Oakley debuts stunning C SIX plus other new glasses and watches
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Oakley's men's mountain bike clothing gets some additions for 2010.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
Oakley's flagship C SIX was displayed inside a locked case.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
Special titanium hinges (with coil springs!) maintain the high-tech look and feel.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
Machining a solid block of carbon fibre may not be the best way to use the material from an engineering standpoint but cutting across the fibres is what lends the C SIX its unique look.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
These faceted 'O' icons are included only on Oakley's Elite collection.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
Hmmm, which Oakley watch shall I wear today?(Image credit: Jon Devich)
New for '10 is the 12-Gauge (bottom row) and Warrant watches, both available in a variety of colour and band options.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
Also new for '10 is the Minute Machine. Even though it looks heavy, the titanium band helps keep the weight manageable so your wrist doesn't ache at the end of the day.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
Pit Boss is another model in Oakley's premium Elite line with a moulded O Matter frame and custom formed titanium outer plates.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
The titanium plates fit the rest of the frame perfectly and are secured in place with an array of tiny bolts.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
Check out the intricate machine work on the back of the C SIX frame pieces.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
The titanium hinges on the C SIX lend a degree of flexibility to the frame.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
The popular Gascan shape has been updated to form the new Fuel Cell.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
The sides of the Fuel Cell feature a neat polished/matte dual finish.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
Several new women's models will join the range for '10. Not pictured is a new Half Jacket analogue called Commit.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
Women's models feature subtle detailing.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
Oakley has also updated its range of women's clothing for 2010.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
Highlighting the Oakley booth at this year's Interbike show was its outrageous new C SIX - a US$4,500 pair of sunglasses with a carbon fibre frame CNC-machined from a single chunk of composite.
Adding further to the spectacle was the fact that the display set was locked inside a glass enclosure with a giant steel chain and padlock and that they were Lance Armstrong's personal pair - still stained with the Texan's sweat (Oakley eyewear brand manager Andy McSorley says they are accompanied full-time with a note that says 'DO NOT CLEAN!').
Materials engineers will undoubtedly scoff at how Oakley has totally ignored the proper way to ideally use carbon fibre as a structural material for its Elite line flagship but the way the diamond-tipped cutting bits slice across the fibres is what gives the C SIX its distinctive look.
Paper-thin titanium hinge assemblies keep up the high-tech look and feel too, and also lend the temples a degree of flexibility.
Naturally, the lenses utilise Oakley's panoply of optical technology, including XYZ lens geometry, Iridium coatings, and hydrophobic/oleophobic surface treatments. If this is all just too over the top (and too expensive!), there's the slightly less outrageous C SIX Aluminum version at US$1,500.
A more affordable Elite line option - though still US$595 a pair - is the Pit Boss, a slightly more conventional design using Oakley's O Matter moulded frame.
Styling is reminiscent of other options in the Oakley family like Monster Dog and Straight Jacket but Pit Boss does them one better with its specially shaped titanium outer plates, which are perfectly contoured to match the rest of the frame and bolted in place.
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Thankfully there are plenty of other developments from Oakley for 2010 that are more in the range of mere mortals: the squared-off Gascan has been updated to form the new Fuel Cell, Jawbone is now available in Oakley's custom program for a near-endless array of colour combinations, and there are three new women's models on tap. Rounding things out are additions to the company's timepiece, clothing, and footwear divisions.
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