The History of Oakley X-Metal

 

 

 

 

Oakley X-Metal is a line of sunglasses featuring a special titanium alloy frame created by Oakley since 1997. The series includes many different models, which are listed below. Each model also comes in various color finishes, such as X-Metal, Plasma, Polished, and Carbon. All parts of the same model can be used interchangeably.

 

 

Timeline of the OAKLEY X-METAL Series Release Years

 

 

1997 ROMEO 1.0
1998 MARS
1999 JULIET
1999 X-METAL XX
2001 PENNY
2004 ROMEO 2.0
2008 HALF-X
2009 X-SQUARED

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, Oakley ceased production of the X-Metal series in 2012, so most frames on the market are secondhand.

  

 

 

 

 


 

 

Oakley X-Metal Models and Frames finish (frame color )

 

*All the blue text on this page is hyperlinked. Please click to view the images.

 

 


 

 

ROMEO 1 / 1997

 

 

The Romeo 1 is an early model of X-Metal with its most distinctive feature being the shape of the nose bridge, which resembles the shape of an X.

 

 

This model is quite famous because it was worn by Tom Cruise in the famous Hollywood movie, Mission Impossible, and it was also a favorite model of basketball superstar Michael Jordan."

 

The Romeo 1 MJ (Michael Jordan) model is limited and has only a 4-digit serial number

(most Romeo frames have a 6-digit serial number).

Lens height: 37mm

Lens width: 60mm 

Tool of exchanging lens T6 screwdriver

 

"X-METAL"


"PLASMA"


"TITANIUM"

 

 

*Later, ROMEO2 was released, so today it is referred to by adding the number as ROMEO1,

but its original model name is ROMEO.

 


 

 

 

MARS  /  1998

 

 

MARS is also one of the most famous model due to Brad Pitt wore it in the Hollywood movie , Fight Club.  Another attractive point of MARS is it has a round shape lens.

MARS LEATHER is a Michael Jordan model

 

Lens height 40mm

Lens width 43mm
Tool of exchanging lens C ring (and pliers)

 

 

X-METAL

 

 

CRATER

 

 

LEATHER

 

 

 


 

 

JULIET  /  1999

 

 

Juliet is a smash-hit model released by OAKLEY at the turn of the century.

Following the release of this model, X--Metal popularity skyrocketed.

 

Most JULIET models are a straight ear stem. Only POLISHED JULIET has a hammer stem.

 

It is worn by Eric・Bana in the movie「Black Hawk Down」

 

It is also famous because baseball super star ICHIRO wear it during his games, and JULIET ICHIRO has a special serial number.

 

Lens height 32mm

Lens width 54mm

Tool of exchanging lens T6 screwdriver

What is the difference between JULIET and XX ?

 

 

X-METAL

 

POLISHED

 

PLASMA

 

TITANIUM

 

CARBON

 

TiO2

 

BROWN

 

24K

 

 

Special models of JULIET

 

ICHIRO JULIET Version 1-6


FINITO JULIET


DUCATI


CORVETTO RACING TEAM


INFINITE HERO

 

 

 


 

 

X-Metal-XX  /  1999

 

 

 

In the same year as Juliet, the X-METAL XX was released as another version of Juliet.

The shape of the frame is very similar, but the vertical width of the lenses is different.

Additionally, while most Juliets have straight stems (excluding Polished Juliet), all the X-METAL XX models come with hammer stems.

 

Lens height 38mm 

Lens width 55mm

Tool of exchanging lens T6 Screwdriver

What is the difference between JULIET and XX ?

 

※ Oakley XX Twenty is also called XX, but it is a plastic model. Thus, our products are not compatible for XX Twenty.

 

X-METAL

 

24K

 

 TiO2

 

PLASMA

 

 


 

 

 

PENNY  / 2001 

 

 

PENNY has unique lens which is designed like cat eyes.
It is worn by Cyclops (James・Marden) in famous Hollywood movie the X-MEN.

 

Lens height 29mm

Lens width 53mm 

Tool of exchanging lens T6 Driver

 

 

X-METAL

 

TITANIUM

 

POLISHED

 

COPPER

 


 

 

ROMEO 2.0  /  2004

 

 

ROMEO 2.0 was released in 2004. It has a completely different design from ROMEO 1.0.

 

ROMEO 2.0 features a half-rim for the orbital, making it very lightweight.

You would feel comfortable wearing it for extended periods.

 

Lens height: 38mm

Lens width: 64mm

Tool for exchanging the lens: Hexagon Wrench

 

X-METAL

 

POLISHED

 

CARBON

 

PLASMA

 

 


 

 

HALF-X  /  2008

 

 

Released as the 7th installment in the X-Metal series,

the 'Half-X' features a half-rim design and spring hinges for a very comfortable wearing experience.

While it doesn't have a distinctive design, I believe it's the model that fits most naturally for everyday use, much like regular eyeglasses.

 

*Please note that in our store, we only offer parts for the HALF-X, specifically lenses.

 

 

X-METAL

 

PLASMA

 

POLISHED

 

CARBON

 

 

 


 

 

X-SQUARED  /  2009

 

 

X-SQUARED was released in 2009 after Oakley was acquired by Luxottica.
This is the final model of the X-Metal series.

 

It features a unique nose bridge design without the nose bridge pin; instead, it uses a nose screw, making it easy to adjust. Correspondingly, the rubber ear socks are shorter (55mm) compared to those on other X-Metal models (60mm).

 

Lens height: 35mm
Lens width: 58mm
Tool for lens replacement: T6 screwdriver

 

X-METAL

 

PLASMA

 

CARBON

 

POLISHED

 

POLISHED CARBON

 

24K 

 

 

 


 

For nearly 15 years, the illustrious Oakley X-Metal series graced the market,

boasting eight distinct models.

However, with the closure of the Oakley X-metal factory, the epic saga of X-Metal concludes, marking the end of an era in eyewear history.

 

 

LINEGEAR is currently working to ensure the continuation of X-Metal, preserving the magnificent history of X-Metal and preventing it from becoming a thing of the past.

 

 

 


 

Regarding the frame finish and frame color, there are four major finishes listed below:

  

 

Rough texture in dark grayMatte Silver
  
  
 Lustrous silver Matte black

 

  

The ones described above are the major and popular colors of X-METAL. Additionally, there are rare colors such as TiO2, Copper, Polished Carbon, early Plasma, and prototypes, which may not be included here.

 

Rubber parts, lenses, and screws are the same for every model, even if the frame color is different.

For example, if your frame is Juliet, all the parts for Juliet have compatibility and can be attached to your frame.

 

 

*Since there are many other frame colors, we will not list them here.

However, if you would like to know more, please refer to the 'Serial Number list' link below.

 

 

Click here to check the Oakley X-Metal serial number list

 


 

 

Let's revive your X-Metal with LINEGEAR products!

 

We have nearly all the parts for X-Metal frames in our store as originally developed products.

 

By replacing lenses, rubber parts, screws, and more, your X-Metal frame can be rejuvenated countless times, allowing you to use it semi-permanently.

 

We also offer repair and frame refresh services, so please take your time to browse our website and make your selection.

 

 


You can even replace most parts by yourself if you have the tools. Please refer to the link below for instructions on how to replace each part.

 

How to Replace Each Parts - LINEGEAR (linegear-japan.com)

 

 

Please feel fee to contact us if you have no idea which parts you should purchase.

Contact Us

 

 

 

 

Thank you for reading to the end.

We hope you find what you're looking for here.

 

We look forward to your continued support of LINEGEAR!

 

 

 

 

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