After spotting a stingray through a pair of Spotters polarised lenses while on holiday, Kim and Frank Reynen liked the product so much they did like the ad said and “bought the company”. Almost 13 years later it is clear that Kim and Franks passion for Spotters hasn’t waned.
“We were on holiday with our three girls strolling along a pier when my husband pointed out a stingray in the water,” said Kim.
“I looked over the side of the railing in the water and couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t see under the water at all because I had sunnies on that weren’t polarised. But as soon as I put on my husbands Spotters polarised glasses, I could see the stingray. It was extraordinary. I was stunned at the difference.”
They made a few phone calls and within months Spotters became an integral part of their lives.
couldn’t see under the water at all because I had sunnies on that weren’t polarised. But as soon as I put on my husbands Spotters polarised glasses, I could see the stingray. It was extraordinary.”
That was almost 13 years ago, and Kim says she and her husband still look at each other sometimes and say: “How did we do that?”
As customer coming in to run the Spotters business Kim said she wanted to “exceed the expectations of our customers. I wanted the company to be known as the experts in polarised lenses by providing superior optics.
“The more I looked into the industry I found that what was required was a variety of quality lenses to suit different applications and – most importantly – there was a need for distortion free polarisation.
“As a brand, we’re driven by the support from our loyal customers. They tell us that once they’ve worn Spotters the glare is eliminated and their eyes are relaxed reducing eye fatigue. These people become loyal customers for life,” she said.
Australian Born and Bred
The Spotters brand is a 100 per cent born and bred Australian brand built to withstand our harsh climate. Spotters sunglasses are not only subjected to stringent manufacturing testing, but Kim says they have “been tested on a daily basis for the past 13 years by our Australian and global customers”.
One customer put his Spotters polarised eyewear to a unique test when he was working on a prawn trawler and lost his glasses overboard. Three months later when he went to throw out the lines Kim says “his glasses were scooped in a net.”
“These glasses had spent three months submerged in seawater and showed no signs of delamination, so he rinsed them off in fresh water and continued fishing. He contacted us and told us the story. He was one very happy customer.”
From humble beginnings, starting with just a few styles manufactured in Melbourne, Victoria, Spotters now exports their sunglasses around the world.
“The business has been built on a reputation of far surpassing our customer’s expectations by providing them with optical quality they say is superior to anything they’ve worn before” says Kim.
“We are very proud of the fact that Spotters are the only sunglasses to offer all three of the world’s best polarised lens materials – Thermopolyma, Columbia Resin and Crown Glass – in the one brand.
“We’re passionate about offering the customer the best product for their lifestyle. All our lenses are exclusive to our brand and that maintains the exclusivity of our product.
The Penetrator
“Our signature polarised crown glass photochromic lens ‘Penetrator’ is the clearest lens on the market. When worn, the lenses are invisible to the human eye offering zero interference to your vision. The Penetrator’s photochromic property is a Halide Crystal, which is super sensitive to UV light, causing it to adjust darker or lighter to even the slightest change in light conditions. We are so sure of this lens that we offer a lifetime guarantee on the photochromic properties of the lens.
“Our Spotters Premium Crown Glass has a low refractive index and low dispersion, which provides the eyes with distortion free, precise and constant optics. The Crown Glass has very low coefficients of thermal expansion making it resistant to thermal shock, stress and expansion.
“What this means is that a person can see deeper into the water wearing a pair of Spotters and on the snow our lenses eliminate more glare which enables a person to see the undulations. When driving, people say the reduction in eye fatigue and headaches is a major benefit and when playing sports the enhanced vision is better than the natural eye,” said Kim.
Spotters Optical
Spotters recently launched an optical line called Boutique.
“We specialise in high base curves and offer our signature Crown glass Photochromic Polarised Penetrator lens in most of our models,” said Kim.
“A single vision prescription done in this lens has to be seen to be believed. We also offer Columbia Resin lenses in single vision, bi-focal and multi-focal. Optical retailers can contact us with their patient’s prescription and we’ll take care of the rest.”
As to the future, Kim says we can expect to see more “fantastic designs… additional polarised ladies’ styles as well as more super lightweight BETA titanium frames.
“There are a few face shapes that have huge trouble being fitted and we have some great styles to offer the difficult fit. We also have many new designs on the way and will continue to be innovative in our models and listen to what our customers require”.
For further information on Spotters go to: www.spotters.com.au or phone Spotters directly on: (AUS) 03 9728 2055.
