1846
A small precision optics workshop opens in Jena, Germany.
I wanted genuine ZEISS LightPro lenses in a frame I’d actually wear, at a fair price for glass this good.
Fifteen manufacturers said no. One said to use a cheaper lens, charge the high price anyway, and switch to ZEISS later. If it wasn’t the real lens, it wasn’t worth making.
The one licensed factory told me ZEISS doesn’t sell to new brands. So I spent another month convincing ZEISS to sell to me.
When the samples arrived, there were no frames yet. I taped them to my face and drove five hours to KL, swapping tints and testing them against every pair of sunglasses I owned.
The result surprised me.