90% matchRay Ban
Same EssilorLuxottica stable, 1930s pilot-lens heritage
What changes: American mass-market scale and far wider price accessibility
Brand profile
Persol
Italian eyewear house founded in Turin in 1917, known for acetate frames with silver arrow hinges and the folding 714 Steve McQueen model.
TurinOrigin
UnisexFocus
Quiet luxuryStyle
$$$Price
What to know about Persol
Built first for drivers and pilots
Giuseppe Ratti, a photographer and optician, started in Turin in 1917 making protective eyewear for pilots plus tram and racing drivers, and the frames still read as functional.
Three details do the signalling
The silver arrow hinge, flexible Meflecto temples and crystal lenses identify the brand across models like the folding 714, the 649 and the Calligrapher series.
Owned by a lens giant
EssilorLuxottica has owned Persol since 1995, which keeps Italian production and wide optical availability alongside design projects like the Cassina recycled-acetate collaboration.
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60% matchCitizen Watch
Similar-vintage tool-object heritage, engineering-led design
What changes: Japanese watchmaking, more technical and value-priced
Brand facts
Persol makes acetate and metal sunglasses and optical frames in Italy, founded in Turin in 1917 by photographer and optician Giuseppe Ratti, who first built protective eyewear for pilots and tram and racing drivers. Signature details include the silver arrow hinge, Meflecto flexible temples and crystal lenses, carried by models such as the folding 714 Steve McQueen edition, the 649 and the Calligrapher series. Luxottica (now EssilorLuxottica) has owned the brand since 1995. Recent work includes a design-led collaboration with furniture house Cassina using recycled acetate and leather.
- Founded
- 1917
- Origin
- Turin, Italy
- Made in
- Italy
- Price
- $$$
- Focus
- Unisex
- Facts checked
- August 2026
- Styles
- Quiet luxury, Workwear / Heritage, Minimalist / Contemporary