Seiko lens coatings enhance the performance, durability and look of eyewear

Although the weather is warming up, you should still put your coat on. On your lenses that is. You see, lens coatings and treatments play a very important role in the overall experience of wearing eyewear. Whether it’s optical, sunglasses, sports or safety eyewear, lens coatings can enhance the performance, durability and appearance of your eyewear.

The generic term for this type of coating is referred to as anti-reflection coating. Technology is moving swiftly and evolving all the time and there are many different types of anti-reflection coatings on the market, all giving a different bias depending on your lifestyle.

However, in our opinion, anti-reflection coatings are one of the most misunderstood beneficial coatings available to ophthalmic lenses. These coatings are used across many different devices which we all use in our day to day routines. TV’s, laptops and mobile phones all have anti-reflection coatings on their screens. You wouldn’t be able to use a mobile phone outside on a bright sunny day without this type of coating on the screen. So it makes sense to add these treatments to your spectacle lenses, especially if you have a high prescription or wear high index lenses because these materials reflect more light.

As with different brands of clothing, cars, and T.V.’s etc., there are many different manufacturers of ophthalmic lenses and anti-reflection coatings. And as with most things, there is a difference in the quality of the product offered. That’s why at Respectacle Company we recommend Seiko lenses to all of our customers.

Seiko’s expertise in the field of vision goes back more than fifty years, to the 1964 Olympic games in Tokyo. It was the first time the Olympics was held in Asia, and Seiko was responsible for the timing equipment used throughout the games. They introduced optical lenses to recognise when light beams were broken into the timing equipment, which gave an incredibly accurate timing as competitors crossed the finish line. Following on from the Olympics, Seiko moved into ophthalmic lenses and they have continued to research and develop their portfolio of ophthalmic lenses ever since.

Seiko have become synonymous with cutting edge technology, giving crystal clear vision to Seiko wearers around the world. And they have a range of quality anti reflection coatings which have been developed to help with certain lifestyles.

The coatings are made up of many different layers:

• Hardcoat – this does what it says and adds a protective hard coat to the lenses, which reduces the risk of marks and scratches.
• Hydrophobic layer – which repels water and oils.
• Anti-static layer – this repels dust and dirt.
• Multi anti-reflection layers – reduces reflection on the lenses and improves light transmission through the lenses. So cosmetically the spectacles look better and the wearer gets better clarity of vision.

Thanks to Seiko’s high quality coatings, lenses are durable, water repellent, less misting and easier to clean.  And now Seiko have introduced two more specialist coatings: one to protect against blue light emitted by many electronic devices and another to reduce the glare experienced whilst driving due to bright xenon headlights and oily windscreen deposits.

Seiko Super Reduced Blue – visible blue light appears in the wavelength range from 380-500nm and electronic devices such as tablets and smart phones all emit large quantities which can cause discomfort and glare. Seiko have introduced this coating with all the elements above but with the addition of a blue filter layer to help to reduce the level of exposure.

Seiko Road Clear Coat – this coating is designed to reduce the effects of glare which we tend to experience whilst driving, in particular at night or on a dull, wet day from car headlights. Road Clear Coat gives the wearer sharper contrast perception whilst reducing the brightness from bright Xenon headlights.

As if we couldn’t love Seiko lenses enough, Seiko are now offering Seiko Protect on their premium coated lenses, which will protect your lenses from accidental damage for a period of 12 months. So if you are unfortunate enough to accidentally damage your lenses and are no longer able to wear them, Seiko will replace them free of charge. *  All you need to do is register your lenses with Seiko and they’re covered for 12 months. Plus, you also get the chance to win a Seiko watch too.

Visit us in store to find out more about Seiko lenses and Seiko Protect.

*Terms and conditions apply