it was released for sale to the market). Lots of collectors hanging on every word of each release.

Speaking of the Romeo, a couple questions if I may:
1) there was an oversized metal Vault created for the first few Romeos. Most of them were engraved with names on the lid and given out to reps and celebrities. Do you know how many of these Vaults were given out? Also, were the serial numbers on each of the pairs sequential (ie. the first 100 serialed were put into the Vaults), or were they just randomly grabbed from supply?
2) the first 5,000 pairs of Romeo was said by the reps in 1997 to be the limited versions of the Romeo due to the red ear socks that differentiated them. Legend has it that this limited version sold so well that more were sold so that 8,000 or 9,000 pairs were sold until the black earsocks was introduced and became the standard. Collectors now call them the "Michael Jordan" editions because he wore them after winning one of his NBA championships. Was it intentional for the first few thousand pairs to have red earsocks to coincide with MJ's colours, or was it just a fortunate coincidence?

Thanks!

P.S. We would love to see your collection one day!

I was going to try and find an appropriate thread, but Oak brought up the Romeo topic.

We know Romeo & Juliet were Jim's favorite cigars, but Oscar was the working name for Romeo:
1) Was there a backstory for that choice and it's eventual lack of use
2) In the US trademark database the name Tiffany was also registered alongside Oscar. Was that a working name for Juliet, or something else.

To answer the Romeo questions.

The launch party for X Metal was bad ass. We had it in the unfinished lobby of 1 Icon. The building was far from completion and the lobby was still exposed to the elements. It was raining the night of the party so the ambience was really cool. For your question if someone offered $1500 for the Romeo, it could have happened but I don't recall it being a highlight. We were constantly offered $$$ for early (and numbered) versions.

Beginning with Mumbo Jim would take, I'm guessing here, about the first 100 pairs directly off the production line and number each one in sequence. He would then give the early employees a numbered pair based on what number hired you were. He would also take several numbered pairs and archive them. Again, I can't recall how many were numbered, gifted and archived. I'm sure the number increased as we grew. However, Jim did not do that forever and I'm trying to remember when he stopped. I want to think Romeo might have been the last style that was numbered and gifted to employees.

For Romeo, I can't recall the sequenced numbered or the amount of Vaults were given to employees and friends of the company. I'm going to guess around 100-150. As you mention those pairs were placed in the large Vault and had a 4 digit serial number engraved in a plate. They were sequenced exact to being manufactured and not randomly pulled. 0001, 0002, etc.

All of the numbered and vaulted pairs came with Red socks, nose bombs and hinge bumpers. I can say that the red rubber color had nothing to do with Michael Jordan. I have had read for several years the reference to a Michael Jordan edition, but unless Jim had an inside story with MJ there wasn't any correlation.

As well with the red rubber socks, nose bombs and bumpers the only ones I recall having them were the numbered and vaulted pairs. My memory may be failing me, but I do not recall actively selling any with red rubber. Can anyone validate that they were actually sold to retail?

To note, Romeo did not sell fast in the beginning. It took a year or two and the compliments of Juliet before they really moved. I remember Jim nailing the sales guys for being wimps to not be selling more. X Metal was also a big departure both from what was expected from Oakley and also the optical industry. X Metal was crazy different and common with Oakley's most innovative and longest selling styles it took a year or two before they really got traction. So when you are talking early "limited" quantities of 5000 and another 9000 that seems very high to me and tells me the story isn't true.

For naming, Romeo was always the name that I recall and Jim's cigars had the influence. At the development stage I recall X Metal 1 as the internal name. I don't recall Oscar or Tiffany at all, so I would love to hear of the origin story you know. Those names do seem to have my recall for watches, but not X Metal. That's not to say they weren't' on Jim's radar. In those days Jim did the naming and the names were held closely up until we started getting close to production.

Scott

Thanks for all that info, Scott. It is very helpful!

By what I was told, the X-metal launch at HQ was indeed amazing. I got one of the launch coins from an attendee:

As well with the red rubber socks, nose bombs and bumpers the only ones I recall having them were the numbered and vaulted pairs. My memory may be failing me, but I do not recall actively selling any with red rubber. Can anyone validate that they were actually sold to retail?

The Romeo with red earsocks were indeed available at retail. Many of us got our first pairs of Romeo with the red unobtainium from dealers, especially SGH. The first time I think I saw Romeo without the red earsocks was 1999 in an SGH, serial was in the 8 or 9k range.

Hmm, where did we come up with the Oscar name them.

We have a few other early name changes if you see anything that stands out as a glaring error:

http://o-review.com/forum_detail.php?ID=11932

There are SKU's for the Mars with Red Earsocks too.

