So if OP USA Corporate knows this Japan boutique is clearly committing international fraud and copyright infringement by making knock-off OP-523, Sunsets, etc, why are they allowing it? Some loophole in the law?
Fight Club Tyler Durden T-shirts?
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Danman
Well-Known Member
Thanks for all this info. It's all as I had expected. So happy to finally hear info on the original custom tints and the fact that you can never truly recreate the color 100% accurately. I've been saying this stuff forever. Just like the jacket. Awesome to read that the big wigs at op admitted that they messed up on the blood red color. So there you go guys. Anyone who wants the 523 doesn't have to pay $1000 buying them from oliver peoples or itsalwayssunny.
Soul did you get my number? There's a lot more. I asked the US Contact the same thing and I believe the issue is is that OP is Owned by a huge company now, and its not fraud. when I asked, they side stepped it and said that "the 523s never sold well here in the US, there is a lot of glasses in the Asian market that caters to their demographic."
To be real simple, its just like the store on sunset contacting a manufacturer, and sending them a pair of OP523s, and saying make these identical but in titanium, and the selling them in there store.
However, the strange thing is is that there is an issue of why the titanium come with orange lenses and not red. When I ask why orange lens and not red, He specifically used some term, which I took as a copyright, that prevented them from making them with Red lenses. why that would matter I dont know.
AND REMEMBER, My US contact was the one that put me in touch with the Asian corporate man so that I could buy a pair. That says a lot.
This is he's email that he sent me, which I didnt see until after I spoke with him:
Hello, I spoke with __________ at our US corp office about some glasses that are available in Japan.
My name is Hiroshi ____________ at OP Japan office. The model that you are wanting has been discontinued, but there is some left in OP-523 titanium. The color is silver with tangerine (orange) lens color. The price is Yen 34,269 including sales tax plus freight(Fed Ex, UPS, and DHL.
If you want this frame, please let me know.
My number is _______________ , or email me
Thank you.
Regards,
Hiroshi
That verbatim his email. Like I said i talked to him on the phone before I new he sent this
To be real simple, its just like the store on sunset contacting a manufacturer, and sending them a pair of OP523s, and saying make these identical but in titanium, and the selling them in there store.
However, the strange thing is is that there is an issue of why the titanium come with orange lenses and not red. When I ask why orange lens and not red, He specifically used some term, which I took as a copyright, that prevented them from making them with Red lenses. why that would matter I dont know.
AND REMEMBER, My US contact was the one that put me in touch with the Asian corporate man so that I could buy a pair. That says a lot.
This is he's email that he sent me, which I didnt see until after I spoke with him:
Hello, I spoke with __________ at our US corp office about some glasses that are available in Japan.
My name is Hiroshi ____________ at OP Japan office. The model that you are wanting has been discontinued, but there is some left in OP-523 titanium. The color is silver with tangerine (orange) lens color. The price is Yen 34,269 including sales tax plus freight(Fed Ex, UPS, and DHL.
If you want this frame, please let me know.
My number is _______________ , or email me
Thank you.
Regards,
Hiroshi
That verbatim his email. Like I said i talked to him on the phone before I new he sent this
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I just spoke with my US Contacts Supervisor, my contact was tied up. She said that The OP523ti, are authorized by Oliver Peoples. She said there is 0 market here in the US for OP523s outside of "Fight Clubers" (I guess that's OPs name for us). She said that in the Asian market there is a huge demand. She said that the Tokyo Flag ship store are the ones that are having the OP523ti manufactured. She told me to look at it like divisions, The European market, Asian Market, and the US Market; then Corporate (being in the US, separate from the US market). She said the Asian Market with the flagship store in Tokyo are the ones offering the OP523ti and are having them manufactured. She said that all 3 markets have some glasses that are only offered in that market, and that is the case for the OP523ti. She said that the Asian market very well could be still manufacturing the Sunsets, whistles, basically anything and the US market wouldn't know. She said that the guy that emailed me and called me last night from the Asian market is the guy that I need to talk to and that could answer what all they are still manufacturing.
So the OP523ti are authentic to the Asian Market. And OP Corp "knows" they are being made.
So the OP523ti are authentic to the Asian Market. And OP Corp "knows" they are being made.
Well at least we know now why there are so many OP-523 and Sunset flooding the "Fight Clubers" market all these years.
AJRand
Sr Member
Good post and information. I really do believe the Kinison red is as close to the movie as you are gonna get. I am doing some filming as we do Fight Club for Halloween and also make some trailers / videos (And gonna be filming a surprise Tyler Durden video... Soul knows of it but its a secret) and on camera the kinison red looks pretty much like the movie.
As for the TI's, I had the feeling that was the case. I noticed that Japan had an influx of not only TI's but also Nitros which was the model Brad Pitt wore in Mr and Mrs Smith. Those are being sold in the yellow which as you say isn't copyrighted.
