A little history:
when we go back in time talking about sunglasses, Persol has to be named. Persol is the mother of all quality sunglasses. The Persol temples(arms) each have a Persol patented spring temple to help maintain a comfortable fit - something Persol has been doing for over 75 years on its Persol frames. If you know eyewear/Persols, you know Persol frames are built to last. And last. They are the first choice of a host of well-known celebrities such as Robert De Niro, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Donald Trump, Sharon Stone, Barbara Streisand, Glenn Close, Mel Gibson, Cindy Crawford, Grace Jones, Princess Caroline, Michael Douglas, Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone, Steve McQueen..... Persol celebrity sunglasses are easily recognizable by the distinctive silver Persol "arrow" on the side of the frames. With its reputation for excellence, Persol became one of the world's eyewear giants while maintaining its roots and loyalty to tradition and quality.
Let's start by saying that in our knowledge, decent imitations started coming out after Luxottica acquisition, in the mid 1990s. Before that, spotting imitations was quite easy since it was more difficult and expensive to realize bulk, fine quality "copies".
Best way we can support you is by sharing our experience and knowledge through pictures and comments on vintage Persol eyewear we have dealt in the past, and are dealing with in the present.
In the above picture let's focus on the logo print of the vintage brown leather 649 original smooth case (Made in Italy). If you purchase a vintage Persol 649 which is presented as NEW with CASE, the smooth case should look like this. It is possible though that vintage eyewear will not come with the original packaging. Many stocks have been separated from their accessories and cases in time, travelling from storage to storage and especially depending on their storage environment. The below video will give you a 360 look at of the vintage 649.
Let's now take a look at a Vintage Persol Ratti 649 (this one is "Sport" edition, going back in time from the early 1990s to the late 1970s). The model name and details incised on the internal arm, in blue color, is slightly worn off, but you can clearly see how the font and print looks neatly stamped. A common "mistake" of those imitating authentic eyewear is that they rush their work and forget to use correct fonts, and quickly print the model information which will not be straight and neat.
360 video to show you how this Persol Ratti 649 sports looks like.
Now take a look at the Persol logo incised on the lenses of this vintage, early 1980s meflecto ratti model, with side shields / wind protection lenses. As you can see, the logo features a circle and "PERSOL" around it. Look for this logo when you are in search of authentic Persol shades with THEIR ORIGINAL person lenses. Persol filters are still considered to be one of the best lenses you can use today.
Let's jump forward to the mid 1990s (1995, when Pierce Brosnan appeared in every movie theater around the world as James Bond (in Golden Eye), wearing an iconic Persol model, which is already part of the "Luxottica" era.
The PERSOL logo print on the inside of the arm has slightly changed since the early Ratti models. However, you can see how the print and the fonts are steady, straight and consistent from left to right. The "CE" print is also carfully aligned.
Another Iconic model we did deal with is "Carson". Beautiful men's large aviator look, brown acetate frame with light weight gold metal arms. Below you can see how the logos and hardware should look like.
A complete "vintage find" should also come with a brown leather smooth case, as you can also see below.
Looking for a steampunk, round shape? Well, here's one of my favorite models: Vintage Ratti 650. Completely round, double bridge, super thin acetate frame. We only managed to deal with 2 vintage pair in the last years, since this model is extremely rare to find. Take a look at Persol vintage printed logo, and how an original shop card may look like, when it is still available:
As always, we hope these images, videos and pictures may be of help for your vintage research, and personal knowledge on Persol vintage eyewear. More to come in the next weeks with more information on other vintage Persol models.