ON THE FACE DUEL: TAG Heuer 'Senna' V Oakley 'Jawbone' Sunglasses

And now for something completely different... no one expected a sunglasses duel today I'd wager, not least because it's the middle of winter! But me, I wear sunglasses pretty much every day, largely because my eyes are quite sensitive to light (my father was the same) and if it's windy that makes my eyes water too. On the upside, I'm 50 year's old and I don't need glasses, so maybe there is some benefit to protecting my eyes from UV light? Maybe not, but hey... I look damned cool! :)

Wooo, scary....

I've had the Oakley Jawbones a very long while now, when I got them they had black lenses in them and that lasted maybe six or seven years before I decided to switch them. First I changed them out for some blue/green lenses, and then for the red ones you see in the these pictures. They also came with a set of those clear orange/yellow lenses that cyclists wear... and, um... Bono. Obviously they are still in the hard shell case that they came in and have never been worn - maybe I should try and sell them on eBay? Hmm, actually I think I may have looked into that before and there were more available than buyers for them, so I decided not to bother.

It's pretty easy to change the lenses, when you turn the shades around you see a screw head where those silver circles are on the front (in a perfect world they would be black) and the frames open there, hinging at the nose piece. I got both spare sets of lenses off Amazon for about £20 each (much cheaper than official Oakley lenses which are more like £80). The lenses are slightly thinner but they still have the cut-outs on the top edge which look very cool even if they do nothing (Oakley claim they are 'vents' which aid in demisting, but I think that's marketing personally)

The TAG Heuer shades I've had for probably five years or so I would say, much less than the Oakley's anyway and they've spent most of their life in their pouch, in their box with the TAG Heuer cloth and warranty card. This is partly because they are part of my 'collection' and I want to keep them in 'collection' condition, and also because... well, my Oakley's are everyday shades and it's nice to have something to wear on special occasions!

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of taking these shades to Geneva with me back in 2018 (wow, that sounds like a long time ago already...) and somehow during that trip (even though I was very careful with them) I managed to scratch the left lens. Needless to say I was not a happy bunny when I noticed and the most annoying thing is that you can't change the lenses so... damn and blast! You can't tell when you're wearing them but it's pretty noticeable from the front, so I might have to start looking for a new pair, although whether these 'Ayrton Senna' ones are still available I don't know. Probably not.

So leaving that aside, which of these pairs of shades comes out on top?

Well, as much as I want it to be the TAG Heuer Sennas, I'm afraid I have to give it to the Oakleys. For one thing they are more comfortable, the arms on the TAG Heuers tend to pinch the side of your head/ears a bit after a while, meanwhile the Oakley's have rubber covers on the arms which are very comfortable, although they are jut starting to go a tiny bit gummy now (they must be at least 10 years old mind).

For me the Oakleys also look a lot cooler; maybe the TAG Heuers look a bit more refined, the Oakleys are definitely more 'boy racer' chic after all, but for me that's a plus. Admittedly the red lenses are contributing to this aesthetic, but even with the original black lenses these Jawbones were always pretty crazy looking.

There's not much to choose between the actual lenses, they are both very clear, although the TAG Heuers might be just a little bit better there. I do really like the yellow trim, but I wish they had put the TAG Heuer logo on both arms and not just one of them. Still, they are the perfect accessory for a summer wedding (I wore them to a summer wedding last year as it happens), where the Oakleys might look a bit much... and even though I have to give this face off to the Oakleys they are still pretty cool.

Cost wise I think they came in about the same, the TAG Heuers from eBay and the Oakleys from an Oakley outlet store, around the £110 mark. I'm sure both of these are discontinued now (I think TAG Heuer have discontinued their eyewear altogether) and I already have my eye on a replacement from Oakley called 'Batwolf' which are quite different but possibly even cooler than the 'Jawbones'. I hope I can find another pair of these TAG Heuer shades somewhere too, or something similar... so mad that they got scratched after being so careful with them, but that's life I guess!

ON THE FACE: Tag Heuer Senna Sunglasses

You will rarely see me outside without a pair of shades on, even if it's not actually sunny. Like my father I am seemingly quite sensitive to light and can't bear the slightest bit of sun. I do wonder if this policy has actually helped preserve my eyesight somewhat as I am forty seven now and my eyesight is still good enough that I don't wear glasses or contact lenses. I realise it's not as sharp as it was twenty years ago of course, but it's still fine and I can read things other people struggle to read even with their glasses on.

For a good few years I've been an Oakley fan, I've got two pairs of those, one of which (Jawbone) I rate very highly. The other pair are still very good but not quite as comfortable and they don't fit me as well. I was going to replace the lenses in the Jawbone frames, but they are really expensive and when I was looking I came across these instead.

Now straight away I have to admit that these came from eBay (and cost about £110), so they 'could' be fakes, but if they are they've gone to a lot of trouble. These come with a box, a pouch, a warranty card and a cleaning cloth and the lenses had various stickers on them (including one of Senna's signature' which I stuck on the glass of my watch cabinet (very small and subtle and very cool).

The build quality is excellent, they really do feel like a quality product and the lenses are super clear as well, just like the Oakley's (which makes me think they are genuine). When I first had them they did pinch my head just a bit after extended wear, but they seem okay now. I do have a massive head, so it's probably not something anyone with a normal sized head need worry about!

I do think the yellow highlights really make these shades something special, I absolutely love them and though they aren't quite as nuts as the Oakley Jawbones they have a bit more class to them without being dull. They do have 'TAG Heuer' and Senna's signature in the very corners of the lenses, but it's very subtle and doesn't look obtrusive or brash.

The Oakleys are pretty mental looking, though I have been known to 

wear them with a Panama hat (and a Slayer T-shirt, at the same time!).

I don't know what the proper list price of my shades is, but I guess it would be way over £200. I don't know if I would pay that for them, or for any other shades really.. but for what I paid for them I am very happy and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.