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LAUNCHES
Seiko Intros ‘Ultra Personalized’ Progressive Lens
Quick Take: Seiko Optical Products of America is introducing Superior, an “ultra-personalized” free-form progressive featuring three unique designs.
Wearer: “Most progressives have only one design, but the Superior product encompasses three separate ones,” said Michael Rybacki, Seiko’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. “They’re chosen based on the patient’s lifestyle and occupational needs. Most patients will get Superior B: Balanced design, the ‘optimal blended-type design, but architects, seamstresses and others working up close would get Superior N: Near Zone Priority. Similarly, landscapers, truck drivers, heavy equipment operators and others where distance vision is especially important would get Superior F: Far Zone Priority.”
Specifics: Once the patient’s ideal visual needs are determined, ECPs can choose from 11 different corridor lengths (8mm to 18mm), accommodating nearly every size and shape frame. Superior also offers 51 options for the near zone inset (0mm to 5.0mm) and 21 options for frame pantoscopic tilt (0° to 20°).
Selling Points: The Superior design processes convex curves onto the concave back surface, permitting the use of flatter base curves on plus power prescriptions, resulting in lenses which are up to 25 percent flatter in profile compared to Seiko’s other free-form designs.
Price Guide: $$$
www.seikoeyewear.com
SynergEyes Launches New Duette for Presbyopes
Quick Take: SynergEyes, Inc., manufacturer and marketer of the Duette and UltraHealth families of contact lenses, has launched its newest lens, the Duette Progressive, designed to deliver exceptional vision at all distances for presbyopes from emerging to advanced, the company said.
Wearer: “Data shows that there are currently 50 million people between the ages of 40 and 60 who need vision correction,” said James K. Kirchner, OD, president and CEO of SynergEyes. “The Duette Progressive lens is designed to give them an exceptional contact lens experience through the combination of GP optics and soft lens comfort that only a hybrid lens can deliver. This is not just a lens for the hard-to-fit patient. Any presbyope interested in contact lenses is a candidate for this lens.”
Specifics: Duette Progressive features a dual-aspheric optic design, which includes a center-near add zone with a choice of three add powers to give the practitioner greater control over the visual outcome. The lens also features an 84 Dk silicone hydrogel skirt around the 130 Dk center, which is made of UV-blocking materials.
Selling Points: “This is a very exciting addition to our Duette line of lenses,” Kirschner added. “My colleagues are going to be thrilled with the excellent visual outcomes and all-day comfort this lens will deliver. They’ll also appreciate the ease of empirical ordering and the intuitive fitting approach.”
The Duette platform delivers all-day tear exchange and lens movement to make it an extremely comfortable and healthy lens option. The lens is fit with a straightforward, empirical fitting approach that minimizes the amount of chair time required and practitioners are reporting successful outcomes with very few follow-up visits. The Duette Progressive empirical fitting approach also enables practitioners to begin fitting Duette Progressive lenses with no investment in fitting sets while delivering a much improved first lens experience for the wearer, the company said.
Price Guide: $$$
www.synergeyes.com
SECOND LOOKS
Viva Introduces Guess Eyewear Spring Collections
Quick Take: Viva International Group has presented new Guess Eyewear optical and sunwear collections for men and women. This season's new styles draws inspiration from runway trends and timeless vintage styles with chic metal accents and structured silhouettes for ophthalmics and trend-driven accents and bold silhouettes for sun.
Specifics: The Spring 2014 ophthalmic collection features a new mix of designs, including seven new women’s styles and five new men’s styles. The sun collection includes six new women’s styles and five new men’s styles featuring chic shapes with unique accents.
Selling Points: Optical groups include Electro-Pop, which includes two ladies' styles with a shiny metallic accent on the handcrafted temples; Rock Candy, featuring a faceted iridescent effect on three ladies' styles with 3-D laser pattern temple treatments; and Make ‘Em Matte, featuring five men’s styles in structured silhouettes with a utilitarian design theme and military-inspired hardware. For sun, the Rock Candy group and its 3-D laser effect is represented again on two ladies' styles. Other sun groups include Linked Metal, two styles for women which offer mixed metal elements and soft crystal color palettes in acetate; and Modern Metals, two masculine, timeless and sporty designs with retro elements, including a classic aviator and navigator paired with Carl Zeiss lenses.
