The Persol Sunglasses have an elegant and modern look to them, and as Bond demonstrates, they work well with both formal and casual attires.
– Article by Daniel Gaster.
Casino Royal (2006)
Arriving in style
The Persol 2720 Havana sunglasses with the Crystal Green lenses are the second pair of Persol sunglasses that we see Bond wear in Casino Royale. The first being the Persol 2244-S, brown lenses, colour code 834/3 that Bond wears on his arrival to the Bahamas and his meeting with M at the One and Only Club.
We see him first wear the 2720’s when arriving at the restaurant in Montenegro with Vesper Lynd to meet with Rene Mathis for the first time. Bond is wearing them with a charcoal navy Brioni suit, light blue striped Brioni shirt with the S.T. Dupont 5172 Diamond Head Square cufflinks and a navy and white Macclesfield pattern tie.
Later we see him wearing them again, on board the Spirit yacht, wearing chinos and a Grey Melange Riviera crew neck t-shirt from Sunspel, arriving in Venice. Persol, like Brioni and Omega, are a brand which Lindy Hemming brought over from the Brosnan era into the Craig era for Casino Royale.
Read the interview with Lindy Hemming and her work on the James Bond films in the book From Tailors With Love: An Evolution of Menswear Through the Bond Films, available on Amazon.
Model: 2720 24/31 Havana – Crystal Green
In the box
Although a limited 007 run was produced, I purchased mine many years later. So, I have the standard Persol box and accessories. Which include a black leather case (which I damaged skiing many years ago) and a brown Persol cleaning cloth.
Purchase Date: October 2011
Out and about
The sunglasses have a wraparound feel to them, by which I mean that the lens fully covers the eyes, so that no sunlight comes in at the sides. Which I think makes them an excellent choice for driving in. They reminded me of the Renauld Ford Mustang Spectacular sunglasses in the opening scenes to The Italian Job in terms of the shape.The Persol have an elegant and modern look to them, and as Bond demonstrates, they work well with both formal and casual attires.
Product age: 9.8 years (no longer available to buy)
Solid
I have defiantly worn mine in varying environments, from Reading Festival to skiing in Andorra and a pool in the Canaries (probably not recommended by Persol). With formal, smart casual and very casual outfits. They can work with almost any outfit that you can throw at it.
They are also a good solid sunglass; I don’t feel like I must be overly careful with them as I feel that they survive a fall off my face, or an arm tucked into the top of my shirt, much better than others would. I also like the way I look in them, I think the style suits my head shape.
Colour: Tortoise frame and green lenses
A few drawbacks
A problem that I do have with them is that I feel that they sit heavy on my nose. Which also causes them to slip down my nose, so they don’t feel as secure. In addition, the arms can push into my temples a little causing some discomfort. I believe it is cause by the MEFLECTO system, consisting of four tiny cylinders inserted into the arms of the glasses when they slip down my face. But this doesn’t always occur. Now it could be to do with the sizing. From reviewing James Bond Lifestyle, I understand they came in two sizes, and maybe the other size may have fitted better?
Purchase Price: £126.34
I can see clearly now
Mine are the 60mm, and from a quick google search the other options was a 57mm. Although this probably have prevented the sunglasses slipping, I think that they would have been too tight. The problem is caused with my head movement. When I’m walking around, I move my head a lot. Up, down, left, and right depending on what I’m looking at, or who I’m talking to.
Whereas when I’m driving, I’m not moving my head as much, mostly ahead, with the occasional looks in wing mirrors and the rear-view mirror. This means there is no slipping down my nose, and I don’t fell the arms pushing into my temples. Everything makes sense again.
It’s been some time
As a result, I’ve not worn these sunglasses for a long time. So, I’ve been wearing them again recently to refresh my mind as to why I’ve not been wearing them. It’s a shame that I don’t wear them as much.
They are a beautiful pair of glasses which should be worn a lot more than they are. As with my TOM FORD Henry sunglasses which I did have issues with, after a trip to the Opticians and some minor adjustments, made them fit perfectly. I do plan to take these in to see if anything can be done.
Credits and Further Reading
Photos of Daniel Craig as James Bond taken from Thunderballs.Org – Used here under the fair use doctrine. Be sure to check out more reviews by Daniel Gaster. Follow Daniel on Instagram.
Resources: Thunderballs.org; James Bond Lifestyle; Bond Suits.
