While the news of Varilux X’s regional launch was covered by the Australasian media last month (see NZ Optics’ May issue), the Essilor platinum partners Auckland roadshow was the first time the company had had a chance to celebrate its launch in New Zealand.
Tim Thurn, Essilor’s regional director of professional services, introduced the latest innovation to Essilor’s Varilux progressive lens range, explaining how it’s been specifically designed for the individual wearer’s personal near vision behaviour (NVB). A snappy video helped explain Varilux X’s 15-patent-pending technology, demonstrating how Essilor’s R&D team used several advanced techniques (including the same motion capture technology used in the movies) to develop the new lens, allowing wearers to move from screen to paper to colleague without having to adjust their head position to focus.
“The design is all about reducing this head posture movement; changing that bit of having to search for that sweet spot… all that variation in movement that’s driving people crazy,” said Thurn, adding it took nearly five years and 3,000 presbyopes to develop Varilux X and it will only be available to Essilor’s independent optometry customers.
Auckland-based optometrist, Bruce Nicholls, took to the stage to add his endorsement, saying he’d been wearing the X-series for the last month. “Basically, there are two things I like about this lens: firstly, it works… and it does what it says it does. The volume of vision is larger, and it’s quite noticeable larger. The other thing that excites me is the opportunity it presents. Not just the business opportunity but the opportunity for our patients.
“With X series we have a natural progression up. Because of the benefits, we have a solid reason to recommend it. Many of our customers have been using the same design for several years, with just an updated prescription, and will be open to a change.
