Essilor - Accolade And Accolade Freedom Lenses

[Samuel Jong]

Is it a new technology PALs?

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ESSILOR LAUNCHES ESSILOR LAUNCHES ACCOLADE AND ACCOLADE FREEDOM LENSES
Essilor has announced the launch of two new progressive addition lenses, Accolade and Accolade Freedom. Available in February 2007, Accolade and Accolade Freedom are designed as top-tier progressive options for ECPs. Accolade customizes the lens to the shape of the patient's globe using new Harmonix technology. The result, according to the company, is fast adaptation and better vision. Accolade Freedom offers the benefits of Harmonix technology and adds FrameOptimization technology to customize the backside design using digital surfacing, based on frame dimensions.


Essilor has announced the launch of two new progressive addition lenses, Accolade and Accolade Freedom. Available in February 2007, Accolade and Accolade Freedom are designed as top-tier progressive options for ECPs. Accolade customizes the lens to the shape of the patient's globe using new Harmonix technology. The result, according to the company, is fast adaptation and better vision. Accolade Freedom offers the benefits of Harmonix technology and adds FrameOptimization technology to customize the backside design using digital surfacing, based on frame dimensions.

[MarcE]

Do you have Physio and Physio 360 in Thailand yet? Sounds like you do now.

[Fezz]

The marketing force that is Essilor never ceases to amaze me. They continue to grab the spotlight with product releases and updates and fanfare. The business model that they follow is very interesting . When you dissect there product launches you will see a company that is run by some very bright businessman. They create need, want, desire and envy. I am concerned about a lot of what they say and do business wise. One odd business practice is the fact that they rarely phase out or discontinue a product. They just keep saturating the market with "new and improved" products at a very brisk pace.

What was the last progressive design that they phased out? Was it the Varilux II, or maybe the Varilux Infinity.

How long has Adapter been on the market? How about the Natural?

How will we as a group embrace the new Accolade, and Accolade Freedom?

New name...same old product and marketing hype?

[Golfnorth]

The marketing force that is Essilor never ceases to amaze me. They continue to grab the spotlight with product releases and updates and fanfare. The business model that they follow is very interesting . When you dissect there product launches you will see a company that is run by some very bright businessman. They create need, want, desire and envy. I am concerned about a lot of what they say and do business wise. One odd business practice is the fact that they rarely phase out or discontinue a product. They just keep saturating the market with "new and improved" products at a very brisk pace.

What was the last progressive design that they phased out? Was it the Varilux II, or maybe the Varilux Infinity.

How long has Adapter been on the market? How about the Natural?

How will we as a group embrace the new Accolade, and Accolade Freedom?

New name...same old product and marketing hype?

Amen brother!

[Fezz]

Amen brother!

;)




If you all stand along the wall, grab your cup, and proceed to the kool-aid.
Lets all drink it in.....



:cheers:

[Barry Santini]

How will we as a group embrace the new Accolade, and Accolade Freedom?

I suggest caution here, as any *Essilor* named product usually winds up on the price-trumpeting, mass-warehouse chains menus.

Beware!

Barry

[Cherry Optical]

I suggest caution here, as any *Essilor* named product usually winds up on the price-trumpeting, mass-warehouse chains menus.

Beware!

Barry

I hear you there Barry. We have taken the approach to only promote the Accolde Freedom with Crizal Alize' Clear Guard to or Indepedent Eyecare Professionals.

Some of the marketing materials I have seen are impressive. The Frame Optimization concept makes sense. It seems similar to Kodak Unique in that variable corridor length design.

Who knows... I'll keep you'll posted on the success or lack there of.

Adam

[m0002a]

I hear you there Barry. We have taken the approach to only promote the Accolde Freedom with Crizal Alize' Clear Guard to or Indepedent Eyecare Professionals.

Some of the marketing materials I have seen are impressive. The Frame Optimization concept makes sense. It seems similar to Kodak Unique in that variable corridor length design.

Who knows... I'll keep you'll posted on the success or lack there of.

Adam

As mentioned in another thread, The Accolade Freedom is being sold by Walmart as the NikonEyes Customized 1.67, made at the Essilor Avisia lab in Dallas. Price in most Walmart locations is $389.

[MarcE]

As mentioned in another thread, The Accolade Freedom is being sold by Walmart as the NikonEyes Customized 1.67, made at the Essilor Avisia lab in Dallas. Price in most Walmart locations is $389.

Like the Physio360, which comes from the same lab, it includes a premium AR with super-slick coat as a default. Hmmm, makes you wonder, doesn't it?

