Oakley Valve Ducati 12-638: How to Tell the Real 2003 Ducati Edition

The Oakley Valve came in several versions that share the same frame, and at least three of them get listed as "Ducati". Only one is the 2003 Ducati edition, reference 12-638. The good news for anyone checking a listing: the licence is marked on the glasses themselves, and the reference is printed on the box.

The Valve 1.0

The first-generation Valve was made from 2003 to 2005 and replaced the Scar and the Plate in Oakley's line. It was one of the five models that opened the Oakley x Ducati line in 2003, and one of the three styles kept when the agreement was extended in 2004.

Four references, one Ducati edition

• 12-638 · Valve, Ducati edition · 2003 · Dark Grey / Black Iridium, red ear socks · Made in USA
• 03-877 · Valve in blue · no Ducati licence
• 12-675 · Valve JP Montoya Signature · same Dark Grey frame, Ice Iridium lenses, a different licence
• OO9236-02 · later Valve in a Ducati colourway · 2011 onwards

The 12-675 is the one that fools people: same frame, same grey. The lens colour and the markings settle it.

The licence is on the frame

A genuine 12-638 carries DUCATI etched on the lens, the DUCATI CORSE shield printed on the temple, and MADE IN U.S.A. on the arm. The red ear socks are part of the edition: it is the only Dark Grey and red Valve in the line. A grey Valve without the shield is not the Ducati edition, whatever the listing title says.

Where the reference is printed

On the box label, next to the barcode. On the unit we photographed it reads 12-638 ~ A02934, with EAN 7 00285 12638 8. The label sheet is 68-618 04/29/03 rev. A, one number after the Straight Jacket 12-637 (68-617) and dated the same day: two models from the same launch.

What a complete set includes

Box with its Ducati Corse sleeve, pouch, warranty card, PLATE leaflet and the 2003 Ducati rider card, with Troy Bayliss #12 and Loris Capirossi #65. The paperwork is what makes a set, and it rarely survives.

Condition checkpoints

Check the nose pads and the ear socks first: rubber is what ages, and unworn pads are the clearest sign a frame has not been used. Then the lens coating, and the inner face of the frame, which is the view most listings leave out.

The Oakley x Ducati line

Ducati announced its licensing agreement with Oakley at Monza with five models: Minute, Straight Jacket, Valve, Juliet and Half Jacket. The May 2004 extension added the Monster Dog and the Zero while the Juliet, the Half Jacket and the Valve continued. Its sister piece from the same launch: how to identify the Oakley Straight Jacket Ducati 12-637.

Oakley Valve Ducati: common questions

What is Oakley 12-638? The reference of the Oakley Valve in its 2003 Ducati edition: Dark Grey frame, Black Iridium lenses, red ear socks, made in the USA.

How do I know if an Oakley Valve is a real Ducati edition? Look for DUCATI etched on the lens and the DUCATI CORSE shield on the temple, then check the box label for the reference 12-638.

Is the Oakley Valve 12-675 a Ducati? No. The 12-675 is the JP Montoya Signature Valve: the same Dark Grey frame with Ice Iridium lenses and a different licence.

The full photo set of the unit we documented, every mark shot on the unit itself, is in our archive: Oakley Valve Ducati 12-638. More from the era in Vintage Oakley and Sunglasses, and the wider background in our vintage Oakley buyer's guide.