American Optical Original Pilot Eyewear 55mm Silver Frame with Bayonet Temples and True Color Gray Glass Lens

I bought the "Original Pilot 57mm Silver Frame with Bayonet Temples and "True Color Gray Glass Lens".As far as styling, I want to point out the bridge above the nose seems to be a lot wider than what I'm used to. This in no way affects comfort and fit, it's just that the bars are pretty wide and run parallel (making them seem even wider)...it's about twice as wide as the knock-off aviators I've been wearing that I purchased at a mall kiosk. Ray Ban breaks this up a little with their Aviators by having the lower bar form a bit of a "U". Anyway, not a big deal but not something I knew beforehand.I also wish I had known what the 57mm or 55mm, etc. referred to. It's simply the size of the lens from one side to the other. Some of the reviews I read seemed so technical you walk away factoring in metric-system-variables of screws and side-arms, not knowing what they're talking about. And since I was looking at 58mm in Ray Ban, I thought 57mm would be fine for AO. But it's probably too big for me, and I should have sized down. This is what they say:"Recommended lens sizing:-52 mm lens width for narrow faces or children-55 mm for average width faces; and-57 mm for wider faces"If you've got a big noggin', probably get 57mm. If you are the majority of adults and no one has ever commented that you have a big head or need bigger hats, get the 55mm. If you're particularly small-headed or a child (congrats, child, on having enough money to buy these), go with 52mm. Most people, it seems to me, will need 55mm. It's only 2mm...but I can't help but regret this every time I put these on.The lenses are nice and substantial. I wouldn't say heavy. They are made of glass and it's nice to have all-glass sunglasses. I'm not used to bayonet temples, but it turns out they are pretty nice. And I couldn't tell by the pic if the "True Color Gray Glass Lens" was going to be see-through or dark. It looks like you can see right through it in the pic, but they are relatively dark from top to bottom and should obscure your eyes nicely. They aren't as absolutely opaque as mirrored-lenses would be, but they aren't nearly as transparent as the pic on the white background makes them look.All-in-all, solid sunglasses for a good price and if you like the styling you should have no problems with them. Just wish I had got the 55mm instead of the larger ones.

Very high-quality, US made glasses.The first thing you will notice is how heavy these glasses are compared to other aviator brands. This is due in large part to the glass lenses. The frames are also very well constructed and the finish is top notch. These are truly the same aviator glasses AO has been manufacturing for decades.I have a larger than average head and the bayonet style bows on the 55 mm wide lenses are a perfect fit. I ordered the Cosmetan Brown Polarized lenses with silver frame. The lenses have an amber hue when looking through them which I love. They are crystal clear and the polarizing is fantastic. They also come with a nice, lined, case.I will say that, as others have said, be careful who you buy these from. After you select the lens and frame you want, Google the seller. If they are not based in the US, you will likely get a fake pair of glasses. Amazon sold and fulfilled my order and they are 100% genuine.I deducted one star because, for $150, I expect a cleaning cloth. Which these glasses do not include.

These are such high quality sunglasses. I gave them a 3/5 on "light weight" because they fell very substantial. I am not sure what the allure of having a quality pair of shades being light weight is, as I can get a $2 pair of a piece of crap that's lighter than air. These are the real deal. If you are looking for a pair of shades or want to add to your collection, I recommend these without hesitation. Also, I had the 55mm and they seemed a tad too tight. 57mm was perfect. I did use the AO sizing guide, and it said I would be on the upper end of the range to fit in a 55mm. Fortunately, Amazon's return policy was seemless, and I was able to get the 57mm for actually cheaper than the 55mm (better lucky than good).

So I picked these up because they were worn on the Gemini and Apollo missions. Below I will go over build and performance.Build: I have Ray Ban Aviators already, but these feel like a step up. The metal is so rigid yet has a give, the glass is a different kind of molecular structure, it's really a shock like it's sapphire or something. All the text on it that denotes the brand and size is super crisp.Well now about performance: I didn't get the polarized lenses and it shows. When you have the sun behind you or look right in to it there is noticeable glare that causes your eye to adjust to it and basically blocks your vision when you get out of the glare. However the color is great and if you see the glasses from the non-wearer size they are extremely dark, almost like it was painted black but as you see through it's just tinted per your lens colour.All in all for 99USD and below it's hard to believe these are so good. I've messed with 200USD+ shades you can get at outdoors stores and they are not as nice.

Ok so I've owned Randolph engineering glasses for a long time and love them. Then found this brand which is half the cost or better and claimed to be exactly the same along with a similar story American made and military spec with military contracts in the past. With that said I got my AO pair today of which I have the same RE pair.Almost identical with the exception of the AO boyonet is slightly straighter and the nose bridge on the AO feels a little less comfortable. Other than those couple of things very very similar sunglass and at a fraction of the cost. The metal on the RE seems a little more finished but just by a hair.So my verdict is RE wins for me but by just a little. If money is a factor go with AO you won't be disappointed, if money is not a concern Randolph will never disappoint.