Image of Ray-Ban

Ray-Ban

Organization

The eyewear brand that Meta partnered with exclusively to build its smart glasses.


First Mentioned

9/26/2026, 5:25:04 AM

Last Updated

9/26/2026, 5:26:27 AM

Research Retrieved

9/26/2026, 5:26:27 AM

Summary

Ray-Ban is a prominent luxury brand specializing in sunglasses and prescription eyewear, originally created in 1936 by the American optical company Bausch & Lomb in Rochester, New York. Renowned for timeless designs such as the Aviator and Wayfarer, the brand was acquired by Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica Group in 1999 for approximately $640 million and is now headquartered in Milan, Italy. In recent years, Ray-Ban partnered with Meta to develop cutting-edge Smart Glasses, which incorporate audio and AI capabilities to assist users, including enabling visually impaired and blind veterans to gain independence.

Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Founder

    Bausch & Lomb

  • Industry

    Eyewear and Fashion

  • Headquarters

    Milan, Italy

  • Key Products

    Aviator sunglasses, Wayfarer sunglasses, Smart Glasses, Prescription eyewear

  • Founding Year

    1936 (Brand established 1937)

  • Parent Company

    Luxottica Group (EssilorLuxottica)

  • Creative Director

    A$AP Rocky

  • Acquisition Cost (1999)

    $640 million USD

Timeline
  • US Army Air Corps Colonel John A. Macready collaborated with Bausch & Lomb to create aviation sunglasses to protect pilots from glare and fogging at high altitudes. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1929

  • Bausch & Lomb created the initial 'Anti-Glare' prototype eyewear featuring plastic frames and green anti-glare lenses. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1936

  • The Ray-Ban brand was officially established and patented by Bausch & Lomb. (Source: Wikidata)

    1937-01-01

  • Ray-Ban introduced impact-resistant lenses for pilot eyewear. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1938

  • The brand redesigned its aviation glasses with a metal frame, patented as the Ray-Ban Aviator. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1939

  • Ray-Ban launched the iconic Wayfarer model featuring thick plastic frames. (Source: Heddels)

    1952

  • Bausch & Lomb sold Ray-Ban to Italian eyewear manufacturer Luxottica Group for $640 million. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1999

  • Ray-Ban partnered exclusively with Meta to develop and launch next-generation Smart Glasses. (Source: Document e8ac9c98-5693-44d5-970b-450f17ddb906)

    2023

Ray-Ban

Ray-Ban is an Italian-owned brand of luxury sunglasses and standard glasses created in 1936 by American company Bausch & Lomb. The brand is most notable for its Wayfarer and Aviator lines of sunglasses. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold the brand to Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica Group for a reported $640 million.

Web Search Results
  • Ray-Ban - Wikipedia

    Ray-Ban is an Italian-owned brand of luxury sunglasses and standard glasses created in 1936 by American company Bausch & Lomb. The brand is most notable for its Wayfarer and Aviator lines of sunglasses. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold the brand to Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica Group for a reported $640 million. ## History [edit] In 1929, US Army Air Corps Colonel John A. Macready worked with Bausch & Lomb, a Rochester, New York–based medical equipment manufacturer, to create aviation sunglasses that would reduce the distraction for pilots caused by the intense blue and white hues of the sky. [...] Specifically, Macready was concerned that pilots' goggles would fog up, greatly reducing visibility at high altitude. The prototype, created in 1936 and known as "Anti-Glare", had plastic frames and green lenses that could cut out the glare without obscuring vision. The name "Ray-Ban" was hence derived from the ability of these glasses to limit the ingress of either ultra-violet or infra-red rays of light. Impact-resistant lenses were added in 1938. The sunglasses were redesigned with a metal frame the following year and patented as the Ray-Ban Aviator. According to the BBC, the glasses used "Kalichrome lenses designed to sharpen details and minimise haze by filtering out blue light, making them ideal for misty conditions." [...] Tools Actions Read Edit View history General What links here Related changes Upload file Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Switch to legacy parser Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item Appearance From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Eyewear company owned by EssilorLuxottica Ray-Ban | Headquarters in Milan, Italy | | Type | Subsidiary | | Industry | Eyewear | | Founded | 1936; 90 years ago (1936) in Rochester, New York, United States | | Headquarters | Milan , Italy | | Area served | Worldwide | | Key people | ASAP Rocky (creative director) | | Products | Sunglasses Glasses Smartglasses | | Parent | Luxottica Group | | Website | ray-ban.com |