Price Guide: $$
www.vivagroup.com
Charmant Releases New Elle Optical Styles
Quick Take: The Elle eyewear collection from Charmant offers an eclectic collection of stunning new optical models for spring that express new fashion trends while keeping comfort, price and timeless elegance at the fore.
Specifics: Five new ophthalmic styles for women.
Selling Points: The EL 13350 is a modern cat eye available in black with cream accents, purple with marbled temples, and havana with black temples. The EL 13367 is an iconic style featuring an exceptionally thin rim with a profile in matte black or marble-look brown, green or purple, that shows off long, slender temples. The EL 13369 is slim and chic with a light, smooth metal front that blends into a colored temple. The EL 13370 is trendy and contemporary with some unique design features, like temples that are enhanced by a geometric decoration with overlapping circles in contrasting shades. Lastly, the EL 13372 features a soft square lens shape and understated temples with elaborate metal detailing.
Price Guide: $$
www.charmant.com/us
Kerf Unveils Super Thin Version of Screwless Hinge
Quick Take: Kerf Eyeworks has unveiled a collection featuring a more streamlined version of their screwless hinge. The width of the new super thin hinge is 4mm, while the original hinge measures double that at 8mm wide.
Specifics: Three styles in the initial launch collection, one for men and two unisex styles, with two more unisex styles being launched for Vision Expo East.
Selling Points: According to the company, the Kerf screwless hinge and lock design is acknowledged as an original by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the global forum for intellectual property services, policy, information and cooperation, a self-funding agency of the United Nations, with 186 member states. Other features of the super thin collection include being extremely lightweight, weighing in at only 0.427oz, or 12.04g, with demo lenses. Additionally, the frames are made from hypoallergenic surgical steel with color application achieved through ionized plating. Frames also feature “Grip Control” silicone nose pads and temple tips. For Vision Expo East, Kerf is also introducing six NXT and six TR90 styles featuring the same thin loop screwless hinge, as well as four styles with carbon fiber fronts featuring the original 8mm hinge.
Price Guide: $$$$
www.kerfeyeworks.com
ALSO NEW
WestGroupe Adds Styles to Fysh UK Line
The new spring 2014 Fysh UK collection from WestGroupe features a vibrant color palette of oceanic blues, deep purples, velvety reds and black and whites. The collection offers an assortment of vintage shapes in both stainless steel and acetate. With a focus on retro stripes, lace patterns and laser cut floral designs, the fun, feminine frames also accommodate progressive lenses.
www.westgroupe.com;
www.classique-eyewear.com (Western United States)
Scandinavian Eyewear Debuts Spring Skaga Styles
“Wilderness” is the theme of the Skaga spring collection from Scandinavian Eyewear. The brand took inspiration from the northern regions of Sweden for the 32 style collection, featuring 19 women’s frames and 13 for men. The Aasa and Addi frames are highlights for the season. The women’s Aasa has temples decorated with Sami tin thread work, while the men’s Addi have reindeer skin decoration. Skaga's designers have also been experimenting with coloring techniques and producing patterns and effects on titanium and other metal surfaces. The colored frames are sprayed with a second layer of color through a filter to produce vivid, three-dimensional patterns, natural colors inspired by the Northern Lights.
www.scandinavianeyewear.com
Gotti Releases Latest Sunglass Collection
The latest sunglass collection from Gotti Switzerland has been released featuring distinctive colors and shapes and mirrored lenses for a glamorous feel. Eight new models have been added all with the brand’s innovative 360° Spin&Stow temple. The latest sunglass collection combines boldness with wearing comfort. Standouts include the Pepe, a panto shape with an integrated acetate eyerim in a metal double bridge frame, while the titanium Xania features soft curves and a popular oversized look. Lastly, Kojak in full acetate offers bright color options and color coordinated mirrored lenses.
www.gotti.ch
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