When it comes to wardrobe essentials, there is one accessory that can often be overlooked, yet is arguably the most useful of all – sunglasses. When we were introduced to Randolph USA a few years ago, we were not familiar with the United States-based company with a strong heritage in engineering, whose artisans create metal-framed eyewear out of their factory in Randolph, Massachusetts. Interesting fact, while there are few metal eyewear manufacturers in the USA today, Randolph is the only brand to have kept its manufacturing right here on American soil in Massachusetts since their inception back in the 70s.
Since 1973, Randolph Engineering has been hand-crafting timeless metal-framed sunglasses trusted by the US military, pilots, and worn by actors both on and off the screen for decades. Each pair of Randolph Sunglasses takes their team a total of 6 weeks and 200 individual steps to complete. In the past few weeks, we have taken a couple of pairs of Randolph’s screen-worthy sunglasses for a spin. We tried some of their classic aviator-style frames, the Authentic Aviator and the Aviator II, and The P3 Round.
When you first put them on, you can feel that Randolph’s lenses are clearly engineered by optical experts, with BlueWaveTM blue light management technology, VECTORTM anti-reflective qualities and an overall increase in contrast and clarity, their lenses seriously reduce eye fatigue, more than other lenses we have tried in the past – making them perfect for wearing for the brightest of days. We tried out both their SkyTecTM mineral glass lenses in ‘American Tan’ and ‘AGX’ green, and their SkyForceTM lightweight lenses in ‘Evergreen’ – and they didn’t disappoint, we found colors were highlighted and more vibrant, while overall glare and brightness was reduced, making them easy to wear all day, while looking great, too.
Driving with them has been a breeze, with the sunglasses dramatically increasing our depth perception and overall clarity. Days spent on the water have been much easier as the polarization on Randolph’s lenses cut down the reflection on the ocean drastically as well.
A few of our favorite frames are the Authentic Aviators and P3 round frames. The Authentic Aviators have a classic pilot-style square-lensed frame finished within 23k Gold, these frames are timeless and elevate any outfit with their luxurious details. The P3 round frames are the perfect blend of vintage fashion and military history which make these frames a unique addition to any collection.
Starting around the $250 price point, these sunglasses are sure to be an investment, but for the materials and American craftsmanship which make these frames some of the highest quality we’ve experienced, these sunglasses are sure to last decades of regular wear. We highly recommend visiting their site here for a closer look at their styles and using code “Gentleman20” at checkout.