  • Ray-Ban Information

    # Ray-Ban Information View Top Employees from Ray-Ban Courage, authenticity and timeless style are the core values of Ray-Ban, a leader in prescription and sun eyewear for generations since its establishment in 1937. Embodied by the iconic Aviator originally crafted for US military pilots, Ray-Ban has been at the forefront of cultural change, becoming a symbol of self-expression and worn by celebrities and public figures all around the world. This legacy of daring exploration continues with the groundbreaking Ray-Ban | Meta and Reverse collections launched in 2023. Ray-Ban is part of EssilorLuxottica, a global leader in world-class vision care products, including iconic eyewear, advanced lens technology and cutting-edge digital solutions. [...] Website Revenue$36 million Employees502 (213 on RocketReach) Founded1990 Address3 Piazzale Luigi Cadorna 20123, Milan, Lombardy, IT Phone+1 866-472-9226 IndustryRetail Apparel and Fashion, Medical Devices & Equipment, Manufacturing Web Rank9088 Web Visits6 Million KeywordsSunglasses, Eyewear, Prescription Glasses, Eyeglasses, Luxury Eyewear, Prescription Sunglasses, Shades, Fashion Eyewear, Polarized Sunglasses, Designer Sunglasses, Optical Frames, Sunwear, Classic Sunglasses, Uv Protection, Eye Protection CompetitorsBurberrys, Fendi, Oakley, Warby Parker, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Smith Optics, Roboedge Information Technology Services, TOM FORD, Persol, Carrera-Optyl GmbH+35 more(view full list) SICSIC Code 38 Companies, SIC Code Companies, SIC Code 385 Companies

  • Ray Ban: A Time line and History of an Iconic Brand

    Shop Style | Ray - Ban Sunglasses Find Ray-Ban women's fashion at ShopStyle UK. Shop the latest collection of Ray-Ban women's fashion from the most popular stores - all in one place. Posh Eyes | Ray Ban Glasses Ray Ban Prescription Glasses including free lenses at UK's leading online optical retailer - Posh Eyes. Sun Glasses Direct | Ray Ban Sunglasses From the classic Ray-Ban 3025 Aviators, to the latest Clubmaster Aluminium sunglasses, they have a huge range of Ray-Ban sunglasses to choose from, available in a wide range of colours. RX Sport | Ray Ban Sunglasses Ray-Ban is the global leader in the premium eyewear market and by far the best-selling eyewear brand in the world. [...] ✖ › | | | --- | | | Sports glasses | Welcome to Edel-Optics, your online optician Banner # Welcome to Edel-Optics, your online optician ## Ray-Ban: A timeline ### Mention high fashion sunglasses and the name that immediately springs to mind is Ray-Ban. This iconic brand has carved itself a unique place in the world of eyewear and its sunglasses have graced the faces of many famous figures, both male and female, for decades. Over the years Ray-Ban has earned a reputation for superb design, excellent performance and an unmistakeable sophistication that has made it recognisable the world over. [...] What’s the Risk? In 1937, the American company Bausch & Lomb established the Ray-Ban brand of sunglasses and eyeglasses. In the years since, Ray-Ban has developed into and extremely successful fashion brand, with design classics such as the Aviator and Wayfarer making Ray-Ban a world leader. But what were the significant milestones along the way and what does the future hold for Ray-Ban? The Ray-Ban journey - Bausch & Lomb Timeline 1853 German immigrant John Jacob Bausch opens a small business dealing in optical goods in Reynolds Arcade, a building in central Rochester, New York. Henry Lomb provides financial support in the form of a loan, creating a partnership between the two. 1863 – 1866

