Polaroid 8680 Red & White Striped Aviator Sunglasses, Made in France

(PLASTIC LENS) - Minor scratches throughout, hard to show in photos

There was a summer — probably 1979, maybe 1981 — when half the people at the community pool were wearing something exactly like these. Big frames, bold color, that smoke-grey polarized lens that made the world look like a movie still. The Polaroid 8680 is a textbook artifact of the era when sunglasses stopped being eyewear and became a statement: glossy red acetate, triple white racing stripes riding the brow bar, oversized teardrop lenses, and the kind of wide bridge that sat low and cool on your face.

The temples carry the full maker's stamp — POLAROID ® 8680 with the interlocking-circles logo on one arm, FRAME FRANCE molded into the inner surface of the other. French manufacture for Polaroid in this period meant quality acetate construction and hinges built to last; these are still tight decades later. The racing-stripe graphic runs the full length of both temples, maintaining its crispness. Edwin Land’s polarizing lens technology had by this era become the calling card of a brand that defined poolside, slopes, and stadium culture — and the 8680 is one of the frames that earned that reputation.

CONDITION
Good overall with age-appropriate wear. Lenses show scratches throughout consistent with use (hard to fully capture in photos). Frame retains strong, vibrant color with minor surface scuffs to the temples. Hinges are tight and the frame is structurally sound.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
Overall: 2 1/8" × 5 7/8" × 5 3/4"
Maker: Polaroid
Model: 8680
Origin: Made in France
Frame: Red acetate with white triple-stripe brow detail
Lens: Smoke grey plastic polarized (PLASTIC LENS)