Dh275,000 specs? No, your eyes do not deceive you

If you have just put on your glasses to read this, then read on, because the most expensive pair of specs in the world have just gone on sale in the Emirates for an eye-watering Dh275,000.

Al Jaber Optical is selling the world's most expensive reading glasses, made of 18 carat gold, at its Dubai Mall outlet.
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If you have just put on your glasses to read this, then read on, because the most expensive pair of specs in the world has just gone on sale in the Emirates for an eye-watering Dh275,000 (US$74,872).

Al Jaber Optical is selling the reading glasses, called CliC eyewear, at its store in Dubai Mall and expects to offload a portion of the 300 limited edition pieces available worldwide.

"We have taken the distribution of this brand in the UAE," said Saleh Al Shawa, the general manager of Al Jaber.

"This quantity of 300 is for the whole world, not just the GCC. It is something that is targeting a certain segment of customer. We thought the glasses were nice to have."

The glasses are 18-carat gold, include a sapphire and a diamond, and are hand-crafted over a period of 50 hours in the United States.

They will be showcased at the Vision X exhibition in Dubai and the Al Jaber store in Dubai Mall for three days by Ron Lando, the inventor and worldwide patent holder. He sells all CliC eyewear, which are glasses held together at the nose bridge using magnets with a strap around the back.

It means they can be worn around the neck with a cord and are worn by breaking the magnetic field and reattaching when put back on.

Al Jaber is distributing all models of the design, which range from Dh100 to Dh300, with lenses.

"The glasses are easy to put on and take off. You just place them round your neck without putting them down somewhere and forgetting them," said Mr Al Shawa. "Most people will, of course, go for the normal range."

Mr Lando created the pure gold reading glasses in conjunction with the jewellery designer Hugh Power. They come with a lifetime warranty and can be delivered to customers in the Gulf in six to eight weeks. They are custom-designed to fit the wearer, to relieve some of the weight.

Al Jaber Optical currently operates 30 outlets in locations throughout the Emirates, selling a range of brands, including luxury names such as Chanel, Bulgari, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Roberto Cavalli and Prada.

Mr Shawa said Al Jaber had benefited from a 40 per cent increase in sales in the first quarter compared to the same period last year.

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