bk, I have a pair of Titanium frames (dark grey)that broke at the bridge of the nose. This is one of the things I was going to try and replace while in Florida. The lenses are Zeiss prescription, progressive and self darkening in the sun, not cheap...........
What would you recommend. Already checked and that exact frame isn't made anymore.
B in Santiago
First of all, it depends on the brand. Quite a lot of the titanium frame manufacturers give a long warranty on their frames. Check with the manufacturer. Quite a lot of them will give you another frame for free, and give you compensation for the lenses.
I know Zeiss is not cheap, but it is top quality, If people could afford them, I always worked with them.
Unfortunately welding titanium frames is not easy, as you need very high temperatures to do so. In most cases only the manufacturer can do it, and it will cost you about as much as a new frame.
OK, if you are to get new frames, you have 2 options.
Find a frame as similar as possible to your old frame. This means having your lenses punctuated. If they are Zeiss, they will have practically invisible markings (2 round dots, and the center in between, as well as a marking for the reading area of your progressive lenses). Hold them in front of a bright light, wiggle them, and you will see them. A good optician will mark those, to make sure he can fit your lenses into a new frame, with the center between the dots to be exactly at pupil level.
Every optician who sells Zeiss has diagrams of the lenses. Ask him to put the diagram underneath your new frame, and make sure of the following...
- the center of the lens is right in front of your pupil
- you still have all of your reading area (the reading area is about 10 to 15 degrees towards the nose bridge of the frame, and about 15 to 20 mm below the center)
The second option, and the best, is to do the above, but get yourself a new frame and new lenses, and get yourself a nice spare I know expensive, but progressives are a bitch to put into a new frame.
Write the manufacturers before you leave for the US, they probably will help you out.
BelgianK