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JEAN PAUL GAULTIER 56-8171 EYEGLASSES - $495 (Georgetown)
417 Ft Griffin Trail near Cool Spring Way/Palmetto
condition:
like new
make / manufacturer:
JEAN PAUL GARTIER VINTAGE
model name / number:
56-8171 MATTE BLACK
size / dimensions:
50-20-145mm
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Jean Paul Gaultier (Vintage) 56-8171 Matte Black | Eyeglass/Sunglasses Round Frames
Typical New Retail: $2,000
....SALE PRICE to you $495 {or make an offer}
....Guaranteed Authentic/10 Day Return
Details based on manufacturer specifications for these vintage Jean Paul Gaultier 56-8171 glasses...:
Frame Material
....• Metal: The frames are primarily constructed from high-quality metal.
....• Composition: Specifically, they are made of a blend consisting of approximately 75% metal (often stainless steel and nickel silver), 10% acetate (used for temple tips), and glass lenses.
....• Origin: These vintage pieces were originally made in Japan.
Artifact Visions +4
Size
The measurements for this model are 50-20-145mm.
....• Lens Width: 50mm {Round}
....• Bridge Width: 20mm
....• Temple (Arm) Length: 145mm
The frames are a medium size and are designed as an adult unisex fit.
NOTE: These frames have Rx lenses.
..............Therefore, you will have the opportunity to change the lenses to your specific Rx/Non Rx clear or colored lenses
These glasses have been owned by the Seller since 1983
.
SALE PRICE to you $495 {or make an offer}
....Typical New Retail: $2,000
....GUARANTEED Authentic/10 Day RETURN
This frame is an incredible study in classic, mechanical design. This is a quintessential example of vintage "steampunk" or late-20th-century industrial aesthetic round spectacles, heavily defined by its beautifully engineered, fully exposed spring temples.
While modern glasses hide small spring-hinge boxes inside the temple arm, this design treats the mechanical components as a striking visual focal point.
Here is a breakdown of the design architecture and distinct features visible on this specific piece:
1. The Exposed Spring-Loaded Core
The defining highlight of this frame is the external coil spring wrapped around the core wire of each temple arm.
The Mechanical Function: Instead of relying on a standard flexible hinge at the joint, the entire mid-section of the arm utilizes tension from the coiled spring. This allows the temple arms to flex outward significantly, absorbing impact and self-adjusting comfortably to the width of the wearer's head.
Aesthetic Context: This rugged, bare-metal industrial look gained a massive subculture following in the late 1980s and early 1990s, frequently utilized by avant-garde Japanese designers (such as early Jean Paul Gaultier or Matsuda) who wanted to blend precision optical engineering with a raw, mechanical edge.
2. High-Arch Double Bridge Geometry
The chassis features a distinct, rigid dual-bridge design:
The High Bar: The top bar serves as a structural stabilizer, keeping the round rims aligned and preventing the thin metal wire from torquing out of alignment.
The Low Bridge: The lower inverted-U bridge sits lower on the nasal root, which pairs beautifully with the vintage yellowed, snap-in or screw-in nose pads designed to distribute weight evenly.
3. Structural Identifiers & Material
"Made in Japan" Stamping: On the interior of the left acetate earpiece, you can clearly see the Made in Japan marking. Japan's Sabae region (Fukui Prefecture) has long been the world capital for high-end titanium and metal eyewear frame construction, renowned for mastering exactly this kind of intricate, heavy-duty mechanical detailing.
The End Pieces: The outer edges of the frame front terminate in heavy, screw-threaded cylindrical blocks that lock the lenses securely into the rim wires and anchor the start of the heavy spring mechanism.
This is a beautiful example of form meeting utilitarian function.