Thirty-eight years after his death, Steve McQueen remains a cultural icon. Witness the appetite for the late actor’s jeep, Husky motorcycle, Le Mans racing suit and Rolex Submariner, all of which recently made the auction rounds.
While you can’t snag the actual Persol 714 sunglasses McQueen wore during the opening scenes of 1968’s The Thomas Crown Affair — they were sold at auction for $70,000 back in 2006 — you can wear the next best thing: a faithful reproduction, now available in extremely limited quantities.
The 714s were originally intro’d in the 1960s as the first-ever foldable glasses. This revamped model, the 714 SM, features crystal blue lenses and a folding closure system on the end of the stem that moves from the outside towards the inside, along with four Supreme Arrows (Persol’s symbol) on the hinges.
Here, the name Steve McQueenTM (yes, his name is trademarked, and yes, his estate is quite careful about that licensing) is reproduced on the inside of the stem and on the leather case.
The 714 SM series, offered in three frame colors (light havana, dark havana and black) and an online honey-colored exclusive (as seen above), are available now for $350.
(H/t Maxim)
Photos: Screenshot from “The Thomas Crown Affair”; Persol
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