We have told you about the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses before—twice, in fact. But we have not told you about a version wearing 24K gold and carrying a price tag large enough to require its own financial adviser. Folks, meet the Caviar Odyssey, a luxe makeover of what Caviar calls the Ray-Ban Wayfarer II smart glasses. Not going to lie: it had me at hello.
The black frames feature hand-engraved decorative elements inspired by the island of Ithaca, finished with black enamel and either 24K gold plating or sterling silver. Even the charging case gets involved, arriving wrapped in black crocodile leather.
The timing may not be entirely accidental. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has placed Odysseus and his troublesome journey home firmly in the spotlight, and Caviar may be riding that wave with a collection steeped in the same Greek epic. There is no stated connection to the movie, though, so do not expect a tiny Christopher Nolan signature engraved on the temples.
One thing is certain: both pay homage to Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem. The difference is that Caviar does not appear to have taken liberties with any of its characters. Oops. There, I said it.
Anyhoo, beneath all that opulence, the original smart features remain intact, including the camera, open-ear audio, touch controls, and voice-assistant support. Caviar has not reinvented the smart glasses; it has simply made them suitable for people whose regular Ray-Bans do not attract enough attention.
Only 24 examples of each version will be made, representing the 24 books of Homer’s Odyssey. The gold-plated Odyssey starts at US$6,130, while the Odyssey Silver commands US$6,840. Apparently, silver is the new gold.
Images: Caviar.
