| | | | How we got to where we are today. |
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| | Each of the brands combined under the roof of Carl Zeiss Vision has its own inspiring history and traditions.
Here you can see some of the most remarkable highlights and milestones that ZEISS, SOLA and AO have contributed to the world of optics until today.
 Learn more about the 2005 merger of Sola International and the Carl Zeiss Ophthalmic Products business
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 | | ZEISS
1846 Carl Zeiss, a Weimar-born precision mechanic, opens an optical workshop in Jena.
1912 Creation of Punktal®, the first axially symmetrical spectacle lens to feature point-focal imagery.
1935 Invention of antireflective coating for optics leads to a dramatic improment in visual quality
1992 Introduction of Video Infral®, the world's first electronic centration system.
2000 Invention of the first individualised progressive lens, “Gradal® Individual “.
2000 Introduction of NetFral® the world's first web based ordering, remote edging and recommendation service.
2003 Introduction of LotuTec®. The coating system including hard coating, broadband AR coating and, for the first time, super slippery coating.
2004 Introduction of RV Terminal®, the first digital centration system.
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 | | SOLA
1960 Founding of SOLA (Scientific Optical Laboratories of Australia) in Adelaide.
1975 Commencement of business relations in the US, Asia and Europe.
1995 Flotation on the New York Stock Exchange.
1996 Acquisition of AO (American Optical).
2004 SOLAOne® nominated the best progressive lens by the Optical Laboratory Association.
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 | | AO
1833 AO (American Optical) starts business as a manufacturer of frames.
1883 Start of lens production.
1905 Expansion into international markets.
1954 The company goes public.
1996 AO is integrated into the SOLA corporation.
1999 AO Compact® nominated the best lens by the Optical Laboratory Association. |
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