Persol 0714 - Steve McQueen

Persol 0714 folding sunglasses, one of the most sought after and collected pair of sunglasses in history!

With this same classic shape as the Persol 0649 model came the 0714, with one enhancement: a frame design which folded, which added the perfect cool factor.

Perhaps most recognized and given iconic status from Steve McQueen who was seen wearing the classic shades both off screen and on screen in movies such as The Thomas Crown Affair and the The Getaway.

A pair of 0714's with custom blue lenses from McQueen's personal collection was auctioned for a little more than $60,000 in 2006: 

Lot No: 62 at the 2006 Steve McQueen sale held at The Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, California.

Lot Description: A pair of 1960s-era 'foldable' sunglasses with plastic tortoise shell-like frames and blue lenses; inside right arm reads "Persol;" inside left arm reads "brevett" and "Ratti" (last name of the Italian photographer, Giuseppe Ratti, who invented this eyewear in the 1910s).

Sold for $60,000 plus Premium and tax.

Footnote: These sunglasses may be the ones McQueen wore in the opening scenes of his 1968 cult film, The Thomas Crown Affair as they match up perfectly. Additionally, throughout the late 1960s, McQueen was photographed a number of times wearing this style of 'foldable' Persol sunglasses with both blue and the standard colored lenses.

Text Courtesy Bonhams & Butterfields: www.bonhams.com

The regular Persol 0714 is still available in stores.

Steve McQueen Limited Edition 2021
In 2021 a new official series of Person 714 Steve McQueen sunglasses have been released by Persol, in different color combinations (including the light havana with blue lens and a dark havana with green lens, both worn by McQueen). These sunglasses come in special Steve McQueen packaging and are a bit more expensive than the regular model ($480 vs around $380 for the regular ones). Get the Persol 714 Steve McQueen sunglasses on UNCRATE for $480 (20% OFF during Black Friday week 2021) or find the regular ones in the large yellow Buy Now buttons below.

Reference: Persol 0714 Folding Sunglasses - Color: Light Havana frame with Crystal Brown lenses (code 96/33) / Havana frame with Polarized Brown lenses (code 24/57) / Black frame with Gray-Green Polarized lenses (code 95/58)