[BITList] Spare change after buying a Bentley?

[John Feltham]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093278/26k-pair-sunglasses-But-ARE-handcrafted-platinum-aimed-super-rich-Bentley-drivers.html
Spare change after buying a Bentley? You'll want the £26,000 'added extra' of platinum sunglasses to go with the £225,000 car

Cut-price versions available at just £6,400
By Jo Macfarlane

Last updated at 2:09 AM on 29th January 2012


They may look like a pair of sunglasses you can pick up on most high streets for just a few pounds. But these shades come with a stunning price tag – a cool £26,000.

While ordinary Britons struggle through a double-dip recession, the sunglasses are the latest indulgent accessory for super-rich owners of the £225,000 Bentley Mulsanne.

Designed by the British car manufacturer to complement its flagship vehicle, the limited-edition shades have already been snapped up by wealthy businessmen in Hong Kong and a member of the Dubai royal family.


Upper glass: A model sports a pair of the super-exclusive Bentley shades at a showroom in Newcastle

Bentley insists the aviators should be seen as an item of jewellery or even a piece of art.

They were created for the car-makers by Austrian specialists  Estede, who have also manufactured solid gold shades for luxury brands Chopard and S. T. Dupont.

The shades are hand-crafted from platinum with engraved surfaces to reflect the style of a Bentley’s interior quilted leather.

Each pair is made to order and to the exact specifications of the wealthy buyer. An optician even visits the buyer at his or her home to take all appropriate measurements.

The frames can be engraved with the owner’s initials or decorated with precious stones, including diamonds, at extra cost. All frames come with Bentley’s famous ‘Flying B’ logo in polished enamel. 
German specialists Zeiss produce the lenses – which have polarised coatings to make them glare-proof and resistant to scratches, water and even fingerprints. Zeiss also boast that the shades offer ‘improved vision’ in strong light conditions.

The glasses are so expensive because only 100 pairs will be made and each will be stamped with its own unique number.

But other models are available in 18-carat yellow gold, rose gold or white gold at an only slightly more affordable £6,400. They have arms made from polished wood to match a Bentley’s interior wood.

All models include a bespoke presentation case – made from the same leather hide that adorns the car-maker’s seats.

Estede say sales are ‘exceeding expectations’, particularly in Hong Kong, China and Russia. So far, 25  of the platinum version have been sold and a further 70 of the gold editions.

The sunglasses are scheduled to go on sale in the UK at the end of this year.

Bentley has defended its product as an example of supreme ‘craftsmanship’ and exclusivity.


Smart: The sunglasses were created for Bentley by Austrian specialists Estede, who have also manufactured solid gold shades for Chopard and S.T. Dupont

Christoph Rosenauer, spokesman for Estede, said: ‘There’s a basic design but customers can request them in a different size or, for example, with diamonds at the temples. People don’t go too loud because it’s classic – it’s Bentley. A sheik in Dubai ordered a special lens and a special case in three different tones to reflect the leather tones in his Bentley.

‘For one Hong Kong-based customer, we made a set of three and the customer wanted diamonds studded along the arms at an additional cost of £2,500 a pair.

‘Like Bentley, if it’s technologically possible we’ll do it.’

But the glasses do not come close to the world’s most expensive pair. Dolce & Gabbana has created a  pair that sells for £250,000 – with  the brand’s logo on the arms in  diamonds.


 
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