Spare change after buying a Bentley? You'll want the £26,000 'added extra' of platinum sunglasses to go with the £225,000 car

By JO MACFARLANE

Upper glass: A model sports a pair of the super-exclusive Bentley shades at a showroom in Newcastle

They may look like a pair of sunglasses you can pick up on most high streets for just a few pounds. But these shades come with a stunning price tag – a cool £26,000.
While ordinary Britons struggle through a double-dip recession, the sunglasses are the latest indulgent accessory for super-rich owners of the £225,000 Bentley Mulsanne.
Designed by the British car manufacturer to complement its flagship vehicle, the limited-edition shades have already been snapped up by wealthy businessmen in Hong Kong and a member of the Dubai royal family.

Smart: The sunglasses were created for Bentley by Austrian specialists Estede, who have also manufactured solid gold shades for Chopard and S.T. Dupont

Bentley insists the aviators should be seen as an item of jewellery or even a piece of art.
They were created for the car-makers by Austrian specialists Estede, who have also manufactured solid gold shades for luxury brands Chopard and S. T. Dupont.
The shades are hand-crafted from platinum with engraved surfaces to reflect the style of a Bentley’s interior quilted leather.
Each pair is made to order and to the exact specifications of the wealthy buyer. An optician even visits the buyer at his or her home to take all appropriate measurements.

‘For one Hong Kong-based customer, we made a set of three and the customer wanted diamonds studded along the arms at an additional cost of £2,500 a pair.
‘Like Bentley, if it’s technologically possible we’ll do it.’
But the glasses do not come close to the world’s most expensive pair. Dolce & Gabbana has created a pair that sells for £250,000 – with the brand’s logo on the arms in diamonds.

source: dailymail