There was a video on here not long ago on this. Quite interesting.
I know we have a few sunglasses lovers on here, but did you know that your sunglasses are more and likely produced by the same company? from Ray Ban to Versace, they are all owned and produced by the same company, Luxottica
here's a full list of brands owned by them,
Ray-Ban
Oakley
Chanel
Bulgari
Dolce & Gabbana
Salvatore Ferragamo
Prada
Burberry
Polo Ralph Lauren
Paul Smith
Stella McCartney
Tiffany
Vogue
Persol
Miu Miu
Tory Burch
Donna Karan
Oliver Peoples
Revo
Arnette
ESS
K&L
Mosley Tribes
Sferoflex
Anne Klein
Brooks Brothers
Chaps
Club Monaco
D&G
DKNY
Ralph Lauren Purple Label
Ralph
Ralph Lauren
Versace
Versus
this might not be surprising to some, but I found it interesting on the same level as Unilever and its dominance in skincare/household etc.
There was a video on here not long ago on this. Quite interesting.
I've just bought a pair of Sungod sunglasses which for the price are excellent, though not quite up to my Julliets.
Thankfully my Ray Ban's were made by Bausch and Lomb and purchased direct from the Factory Shop in Rochester NY some years ago.
There is now a huge pre-owned market for Original Ray Ban's.
Are my Serengettis the only ones NOT on the list
I bet TKMax know then very well
Big fan of Oakley X metals and Oliver Peoples specials, both pre Luxottica era. OP were bought by Oakley in 2006 who in turn were taken over in 2007 not long after Jim Jannard, Mr Oakley, left. Personally I thought things were never the same after he left.
Very interesting - what's the cheapest brand on the list?
- - - Updated - - -
Very interesting - what's the cheapest brand on the list?
It's just a matter of time...
I think Bausch and Lomb sold the Ray Ban brand in 1999 to Luxottica and since then they've been made in Italy. Like others have said American made B&L Ray Bans are quite collectable now. I've a few pairs along with 'vintage' Cartier, Cazal, Alpina and others - I try to avoid modern Luxottica brands same way I avoid modern conglomerate watch manufactures, vintage is much more interesting! 😎
There are other Italian companies who still make small run, hand-made, glasses in Italy, for example:
http://www.otticacarraro.it/en/
Check out the folding reading glasses!
and
http://www.otticavascellari.it/?lang=en
Both have online shops and physical shops in Venice.
Like you I'm a big fan of pre-Luxottica era Oakley and Oliver Peoples eyewear, there is a noticeable difference in the quality of my pre-Luxottica "VFX" OP Commander 64s (circa 2006) when compared to my much newer pair of which the model name escapes me.
That said, if it weren't for Luxottica's dominance I wouldn't have found it half as simple to get the arm tips replaced on the former after the OP boutique in Beverley Hills very kindly sent me some new ones FOC and my local branch of David Clulow fitted them, again FOC. The significance? Well rather obviously OP is owned by Luxottica, but so too is David Clulow; along with Sunglass Hut, in case you weren't already aware.
After Luxottica the second largest sunglasses company is Safilo which is also Itallian. Among others Safilo owns the Polaroid brand and surprisingly makes most of its polarised lenses in Dumbarton in Scotland.
Polaroid sunglasses lenses have been made in Scotland since the 1980s
Just like watches there is a lot of brand engineering in the sunglasses business but the technology behind the brand engineering is pretty standard and the mark ups are enormous.
regards
grant
wow that was an eye opener (no pun intended)
I don't really care too much who makes the frames, but I DO care who makes the lenses.
Last edited by Maysie; 6th June 2016 at 16:06.
I knew about this, but people should be informed. So, for example, now under Luxottica ownership Oakleys are made in China 'Assembled in USA' on the box now means manufactured in China and bits put together in USA. Also, the plastic is lower quality, because of something about China limiting imports of certain raw materials for polymers.
What it means for me is if you want quality sport sunbins, you should get Rudy Project (made in Italy), Serengeti (Italy or Japan) or Maui Jim (Italy or Japan), or Adidas (Austria)
Unbranded but decent 'square aviator' frame with custom-made Carl Zeiss graded brown bifocal lenses, the reading part deliberately weaker and set lower than average, for flying.
I see Cartier and Tom Ford are not on the list.
Fas est ab hoste doceri
I have Serengeti for normal out and about duties and Julbo for on the mountain bike. I tried hard to stay away from Oakley, not because of who owns them but purely because everyone at work seems to have them.
Just like on this forum really - everyone seems to own a Rolex. I, however, am happy with my cheapo in comparison Seiko and Citizen collection, but only because I am to poor to own one!
I notice my Randolph's are exempt from the list too ......
I wear Costa del Mar and American Optical. I have original Frog Skins from 1988 and also Orvis glasses with Italian made frames, but Ziess lenses.
I have Pila, with interchangeable lenses which are made by Ziess.
Last edited by rmblaikie; 8th June 2016 at 18:23.
Maui Jim for me... weigh nothing, and are apparently indestructible judging by the number of times I've sat on them 😂
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Police aren't on there either
Not sure if its still the case, but Serengeti's were made by Corning Optics - the same company who developed glass for the Space programme. They make great sun glasses and probably the best drivers sun glasses.
For sport I like Oakley's and Sunwise glasses (a cheap version of Oakley's but great for skiing, golf, cycling etc and they usually come with a range of easily interchangeable polycarbonate lenses to suit all conditions/activities.
Police are owned by De-rigo and Serengeti and Bolle by Bushnell.
Ha brilliant! Well I'd like to know how many times you sat on them in the last three years
This was an interesting thread actually - I wonder if some of those independent brands are still independent.
To add - my Oakley Pit Boss 2s are still going strong after purchasing them for ridiculous money in 2009 (phenomenal sunglasses). My newer Oakley not so well.
Last edited by crazyp; 13th May 2019 at 11:37.
I didn't actually sit on them to break them... I just removed them from my head in the same way that I always have. I guess 5 years of flexing finally created a stress fracture - they just fell apart as I took them off.
Tempted to try some Randolph Engineering Aviators to see what all the fuss is about. I'm in London on Wednesday so I'll see if I can track some down.
https://www.randolphusa.com/men/aviator/
Maui Jim, I have 5 pairs in different styles and lenses
Rayban Aviators
Serengeti sport Photochromic for wearing at Sea
Last edited by Vanguard; 13th May 2019 at 12:11.
Just to say, Luxottica doesn't OWN most of the listed brands but is merely licensed to PRODUCE them; they do physically own Oakley and Ray-Ban and a handful of the other lower-end brands.
I can remember sitting opposite a chap at a social event about twenty years ago and his glasses looked heck of a lot better than anyone elses. They really did seem to be much better than any I had ever seen before.
I got talking to him and he eventually told me that he owned and ran his own Silversmiths company and often made things for himself and his family. The glass frames were silver and made by hand and they looked several notches above any so called designer frames.
I picked up another pair of Serengeti sunglasses last year.
Better made than the crappy Ray Bans I had previously and much better optics.
I'm still wearing my Oakley X-Metal Romeos. https://www.revantoptics.com/blog/th...-oakley-romeo/
they were damned expensive when I bought them and have had a lens swap since then but are still going strong and oddly are probably worth more now than when I bought them ;)
I have a pair of Tag Heuer 27 degees, can't see them on the list.
AO's here, with prescripted and polarised lenses.
Menno