The Mad Scientist Jim Jannard is Back With M-Experiment

If you were an athlete in the 90’s or followed sports during that time, you know that Oakley had some of the most iconic sunglasses and goggles on the most iconic athletes around. Their designs were bold, the marketing was disruptive, and everyone wanted them. The man behind all of that was Jim Jannard. He was the mad scientist that worked with his merry band of engineers and designers to create sunglasses like the Eyeshades, Razorblades, Mumbo/M-Frame, Eye Jackets, Racing Jackets, Subzeros, and various X-Metal models. He sold the brand in 2007 to Luxottica to pursue other projects like Red Digital Cinema, which was used in films like The Hobbit and Avitar. Now, Jim and his son Jamin are back with M-Experiment, their new line of sunglasses that look to blend the latest technology with the best materials and a touch of art.

M-Experiment has been teased on Jannard’s social media for months now. Close-up pictures of the logo that you couldn’t quite fully discern what it was, have had fans of the mad scientist clamoring for more. Finally, M-Experiment was recently announced, and the website finally launched with three models of glasses, with clothing and accessories to match.

Before we get into the models, let’s talk about some of the technology. Starting with materials, Jannard has never been one to shy away from using unique, and at times, exotic materials. With M-Experiment, we have M Carbon, Thermo Carbon, Atomic 13, and Atomic 14. M Carbon is a semitransparent polyamide proprietary material used on the frames. It has “superior heat resistance and durability”, and is said to be extremely strong and resistant to cracking. Thermo Carbon is the lens material, which is created from submicroscopic polymer chains, is said to be extremely clear, while still being durable and maintaining high levels of impact protection, creating the Eye Fence. Atomic 13 is the lightweight aluminum alloy used for the M icons. Finally, Atomic 14 is the material used for ear socks and nose pads. It is a silicone polymer that blends comfort and grip.

M-Experiment uses AI technology to perfect the base curve of the lens for prismatic distortion and refractive power. There are multiple layers of coatings on the Thermo Carbon lenses to create the Plasmachromatic finish to reflect light and reduce glare and eye strain. Res+ refers to the “ultra-definition optical clarity” of the lenses. Finally, some lenses are polarized to reduce glare.

Gigawatt Means Speed

The model that will be most interesting to cyclists will be the Gigawatt. It is a dual-lens design suitable for most sports, and easily swaps lenses for different light conditions. It has 27 total pieces that come together to really show off all of the technology that go into the model.

The M Carbon frame material is molded in multiple stages to create their Dual Chamber Infusion. This allows M-Experiment to customize stiffness around the hinges while also adjusting flexibility and feel in other areas like the nose bridge and temples. Inside, the Lens Clutch allows for quick and easy lens swaps, while keeping them locked in place when in use. The nose pieced offers three-way adjustability to allow a single model to fit a range of faces. The Atomic 14 ear socks, known as Slics, help keep the glasses in place

Purpose of your visit, Business or Pleasure?

The casual Business and Pleasure models blend M Carbon and Atomic 13 to seamlessly integrate the M-Experiment logo into the temples and hinge of the glasses. Lens technology is the same as the Gigawatt, with the difference being in the style of the frame and some of the dimensions.

Availability

Currently, four out of the seven colors of the Business, with either Sepia, Sepia Polarized or Copper Plasmachromatic, are available through the M-Experiment website. Grey, Grey Polarized, and Obsidian Plasmachomatic will be available in the future, along with standard clear and Obsidian Plasmachromatic Polarized replacement lenses.

For Pleasure, all seven models are currently available, with the Obsidian Plasmachromatic Polarized replacement lenses coming in the future.

The Gigawatt sold out quickly upon launch, and we’ll update the article if we get an availability date from M-Experiment. The glasses only come with one lens, but Grey, Sepia, Clear, and Flash (yellow) standard lenses, Grey and Sepia Polarized lenses, Obsidian, Blaze (red), and Glacier (blue) Plasmachromatic lenses, and Obsidian Plasmachromatic Polarized lenses will be available for purchase.

Pricing runs from $90-125 for the Business, $100-135 for Pleasure, and $140-185 for Gigawatt.

www.m-experiment.com