Ray Ban & Persol made by Luxottica - so what?

[Tecnologoto]

I've seen it mentioned here that the quality of Ray Ban and Persol isn't what it used to be.

Are they made or just owned by Luxottica?

Has the quality really deteriorated, or is it an urban myth, like the decline of post Prada Church's seems to be?

Hellooo. 2021 here! Some people say that even since the 60's Persol is not what it used to be. But that's not true. Persol kept the tradition and innovation in every glass they produced. Even Persol glasses were developed for army in 20th Century to fight hard conditions like the highest desert sun or the visual quality in the athmosphere! Today Persol is just a brand of sunglasses. They don't do more that kind of things and their resources are destinated just to be stylish.

The case of Ray Ban is even worse. Ray Ban used to use the highest quality in their glasses and the most of time they led the market in technology: new glasses based in rare minerals, synthetic diamonds and titanium used on their glasses, neodymium to get better contrast, etc., etc., etc. The metal frames were not painted, they were covered with gold or other kind of materials. If it is not enough, Ray Ban produced the most of models we know today in sunglasses.

So Persol is not bad, just was bought by the monster we all know and still produce with the highest quality they have. Also, we have to remember how a pair of Persol were used in sport conditions by Steve McQueen, while today these break really easy. Ray Ban in other hand... We don´t see that legendary brand today. The quality of Ray Ban was not lowered, it was exterminated; the only thing I like are their italian frames.

Not to buy to the monster is a matter of principles. But I have my Persols 714, all of them SM version.

That's my opinion

 

[Goofy]

The quality of RayBan has improved significantly since its takeover by Luxotica. Early 1990s to early 2000 saw a decline in quality and cheapening of the brand.
Loxotica pretty much restored the brand to its former glory, hence its revival and popularity in recent years.

Keep in mind the brand is highly counterfeited. People should be aware not to mistake cheap knockoffs for the genuine item. And imho it‘s these cheap counterfeits that tarnish the brand’s reputation. The magnitude of RayBan counterfeiting is comparable to Rolex counterfeting. Hence I suggest only buying from RayBan directly or from authorized dealers. If the price appears to good to be true it most often is.

I’ve had a lifetime experience wearing glasses from a plethora of brands and keep anywhere from 5 to 10 luxury brand glasses and sunglasses in my rotation, and can testify to the quality of modern day RayBan.