Oscar was what the initial news releases were calling it back in 1996 (with JJ actually calling it such in the release's statement):

https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Oakley+Holds+Successful+Preview+of+X+Metal+Sunglass+Line-a018943114

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Oakley, Inc. (NYSE: 00) announced today that it previewed the first model in its upcoming "X Metal" line, named "Oscar," last night to athletes and personalities who will be involved in marketing the product. The event took place at the company's soon-to-be- completed new headquarters in Foothill Ranch, California. Among the 350 guests were beach volleyball star and model Gabrielle Reese, world snowboard champion Terje Haakonsen, world surf champion Taylor Knox, NBA basketball players Sean Elliot of the San Antonio Spurs and Bo Outlaw of the LA Clippers, major league baseball players Tony Gwynn and Jason Giambi and 1996 Olympic medalists Kent Steffes, Allen Johnson, Kim Batten, Ato Boldon and Inger Miller.

"Last night's event was a successful combination of the core culture and technology that makes Oakley unique and distinguishes our products," said Jim Jannard, chairman and president of Oakley. "It is very encouraging to see our athletes and friends as excited as I am with "Oscar," seeing for the first time the physics of Oakley's technology wrapped in sculpture and topped with art," Jannard added.

The preview of "Oscar" was the first phase of the company's carefully orchestrated release of "X Metal." Beginning next week and over the next two months, Oakley will show "X Metal" to its most influential retail accounts, work with athletes and personalities to gain editorial exposure and begin to create marketing materials for "X Metal" and "0scar." The company indicated that "0scar"'s suggested retail price in the domestic market would be $250.

"Allowing time for finishing refinements to our design process and completion of engineering, we conservatively expect "Oscar" to be available in stores by the end of February, well before the spring selling season," said Jannard. "In fact, because I am so confident that we will complete and ship "Oscar" by the end of February, I have advised the company I will voluntarily forfeit my 1996 incentive bonus of approximately $1.0 million if "Oscar" does not ship by that date." Jannard added, "The company is also very pleased with its early success in producing "X Metal" parts, using a revolutionary process for metal eyewear, in the Nevada facility. This vertical integration in manufacturing is expected to have a positive impact on the company's already enviable gross margins."

The company also reported that at last night's event there was excitement at the surprise unveiling of Oakley's new "Racing Jacket," a sport-application model from the "Jacket" line. The "Racing Jacket" is characterized by a stronger hingeless frame, is more aerodynamic, sleeker and faster in design than current "Jackets" and draws on the performance features developed for the "Pro M Frame." The company expects to ship these new models by the middle of the first quarter of 1997. The "Racing Jacket" follows the recently released "Pro M Frame" and the new "Frogskin," which just began shipping today, creating excitement in the market for the new and distinctive Oakley product offerings.

Oakley is an innovation-driven designer, manufacturer and distributor of high-performance eyewear.

SOURCE Oakley, Inc.

Perfect, I don't have to re-record my long overdue X-Metal script now.

Thanks for all that info, Scott. It is very helpful!

By what I was told, the X-metal launch at HQ was indeed amazing. I got one of the launch coins from an attendee:

As well with the red rubber socks, nose bombs and bumpers the only ones I recall having them were the numbered and vaulted pairs. My memory may be failing me, but I do not recall actively selling any with red rubber. Can anyone validate that they were actually sold to retail?

The Romeo with red earsocks were indeed available at retail. Many of us got our first pairs of Romeo with the red unobtainium from dealers, especially SGH. The first time I think I saw Romeo without the red earsocks was 1999 in an SGH, serial was in the 8 or 9k range. - Oak

Very Cool coin!!

There you go. Shows my memory is getting a little rough.

Bazooka!

Damn would have been sweet to grab one of those painted pairs.
I am late to this thread but have loved reading it all.
Great to have you here Scott. Welcome!

Sorry I have a question for you aswell.

I asked Peter Yee and Brian Takumi at HQ when I was there but they couldn't remember.

Do you happen to know if there ever was an FMJ Copper eye jacket?

We found an SKU for it and even a picture on some POS stuff with other eye jackets but I don't remember ever seeing them in stores (at least not in the UK) and they are the only pair of EJ's that have eluded me in all these years of wearing Oakley.

thanks

Lex

LEX7,

I don't think we did EyeJacket. Probably because it was late in the EyeJacket's life and we had so many colors at that point already. I can only recall Topcoat and Minute in FMJ copper.

Scott

The first time I think I saw Romeo without the red earsocks was 1999 in an SGH, serial was in the 8 or 9k range. - Oak

I bought my first pair in Sweden in 1997. The socks were black.

Thanks Scott even though its a relief I don't need to find them it takes away the "hunt" we all love.