Asia is a land of spectacles and we are not talking about the Great Wall or Mount Everest. This is a region where eye glasses are ubiquitous and the latest explanation cites a lack of sunlight – or rather too many hours spent in front of a computer at school and at home when young eyes are still developing. Whatever the cause there is now at least one reason to celebrate myopia, in the form of the must beautifully eyewear ever made.

These glasses, made by Smith & Norbu are the ocular equivalent of haute couture – hand made and tailored individually for each client they look and feel like a million dollars – although they cost slightly less. Adding to their appeal is the impressive range of steps required to produce a pair of Smith &Norbu glasses. Each one is made from Yak horn harvested from animals in Tibet, the most exclusive material available for eyeglasses. Manufacturing a single frame requires as many as thirty operations and among a multitude of highly precise individual steps, the horn has to be cut open, pressed, sawed and thoroughly polished. The result is that each pair is unique.

Horn is not only a highly resistant material. It is also a beautiful and vibrant natural product with characteristic colour nuances that differentiate genuine horn from other man made materials. “My love of travel has always involved looking for something different, for something unique,” says Benoit Ams, the founder and designer of the brand.

“For me these unique influences, these colours, have had an enormous impact on the products I create. I travel the world to track down the most beautiful and high quality raw materials imaginable and these voyages led me to Yak horn as the most pleasing material for eye wear.”

Smith & Norbu glasses are truly bespoke. Each pair is hand crafted after consultations with the customer.

“Our clients want an expert to help them look their best,” says Ams. “They want eyeglasses that will fit, function, and flatter their look, and experience the satisfaction that their eyewear is tailor-made specifically for them to enjoy wearing for many years to come.”

I had a fitting for my pair at The Fashionable Truth’s chic headquarters in Central, where Ams came to measure my face and size up my “look” with the precision of a Leonardo Da Vinci preparing to start a new portrait. Although I tried to flash a suitably inscrutable smile to make Ams’ job more difficult he had a superb design in mind within a few minutes. The result, which arrived a few weeks later, was more pleasing than a sweet morning breeze. The fresh approach of Smith & Norbu’s craftsmen had created a pair of glasses that were a harmonious compliment to the shape of my face and were as comfortable as a pair of snug fitting gloves.

I especially liked the frame, which had “Specially made for Daniel Jeffreys” in elegant cursive script on one arm. The glasses came in a soft leather pouch inside a trademark Smith & Norbu box that has the making of becoming a classic of subtle and understated design. 

The Smith & Norbu philosophy was designed by Ams to appeal to people who are “hedonists and elegant”, who “rely on their own taste and creativity” and who chose noble materials seeking “beauty over the ostentation of designer names.” The glasses do all this and more. Holding a pair is to feel like the world might actually look more elegant once you put them on.