  • A closer look at the history of the Ray-Ban brand

    # Ray-Ban brand history Who doesn't know this famous brand of eyewear, both prescription and sunglasses? These days, it's hard to miss Ray-Ban, the brand that all the stars love so much. But do you know its history? Mymonture reveals one of the most beautiful success stories in the world of optics. First of all, what does the name Ray-Ban mean? Was it chosen at random because it sounded good? Well, no, absolutely not. Ray-Ban is actually a contraction of Ray-Banner, which in French means " to banish the sun's rays ". Let's look back to 1853 to retrace the history of the eyewear brand. In that year, two opticians, John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb, founded their ophthalmic research company, Bausch&Lomb, which is still a market leader today, particularly in contact lenses. [...] A little later, in 1930, several pilots complained of headaches caused by the brightness at high altitude. The Bausch&Lomb group looked into the matter and came out with the RB3 lens, which was green in color and actively filtered out ultraviolet and infrared rays. The lens was patented "Ray-Ban" for its preventive action (it banished the sun's rays). And it was this very name that became the final name of the famous brand, in 1937. During the Second World War, the Aviator model was improved, and adopted not only by the army, but also by Hollywood stars. It was also after the end of the Second World War that Aviators were exported to Europe, along with a large part of American culture. [...] At the time, they were interested in sunglasses, and their goal was simple: to create sunglasses that would provide protection from the sun. The catalyst for their success? The U.S. Army, looking for solutions to the problem of glare at high altitudes, and the famous Aviators were born. To this day, these glasses are still associated with military pilots, so much so that they have been influenced by this environment.

  • Ray-Ban Behind the Wayfarers - History, Philosophy, and Iconic Products

    Ray-Ban continued to supply the U.S. and Allied militaries with eyewear throughout World War II, always improving their sunglasses with innovations such as impact resistant lenses, and gradient mirrors, which featured a protective coating on the upper, but an uncoated lower portion of the lens for increased visibility of plane control panels. But the brand’s growth did not stop in the wake of the conflict. More styles were added to Ray-Ban line throughout the fifties–including Ray-Ban’s most iconic design–the Wayfarer. James Dean in Ray-Bans. Image via Alphatier. [...] 233 SHARES People Shared This Article When you think of sunglasses, chances are you’re picturing one of Ray-Ban’s iconic styles. That’s because, for 80 years, Ray-Ban has been producing sunglasses which are worn by people from all walks of life. World Wars, red carpet events, or family holidays – Ray-Ban sunglasses are there to shield eyes from the sun. ## History and Philosophy Like many great brands, Ray-Ban got it’s footing in the military world. In the mid-thirties, military technology was as advancing as quick as the sun rises, and pilots of the US Air-Force were reaching higher altitudes than ever before. But with these advances came problems–pilots complained that the intense, glaring sun rays at these new altitudes were causing distraction, nausea, and headaches. [...] James Dean in Ray-Bans. Image via Alphatier. Launched in 1952, the Wayfarer featured a much thicker, plastic frame, with smaller lenses. They were instantly popular, especially after James Dean sported a pair in the 1955 classic, Rebel Without A Cause. By this point, Ray-Ban was a household name, and with everyone from Hollywood stars to postmen wearing their sunglasses, they soon became the world’s leading sunglasses brand. JFK in Wayfarers via Ape to Gentleman. Muhammad Ali in Wayfarers via Gentleman’s Journal.

Location Data

Ray-Ban, 57, Rue de Rivoli, Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, Paris 1er Arrondissement, Paris, Île-de-France, France métropolitaine, 75001, France

optician

Coordinates: 48.8591611, 2.3458295

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