As for the contour in the 2009 model, and the 1998's... I think that guy is wrong. All the actual lens part of the frame have a small curve when looked from a top down perspective. I do not know of any 523 that has a perfectly straight lens part of the frame. The curve comes from the bridge and looking at the 1998's compared to the 2009 you can clearly see the distinction coming from the bridge.
As for the TI's, I had the feeling that was the case. I noticed that Japan had an influx of not only TI's but also Nitros which was the model Brad Pitt wore in Mr and Mrs Smith. Those are being sold in the yellow which as you say isn't copyrighted.
As for the contour in the 2009 model, and the 1998's... I think that guy is wrong. All the actual lens part of the frame have a small curve when looked from a top down perspective. I do not know of any 523 that has a perfectly straight lens part of the frame. The curve comes from the bridge and looking at the 1998's compared to the 2009 you can clearly see the distinction coming from the bridge.
AJRand
Sr Member
Honestly I think Oliver Peoples is the one that sold them to him and had some sort of old stock on them. Like I did manage to acquire that brand new 1998 Oliver Peoples 523 from the sunset store. Was it recently made or has it actually been old new stock? I dont know either way but the lens color does seem to be the closest match to the movie I have seen.
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As for itsalwayssunny, I think he tapped a market that many of us didn't know about to acquire the 1998 frames which are truly vintage 1998 frames I believe. Oliver Peoples had a secret "collection" for a while called the vintage collection which was old discontinued frames. It wasn't advertised and you had to be in the know about it. I am 90% sure this is where he obtained so many of his frames from.
It is also no secret that Itsalwayssunny is a Fight Club fan as he has found many of the old vintage items from Fight Club. The Black Sugar magazine images, Newspaper Pants, etc.
He is a hunter for sure and has had some great finds.
The Op rep from Asia emailed me again last night.
They have Sunsets in all color options for 28260 yen ($263 US). He asked me how many of the brushed gold/tangerine do I want; so they must have a lot.
He said the Pakalas (cry) (these glasses are actually my favorite, they really look awesome on you, I have 1 pair already) they have 1 pair with Asian fittings (???) and one regular fittings, for 29260 Yen ($271).
The only OP523 he has are the titanium, but hes waiting here from 2 other people that might have others.
He said and he didn't have any Whistles.
He ended with: Let me know points above and I will call you back for payment and to set up shipping.
So, they have to be still manufacturing Sunsets. there is NO way that many are left over from 15 years ago. I'll ask him when I email him to tell him what all I want.
Does anyone know how long it take to ship something from Asia to here in the US?
They have Sunsets in all color options for 28260 yen ($263 US). He asked me how many of the brushed gold/tangerine do I want; so they must have a lot.
He said the Pakalas (cry) (these glasses are actually my favorite, they really look awesome on you, I have 1 pair already) they have 1 pair with Asian fittings (???) and one regular fittings, for 29260 Yen ($271).
The only OP523 he has are the titanium, but hes waiting here from 2 other people that might have others.
He said and he didn't have any Whistles.
He ended with: Let me know points above and I will call you back for payment and to set up shipping.
So, they have to be still manufacturing Sunsets. there is NO way that many are left over from 15 years ago. I'll ask him when I email him to tell him what all I want.
Does anyone know how long it take to ship something from Asia to here in the US?
Yeah, of course they are still making them. They can make unlimited amounts. Sunsets for $263! Then marked up to $900+ on ebay. The truth finally comes out.
I did some research of my own. Look what I found:
You see that? "reproduction model"
They aren't rare at all.
If any of you own a pair of Sunset with markings like the above on the arm then I'm sorry to say, you have the reproduction model, and hopefully you didn't pay too much for them as they are not a true vintage pair and can be purchased by the dozens for $263.
I happen to own an original pair of Sunset that definitely are from 15 years ago and the markings on the arm are different to prove it.
I did some research of my own. Look what I found:
You see that? "reproduction model"
They aren't rare at all.
If any of you own a pair of Sunset with markings like the above on the arm then I'm sorry to say, you have the reproduction model, and hopefully you didn't pay too much for them as they are not a true vintage pair and can be purchased by the dozens for $263.
I happen to own an original pair of Sunset that definitely are from 15 years ago and the markings on the arm are different to prove it.
AJRand
Sr Member
What were the original markings then?
Shpongled
Active Member
Sorry for the late reply, it's been a crazy week! How can I tell for certain if it has the contour? I'm still not totally clear on that. Maybe I can take some pics for you soon.
The Asian OP rep just confirmed that the Sunset that I purchased are reproduction. He said that the Sunset and OP523ti they have been reproducing for the last 3 years. He said that they did 1 run of both 3 years ago, and they did another about 6 months ago. He said that both are exactly the same as the original, except for the 523s being titanium. He said that the lens in the original would fit perfectly in the ones he's sending me.
Does any one know what metal the originals 523s are made of?
Does any one know what metal the originals 523s are made of?
yourkhakis
New Member
Nice pic!
