"This blog post was written by LINEGEAR in「 March 2021 」and has been translated into English"
Romeo and Juliet Resale!? The History of X-Metal ★ Other Recent Updates.
2021/03/26
Theme: Blog
Oakley MUZM Series X-Metal Romeo & Juliet
Romeo & Juliet is being re-released for a limited edition on OAKLEY's website—
!
I will write more details later.
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Hello everyone,
Thank you for visiting this blog.
It's getting warmer, isn't it?
As the weather improves, there may be more opportunities to use X-Metal, don't you think?
Why not do some maintenance now?
Today, I'd like to write about ROMEO, specifically ROMEO1 in Polished finish.
I took a snapshot with NXT Premium Red lenses.
Polished Romeo 1
Lenses: NXT Premium Red
Rubber parts: Red
The Polished Romeo 1 is a frame color that was not part of the original lineup. This color was changed to Polished at LINEGEAR.
By the way, NXT Premium Red is a slightly transparent and calm ruby lens.
It's the kind of lens where your eyes might be just a bit visible through it.
As for the view through the lens,
I'm very grateful for the NXT lenses, the clear visibility when wearing them, and the fact that using them for long periods without stress is very much appreciated.
Although the naming is the same, there is also a Premium Red with the same name for polycarbonate lenses.
Since polycarbonate lenses and NXT lenses are produced in different factories, there may be some differences in color.
If you want to emphasize a more dazzling mirror effect, I think the Premium Red with the downward arrow polarization might be better.
The mirror effect has a strong effect, so your eyes are almost completely not visible.
On the other hand, the field of vision is somewhat darker when worn.
This image was taken last year.
There is a beam coming out of your eyes. 
Well, please choose according to your preference.
Also, since functionality is an important factor, I think it's better to choose lenses based on the situations in which you will use them.
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As I was writing this introduction became long.
Today, as the title suggests, I will be writing about the limited re-sale models of Romeo and Juliet in the MUZM series. As a side note, I'd also like to take the opportunity to briefly review the history of Romeo and Juliet.
First of all, 
Romeo and Juliet are actually being re-released!
OAKLEY'S homepage
I'll also provide a link to the product page:
https://www.oakley.com/en-us/product/W0OO4064
This MUZM series of Romeo and Juliet is a limited edition to only 14 sets, sold as a pair.
As for the price,..
$14000.00
It is $14,000 which is approximately 152 million yen in Japanese currency.
"Hey, it's too expensive!" "Did they accidentally add an extra zero or two?"
That's what people are saying, but upon closer inspection, it's written that this is part of a donation program established by Damian Lillard (NBA player).
RESPECT is a charity program that supports high school students in staying in school and growing.
Ah, I see. That makes sense. It's a donation program, essentially a contribution from the sales.
Well, in any case, the fact that they were able to resell it with this initiative might mean that it could be mass-produced in the future, opening up the possibility of a reprint.
It's a similar story, but last year, the Over The Top was re-sold for $2,000, which was surprising in itself, but this resale seems to surpass even that.
The gold Over The Top was re-resold in 2020, limited to 20 pieces, and sold out in an instant."
The frame was gold, and the lenses were Prizm 24K Gold Iridium Polarized.
"Personally, I wanted it
."
These models, which can be considered icons of Oakley, still have name recognition and popularity.
I feel they will continue to gather attention and remain popular in the future.
As for these MUZM Romeo & Juliet models,
I want to take a closer look at what specific changes have been made in the later part of this article.
It might be a bit lengthy, but please bear with me until the end.
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Well, then, on this occasion, let's delve into the history of the extremely famous frames, "Romeo" and "Juliet."
I've written about this before, but I'll take the opportunity to write about it again.
Firstly, what is X-Metal?
Let's start from there.
Oakley X-Metals is a series of sunglasses manufactured by Oakley in the 1990s, with a significant feature being the use of titanium in the frames. Oakley X-Metal is a proprietary 5-metal alloy (titanium alloy), primarily composed of titanium. Ultimately, this material was used to develop cutting-edge titanium eyewear.
These were the world's first cast titanium, all-metal frames, proudly stamped with "MADE IN USA."
In Oakley's secret base in Nevada, a 6-ton generator with 425,000 watts of power was needed to maintain precision when crafting X-Metal frames. It's evident that the manufacturing process was power-intensive and involved hazardous work.
Here are all the models of the X-Metal series and the years they were released:
The X-Metal series debuted in 997 with the first model "Romeo".
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ROMEO
On February 28, 1997, Romeo was unveiled to the public at the partially completed Oakley headquarters at that time.
The retail price was $250. The pre-release codename was OSCAR, and as you may already know, it was later released under the name ROMEO.
