Truly exciting concepts for optics don't come along very often but last weekend in Munich one with such potential was on show.
Individualisation of optical products has become one of the most popular ways in which vendors have encouraged practitioners to differentiate themselves from their competition. Such an approach makes a me-too offering impossible and it also presents a much higher value proposition for the customer.
To date this approach has been the reserve of the lens manufacturers mainly through the emergence of free-form technology. Orthokeratology will also see new players emerge this year thanks to new technology. But now a system to bring true individualisation of frames is to be rolled out by Tom Davies.
Bespoke frames have always been available but technology has made it possible to open up the opportunity of a tailor-made frame to a much wider audience. The system demonstrated by Tom Davies last weekend is a tour de force in technology application.
His laptop and cabinet combination bring together a multitude of eye shapes and sizes, bridge profiles and widths, together with material swatches, curves and profiles. The result will be a supremely well fitting frame, tailor-made, uniquely manufactured for an off-the-shelf (albeit top end) price for the patient.
Most importantly, every shape, colour and curve will be chosen by the customer. Now that's differentiation.