If fact, if it is true that the corridor is variable depending on the frame size, it looks like Essilor for the first time has provided their newest, most premium lens to the mass market BEFORE being provided to ECPs. WM has had this lens since at least August. It has a MFH of 15mm.

Wal-mart has options from Essilor that aren't available (until now) to ECPs.

Hoya and TOG has replaced Essilor as my progressives of choice.

[erosthedog]

Just got back from Heart of America Conference.

I ask two Essilor reps the same question. What is the difference between Physio and Accolade.

First rep told me that they are the same that one lens is for the chains and one is for private offices. Second rep told me she did not know what the difference is.

Sounds like you or your patients wont notice any difference except the price you pay.:hammer:

[nickrock]

I was going to comment on the same thing as eros. If you'll notice the Accolade and Accolade Freedom is put out by Essilor, NOT Varilux, the product is directly being marketed to chains. Offer the Physio and 360 to independants and Accolades to everyone else. That way you don't p*ss off anyone, or wait....is it everyone?

[Cherry Optical]

As mentioned in another thread, The Accolade Freedom is being sold by Walmart as the NikonEyes Customized 1.67, made at the Essilor Avisia lab in Dallas. Price in most Walmart locations is $389.

My question would be, "Are Wal-Mart customers really buying it?" Do Wal-Mart Optica patients go there for $400 progressives? I have some of the NikonEyes Customized literature here and it doesn't mention anything about the variable corridor lengths or customization for eye shape. I do find it interesting that the term Digital Surfacing popped up first on the Nikoneyes lens. Also, the lit I have from Nikon Corp. and Essilor says the min. height is 17 mm.

Far be it from me to defend Essilor and Wal-Mart (although I often find myself doing so on the later) I am positive that the lenses are NOT the same EXACT thing as Accolade or Physio 360. I think this Nikon lens is part of an agreement between Essilor and Nikon that was reach some time ago. Remember the whole NPP Nikon Performance Package? My assumption is that Nikon gave Essilor marketing rights to the Nikon name in return for helping Nikon release their lenses into the US market. Anyone wonder what happend to Presio i, or whatever it was called? There were a few Nikon branded lenses that just never took off, except at Wal-Mart apparently......

Just some more food for thought.

Adam

[Samuel Jong]

Just want to know if Essilor - Accolade And Accolade Freedom lenses are already launhed in the market?

[Cherry Optical]

Just want to know if Essilor - Accolade And Accolade Freedom lenses are already launhed in the market?

Yes.

[m0002a]

My question would be, "Are Wal-Mart customers really buying it?" Do Wal-Mart Optica patients go there for $400 progressives? I have some of the NikonEyes Customized literature here and it doesn't mention anything about the variable corridor lengths or customization for eye shape. I do find it interesting that the term Digital Surfacing popped up first on the Nikoneyes lens. Also, the lit I have from Nikon Corp. and Essilor says the min. height is 17 mm.

Far be it from me to defend Essilor and Wal-Mart (although I often find myself doing so on the later) I am positive that the lenses are NOT the same EXACT thing as Accolade or Physio 360. I think this Nikon lens is part of an agreement between Essilor and Nikon that was reach some time ago. Remember the whole NPP Nikon Performance Package? My assumption is that Nikon gave Essilor marketing rights to the Nikon name in return for helping Nikon release their lenses into the US market. Anyone wonder what happend to Presio i, or whatever it was called? There were a few Nikon branded lenses that just never took off, except at Wal-Mart apparently......

Just some more food for thought.

Adam

I spent some time talking to the head buyer of ophthalmic products for Walmart. I was given a phone number to call in Bentonville AR, and then they conferenced in the head buyer who was on his cell phone driving somewhere. The head buyer was very clear that the lens sold as the NikonEyes Customized at Walmart is the Accolade Freedom, which is the Essilor version of the Varilux Physio 360. This buyer was extremely knowledgeable about lenses, and said that the lenses are made in the Essilor Avisia lab in Dallas, unlike their other lenses which are made at a Walmart owned lab.

The Walmart buyer said the NikonEyes Customized is digitally surfaced on both sides, which is almost verbatim language from the Varilux website description of the Physio 360. I am not sure if the corridor length of the NikonEyes Customized is automatically variable depending on Rx, nor do I know for sure if the Accolade Freedom is identical to the Physio 360. But there was no question that the Walmart corporate office responsible for buying lenses claims the NikonEyes Customized is the Accolade Freedom.

