Designer Sunglasses from Japan: Cartier, Chanel and Frames Worth Keeping
A designer frame is jewellery for the face. The best are made of metal or acetate that can be adjusted, repaired and fitted with new lenses for decades, which is why vintage Cartier and Chanel sunglasses keep their value long after the season they were made for.
Cartier: screws and panthers
Cartier turned to eyewear in the early 1980s, applying the vocabulary of its watches and jewellery to frames. The Santos screw is the clearest example. It comes from the wristwatch Louis Cartier made in 1904 for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, whose bezel was fixed with visible screws, and it appears on Cartier frames at the hinges and across the bridge. The Vendôme frames of the 1980s, with their C at the temples, and later lines carrying the Panthère and the Trinity rings, follow the same idea. Early frames were made in precious finishes, gold plating and fine woods, and many were finished by hand.
Chanel: interlocked Cs and chains
Chanel introduced its own eyewear in 1999, made under licence by Luxottica in Italy. Its codes are the house's codes: the interlocked CC at the temples, quilting, pearls and the gold chain woven with leather that first appeared on Chanel's bags. Frames range from round and pantos shapes to the large butterfly shapes of the 2000s.
Reading the frame
Inside the temples you will usually find:
- A model number (for Chanel, four digits often followed by a letter, such as 5403-A) and a colour code.
- Two sizes separated by a square: the width of one lens and the width of the bridge in millimetres. A frame marked 61□18 has lenses about 61 mm wide and an 18 mm bridge.
- The temple length in millimetres, often 135 to 145.
- The country of manufacture and, on newer frames, a CE mark.
Lens and bridge width decide fit far more than the shape does. If you own a pair that fits, compare its numbers with any frame you are considering.
Prescription lenses
In Japan, many people have prescription or tinted lenses fitted to designer frames, so pre-owned pairs sometimes arrive with lenses made for their first owner. This is no obstacle: any optician can replace them with your prescription or with plain sun lenses, and the frame is what carries the value. Ask whether the original lenses are included; Cartier lenses often carry a small engraved logo.
Sabae and the Japanese eye for frames
Sabae, in Fukui Prefecture, makes the large majority of Japan's eyeglass frames and is known worldwide for titanium work. That tradition has given Japan a deep culture of opticians who adjust, repair and refit frames, and owners who treat their eyewear as something to keep. It shows in the condition of the frames that come from Japanese owners.
What to check
- Hinges should open smoothly and hold their position; screws should be present.
- Plating can rub at the bridge and temple tips. Note how much of the finish remains.
- Nose pads age and are easily replaced; bent temples can be straightened by an optician in minutes.
- A case, cloth and box add value, particularly for Cartier.
Care
Never wipe lenses dry; rinse off dust first and use a microfibre cloth. Fold the temples before putting frames down, lenses up, and store them in a hard case. Keep acetate away from heat, which can warp it, such as a car dashboard in summer.