Varilux Product History Timeline
By Essilor News
01/25/2009
| 1959 | Bernard Maitenaz, a young optical and mechanical engineer, creates the first progressive lens known as Varilux®. This ground-breaking invention marks the starting point of Essilor’s longstanding innovative pre-eminence in optical lenses. |
| 1972 | Essilor introduces Varilux 2 lenses, the classic mono-design progressive lens. |
| 1988 | Essilor debuts Varilux Multi Design, the “variable geometry progressive lens,” which retains width of field in near vision whatever the degree and stage of development of the wearer’s presbyopia. |
| 1993 | Essilor launches Varilux Comfort® lenses, with swift adaptation capacity and increased comfort allowing increasingly natural behavior. |
| 2000 | Essilor unveils Varilux Panamic® lenses with wider fields of vision and record adaptation speeds |
| 2004 | Essilor creates of Varilux Ipseo®, the first progressive lens customized in accordance with the wearer’s eye and head behavior, and Varilux Ellipse®, a progressive lens specially designed for small frames. |
| 2006 | Essilor introduces Varilux Physio® lenses. With this progressive lens, Essilor invents High Resolution Vision for all sight-lines, including: ultra-precise far vision, wider intermediate vision and extra-comfortable near vision. |
| Early 2008 | Essilor and Varilux announce an unprecedented partnership with style expert Finola Hughes to tout the benefits of Varilux progressive lenses with premium AR coating, Crizal®. |
| Late 2008 | Essilor looks forwards to 2009 and its celebration of the 50th anniversary of Varilux lenses, the most prescribed progressive eyeglass lens in the world, with a new 3D movie “The Varilux Experience” and a special anniversary logo for 2009. |
For more information on Essilor and Varilux lenses, please visit www.essilorusa.com or www.varilux.com.
Essilor is the leading manufacturer of optical lenses in the United States and is the market leader in progressive, high-index and anti-reflective coated lenses. A pioneer in the development and production of ophthalmic lenses, Essilor employs more than 8,500 people throughout North America. Essilor manufactures optical lenses under the Varilux®, Crizal®, DEFINITY® Thin&Lite®, and other Essilor brand names. Essilor Laboratories of America (ELOA) is the largest, and most trusted, optical lab network in the U.S. and offers a wide choice of services and lens brands, including Essilor premium lenses, to eye care professionals across the nation. Essilor of America, Inc. (Essilor) is a subsidiary of Paris-based Essilor International, S.A., a publicly held company traded on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (Reuters: ESSI.PA).
# # #
Essilor, Varilux, Crizal, DEFINITY, Varilux Comfort, Ellipse, Ipseo, Panamic and Varilux Physio are registered trademarks of Essilor International. Thin&Lite is a registered trademark of Essilor of America, Inc.