At that time, many low serial numbers were given to Oakley employees and close associates (No. 1 to 100). These early ROMEO models had red ear socks, and later, these initial models of Romeo were called "Jordan Romeo."
While it's well-known that Jordan's serial number was "23," Oakley engaged in significant marketing at that time, using famous athletes and Olympic competitors.
These were sometimes referred to as 'Jordan Romeo' due to Michael Jordan wearing them at various public events, but that name was never officially endorsed by Oakley.
Now, it's quite a story from a long time ago, but at that time, it was considered a rather innovative release of next-generation eyewear.
However, over the years, wearers complained about the weight of the Romeo and the slight discomfort caused by the hard material, titanium.
Additionally, the Romeo 1 had structural issues as the frame design lacked flexibility, ultimately leading to stress points around the lens and lens breakage.
For these reasons, despite a glamorous start with the participation of Olympic athletes and various athletes, Romeo was not initially deemed a successful product. In the first 1 or 2 years, Oakley also faced commercial challenges.
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JULIET
1999
Subsequently, in 1998, Mars was introduced, followed by Juliet in the following year, 1999.
To address the structural issues of Romeo, models released after Mars and Juliet were equipped with a nose bridge to resolve the discomfort when wearing it.
After various marketing campaigns, Juliet became a massive hit, and the Oakley X-Metal series became Oakley's most popular lineup to date.
Now, while Romeo is famous as the first model of X-Metal, it's true that the popularity of Juliet ignited interest in X-Metal, and subsequently, Romeo also gained attention.
Almost simultaneously, in the early 2000s, Romeo was featured in the blockbuster 'Mission: Impossible' series, worn by Tom Cruise."
These frames continued to influence the worlds of sports and culture, worn by icons in the NBA basketball scene such as Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Tom Cruise, and our own Ichiro, among others. It truly was a golden age.
As you may know, they were eventually discontinued in 2012, along with Badman and Madman.
Writing about this in detail could make it quite lengthy, so I'd like to stop here.
In summary, the flow of events is roughly like this.
For those who want to know more about the history of X-Metal, please check LINEGEAR's website.
These are representative models of the X-Metal series.
I hope you now have a better understanding of the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, including the historical context.
It seems apparent that there is a connection between Juliet's existence and Romeo, and vice versa. Wouldn't you agree?
Please also read the previous artcle that i worte about Romeo.
Considering all of this, let's go back to the beginning.
The set of Romeo and Juliet that OAKLEY has re-released this time.
So, what is the concept behind the MUZM series this time?
In March 2021, Oakley teased photos suggesting X-Metal on Instagram.
And within a few hours, Oakley released the Oakley MUZM Series 1875 X-Metal Edition sunglasses.
Everyone must have been like, 'Wait
, is it finally here
Let's take a closer look at the details.
As you can see the ear socks are red.
And for the lenses, it features the first-ever Prizm Polarized Black Iridium in the X-Metal series.
The most significant difference is that this time, both Romeo and Juliet are not cast; instead, they are made from the same titanium alloy using 3D printing (powder processing) from 3D data.
I'm not well-versed in this field, so I don't have detailed information, but it seems to involve sintering from powdered titanium material, suggesting considerable strength.
From what I can see, both Juliet and Romeo have almost the same frame shape.
Is there a nose bridge? Are the parts interchangeable?
It's hard to judge those aspects from this image.
However, I believe the basic shapes of the parts are the same.
Box
Coin Romeo and Juliet 
– it's good, isn't it? 
The contents of the set include:
- Oakley Romeo (with serial number)
- Oakley Juliet (with serial number)
- X-Metal Metal Coin
- Warranty card
- Custom display box
In addition to these, the signatures of the legendary Chicago Bulls player Scottie Pippen and the hero of the Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard, are also included.
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As of now, what is the actual situation?
This is all the information I have obtained, but I believe more information and images will be posted on the Oakley Forum in the future, so it's worth checking out.
Also, if there is new information, I would like to introduce it.
If you're interested in purchasing, it seems they are still on sale.
So please check the link below.
https://www.oakley.com/en-us/product/W0OO4064
However, personally, I am pleased to see recent more attention on these classic Oakleys.
I imagine many people are hoping for a resell at an affordable price, don't you think?
Looking forward to what the future holds!
※ In writing this article, the images, and product information have been extracted from Oakley's website or Oakley Forum and translated into Japanese. Please understand that the main purpose is to share information with everyone.
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So,
Thank you very much for reading this lengthy article.
There may be some errors in the interpretation or translation of English phrases, so please forgive those.
There are also parts where the Japanese may sound awkward, so please forgive me for that as well.
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Well, next time,
I think I can introduce another amazing customization.
Next time, I'd like to introduce this.
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So, I'd like to finish it here.
Please also check the website.
