Optician discovered Danish manufacturer Monoqool at last year’s Silmo and its NXT Explorer photochromic frame with corkscrew screw-less hinge has courted much attention in the 10 months it has been worn. Not just passing comments either, but people stopping you in the street to ask about them.
Released at Silmo 2012, the manufacturer’s new 02 line is a slight change of direction from the NXT range. Gone is the ultra-minimalist look, but a highly innovative hinge system remains. ‘We wanted a classic look from the front but with accents on the side – a mix of classical and innovation,’ says the company’s CEO Allan Petersen.
The surgical steel temples are attached to the fronts using just a ring of EPDM marine-grade rubber. The ring is inserted into two machined grooves on the temple by hand, and then finished off using a special tool – which is supplied by the manufacturer. The hinge isn’t just a decorative item either – but damps the motion of opening and closing the temples.
Front eye shapes are exactly as Petersen says – classic and wearable. Ten styles, all created from Mazzuchelli acetate and created by award-winning Danish designer Flemming Bo Hansen are available and range from rectangular masculine shapes to soft versions of the timeless cat’s eye shape. The interchangeable nature of the temples means that over 400 colour combinations of front, temple and O-ring can be created by a practice.
Monoqool also used the show to launch two new temple styles for the NXT collection. Originally fitted with a thin titanium wire, acetate and bladed titanium options are now available.