In the past year or so Walmart has tried going up-market on a number of products they offer. As you mentioned not many people may go to Walmart and purchase a $389 lens (no need to exaggerate). Walmart has not done well with their up-market strategy in other departments, so only time will tell if they stay with the Nikon Eyes Customized. But since it is not made in their own lab, there is probably not much overhead in selling the model.

[Samuel Jong]

Yes.

Thanks Cherry.

[For-Life]

My question would be, "Are Wal-Mart customers really buying it?" Do Wal-Mart Optica patients go there for $400 progressives? I have some of the NikonEyes Customized literature here and it doesn't mention anything about the variable corridor lengths or customization for eye shape. I do find it interesting that the term Digital Surfacing popped up first on the Nikoneyes lens. Also, the lit I have from Nikon Corp. and Essilor says the min. height is 17 mm.

Far be it from me to defend Essilor and Wal-Mart (although I often find myself doing so on the later) I am positive that the lenses are NOT the same EXACT thing as Accolade or Physio 360. I think this Nikon lens is part of an agreement between Essilor and Nikon that was reach some time ago. Remember the whole NPP Nikon Performance Package? My assumption is that Nikon gave Essilor marketing rights to the Nikon name in return for helping Nikon release their lenses into the US market. Anyone wonder what happend to Presio i, or whatever it was called? There were a few Nikon branded lenses that just never took off, except at Wal-Mart apparently......

Just some more food for thought.

Adam

You're right, the customers do not go to Wal-Mart for high end products. I talk to the Opticians here and they only use the most basic products for 99 percent of cases. The times they use a higher end lens is when a customer comes in asking for that particular lens.

[Barry Santini]

I The head buyer was very clear that the lens sold as the NikonEyes Customized at Walmart is the Accolade Freedom, which is the Essilor version of the Varilux Physio 360. This buyer was extremely knowledgeable about lenses, and said that the lenses are made in the Essilor Avisia lab in Dallas, unlike their other lenses which are made at a Walmart owned lab.

Those boarders *not* using any lens from Essilor's Avisia lab...beware! Do be afraid of *any* mass-market lens that is processed at the Avisia facility. My experience has been uniformly poor, both on delivery time and on lens quality (surface irregularities, and compeltely forget about any plus (+) lenses comin' out thin...including Definity!

I say...let them have it. I only hope Comsumer Reports will uncover the sham of Essilor just using the vernerable NIKON name in their next eyewear report.

Shame on Essilor....and Nikon, for such an outright deception foistered on the public!

Barry

[Samuel Jong]

I couldn't find the products in the Essilor's web, anybody can find it?

[m0002a]

There is a press release here
http://www.essilorusa.com/Press+Room/
entitled 1/5/2007 Patients are Adapting Better, Faster with Accolade and Accolade Freedom Lenses that has some informaiton. Here is an excerpt:

"Accolade lenses have a 17 mm fitting height and Accolade Freedom lenses have a fitting height as low as 15 mm. Accolade Freedom lenses come systematic with Crizal and other premium Essilor anti-reflective (AR) coatings. Both lenses will be available through Essilor Laboratories of America (ELOA) and Independent Distribution Division (IDD) laboratories."

Interesting that Walmart advertises that the NikonEyes Customized to have a minimum fitting height of 15mm (not surprising because the NikonEyes Customized is actually the Accolade Freedom).

[NavyChief]

go to accoladefreedom.com

[Cherry Optical]

go to accoladefreedom.com

As a note, we have been having great success with this lens. Currently doing about 90-140 pair per month over the last 3 months.

Patients seem to notice the difference as they are telling their Opticians and the Opticians are relaying that message to us.

Adam

[Jubilee]

Yeah too bad LensCrafters now is surfacing the Accolade in house. Oh and they can order Physio 360's so I would assume they can get the Accolade Freedom as well.

[Cherry Optical]

Yeah too bad LensCrafters now is surfacing the Accolade in house. Oh and they can order Physio 360's so I would assume they can get the Accolade Freedom as well.

The opinion of a number of people I have spoke with at Essilor is that the Accolade Freedom will be too expensive for the LCs of the world to promote. The standard design Accolade will be promoted and sold due to it's low price point.

I could be wrong, but usually the chain's don't jump on board with lenses that are 3-4X the price of what they have stocked.

Adam

[NavyChief]

Actually the "eye" you saw, if you inspected more closely is different. The front line that traces the "cornea" surface of the etching goes past the "lid" marking. They don't look the same, there is a slight differance.