[2022] The possibilities of stylish titanium glasses/sunglasses with classic designs I Trad/METRONOME

Hello, I'm OKD from METRONOME-Tokyo Online, the official Japanese online store for METRONOME DESIGN INC., which sells METRONOME®, an eyeglasses and sunglasses brand founded in London.

This site sells original brand eyeglasses and sunglasses domestically and overseas. (Although based in London, we are a legitimate Japanese company.)

Well, there are many different types of glasses and sunglasses. If you take a quick look around our shop, you will see that there are many different shapes, looks, and so on. The "materials" that form the base of the frames also vary.

Resonance, which has a reputation for being good value for money compared to its design, is made primarily from acetate, with some stainless steel added.

There is another brand called Trad, whose frames are mainly made of titanium. This time, I would like to introduce you to titanium.

First, we have explained the material situation regarding titanium in another blog.

Major manufacturing countries: Japan > China > Korea

When I say "titanium" at an overseas exhibition, I get asked, "Is it Japan? China? Korea?" It's only produced in these three countries (Taiwan might be one too).

In fact, if you say "metal frame" to a factory in Japan, they will assume that you mean "beta titanium." In fact, if you say "I want it made from stainless steel," they will just dismiss it, saying, "It's too much trouble, why not just use titanium?"

Advantages: Japan is accustomed to manufacturing, so it is very easy to manufacture. There are also many backgrounds in Japan.
・Since I'm familiar with it, plating and painting are easy and the quality is good. ・I can design very thin designs.

Disadvantages (from my own experience)
・High cost ・We often hear overseas, "Why titanium? Isn't stainless steel good enough?" ・As a result, when overseas shops that are used to stainless steel try to repair their products at their overseas stores, they have to ship them directly back to Japan because neighboring countries cannot handle them. As a result, the shipping costs are seen as a burden and they often pass on the idea.
・Re-plating is a hassle ・There are only a few plating shops, so it is cost-prohibitive ・The fate of production days is almost decided by how to keep the plating shops under control

Given this background, it seems that the materials are mainly intended for Japan.

Trad uses a material called beta titanium for the nose pads and other parts, so even those who are concerned about allergies can wear them.

The concept of the Trad series is as follows:

This is a unique, ultimate classic design that combines the designer's specialty of ``mode (avant-garde)'' with ``classic (traditional)'', and the designer's name appears in the brand name.

The brand was launched in 2021 by MIDO, and aims to eliminate all unnecessary elements (patterns and designs) that designers felt were unnecessary when it comes to eyeglass frames, with the idea that "just like arriving at a plain T-shirt, the ultimate goal is silhouette and functionality."

Although the glasses are primarily single-bridge (no nose pads) to make them easier to sell overseas, they have an inconspicuous anti-slip coating on the areas that come into contact with the frame, and can be quickly transformed into sunglasses with just a clip. All of these features are part of the "Traditional" product line.

The design is stripped of all unnecessary elements, yet it is extremely functional. The lightweight design is just right for comfort, and the blue light blocking lenses are standard, making them suitable for desk work. The classic design makes them suitable for any occasion.

Now, since we have the opportunity, we would like to introduce the actual product. First up is the popular frame, "Lily," which features a round shape (round glasses).

In addition to being able to be used as sunglasses as shown in the photo, these can also be used as eyeglasses. The grey lenses are removable. These are external sunglasses lenses called clip lenses, and by attaching and removing them, they can be used as either eyeglasses or sunglasses.

As of February 2022, there are three types of clip-on lens frames, allowing you to choose based on the shape. There are also three colors for the sunglasses lenses: blue, gray, and yellow. Incidentally, you can also have fun swapping out the clip-on lenses by purchasing multiple lenses.

(However, please note that these are clip-on lenses designed specifically for a specific frame shape, and cannot be attached to frames with different shapes. For example, clip-on lenses designed for Lily cannot be attached to other frames.)

And the other series is also designed for Japan:

Each model comes in three colors, so please take a look around.

These glasses also feature blue light blocking lenses. With this design, you can wear them to work while still looking stylish.

In fact, we can also provide a matte finish for the frame. By deliberately reducing the gloss, the frame evolves into a more chic, classic, and subdued look.

Why not try these traditional eyeglasses/sunglasses? Perfect for your work or as a gift for a friend. They are versatile and can be used for a wide range of purposes. The lenses are also interchangeable, so you can get prescription lenses or colored lenses. Why not try creating your own stylish frames?

You can see a list of Trad frames here .

In addition, we can also handle the frame processing and lens replacement mentioned in the blog. Please check here for details.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via the chat in the bottom left of the screen!

Well then

OKD↓