The first thing Jack Wade does in GoldenEye is land a plane and push his sunglasses up his nose, and the glasses are older than the film by half a century. The American Optical AN-6531 is a wartime aviator with cable temples and a brow bar, and it is a more interesting shape than the usual teardrop.
In the film
Joe Don Baker’s Jack Wade wears them while piloting a Cessna Skyhawk when he meets Bond. They are worn by Wade, not by Bond, and several Bond-style sources agree on the model. Catalogue records show a retailer match at the model level, not a single serial pair.
The details
A WWII pattern. The AN-6531 is the American Optical pair issued to US pilots in the Second World War, in a form that a reissue seller calls the original aviator style. The design later evolved into the Flight Goggle 58, now sold as the Original Pilot.
Cable temples and a brow bar. The covered cable temples hook behind the ears so the glasses stay put under a flying cap. The brow bar across the top is the part that makes the silhouette recognisable.
Calobar green glass. The original lenses are green glass. A recent limited reissue from Lunar Replicas, made with American Optical, uses 59mm matte pewter-coloured frames, covered cable temples and Calobar Green SkyMaster glass lenses.
Wearing it now
These are aviators for a man who finds the modern aviator too common. Wear them with an open-collar shirt, a waxed or flight jacket and a plain watch. Try them on before you commit, as the shape sits differently from a teardrop aviator. Keep everything else muted: the frames do the talking.
Where to buy. The Lunar Replicas limited run was listed as unavailable, with a notify-me option, at the time of writing, and a Huckberry listing for the AN-6531 showed as out of stock. The practical route for the exact pattern is a second-hand search. The maker’s Original Pilot, a direct descendant, is in stock at US$250 to US$345 depending on lens and size.
Sizing. The Original Pilot comes in three sizes, small, medium and large, listed at 52mm, 55mm and 57mm lens width. Check the bridge and temple length too, as aviator frames sit differently from other shapes.
Specifications
| Maker | American Optical |
|---|---|
| Model | AN-6531 (WWII pattern) |
| Frame | Metal, cable temples, brow bar |
| Lens (reissue) | Calobar Green SkyMaster glass |
| Size (reissue) | 59mm |
| Original Pilot (successor) | US$250 to US$345; S 52-20-140mm, M 55-20-140mm, L 57-20-140mm (October 2026) |
Questions
What sunglasses does Jack Wade wear in GoldenEye?
American Optical Aviator AN-6531 sunglasses, according to our catalogue evidence and several Bond-style sources.
Can I still buy the AN-6531?
Only in limited runs and second-hand. A recent reissue was listed as unavailable at the time of writing.
What is the closest current pair?
American Optical’s Original Pilot, the later evolution of the same aviator, sold by the maker from US$250 to US$345.
The maker’s range is at American Optical. See GoldenEye, Pierce Brosnan’s Bond and the films for more.
