The eyes have it

While women look for style when buying a new pair of eyeglasses, for men the prime considerations are comfort and fit, says Charmant Group’s general manager Seiichi Suzuki.
Suzuki was in Bangkok recently to introduce the brand’s Charmant-Z collection, which recently picked up the Eyewear of the Year 2013 Grand Prize for one of its optical frames.
Every year, the International Optical Fair Tokyo (IOFT) show selects and honours distinguished new products that excel in design and function and which are scheduled to be marketed in the upcoming season. Charmant’s ZT1175 product was awarded in the functions and technology category for the patented flex mechanism, “Links Function by Excellence Titan”.
Suzuki explains that the mechanism generates great wearing comfort by utilising the twisting movement of the elastic Excellence Titan pins vertically positioned in the parallelogram parts on the temples.
“It is a highly flexible material that provides unlimited design options and superior wearing comfort. It’s absolutely nickel-free and has special memory functions that help the frame maintain its shape,” he says.
“One can feel the comfortable grip, which is surprising considering the light weight of the frame. In spite of the lightness, the temples have a very unique and voluminous design,” he adds.
Charmant Group is the largest optical manufacturing in Japan. It was established more than 50 years ago and has been distributed in Thailand for 30 years through KT Optic.
“Most European brands focus on fashion designs but we distinguish ourselves with innovative technology and quality. The winning model using our special Titanium alloy material creates extreme flexibility,” he notes. “The wining model, with it’s contemporary and international design will be enjoyed by a relatively broad range of male users because of its clean lens shape, fine twin bridged front, and iconic parallelogram parts on profile. The Links Function by Excellence Titan provides an unprecedented modern masculine style. It’s a very unique product.”
“Titanium is half the weight of regular material. Our special titanium alloy is even lighter, representing the next generation of eyewear and the latest results of the Charmant Group’s continuing and dedicated research and development work.”
To Chatchavan Vanitpisit, executive director of KT Optic, the biggest advantage of the new material is its shape memory function. “Sometimes men tend to fall sleep on their eyeglasses, which causes shape change. With this function, no matter how you twist and turn, it will come back to the original shape. Thai people will love it.”