While the company's roots go back well into the last century, Essilor International was formed in 1972 with the amalgamation of two French companies Essel and Silor.

Essilor has had a presence in Britain since 1881 when Société des Lunetiers opened it's British operation in Hatton Garden, London. It maintained a presence in the city until 1975 when the company moved its offices and production facilities to Thornbury, near Bristol. 

Essilor employs around 400 people in the UK and has some of the world's most up-to-date lens surfacing and coating equipment.

Globally, Essilor operates in around 54 countries in the world across 5 continents.

World leaders
Essilor is world famous for the Varilux lens, the world's first varifocal, which was invented in 1959. Since then over 200 million Varilux lenses have been manufactured world wide. With a 25% market share, Essilor is the world leader in ophthalmic products with operations in Europe, Asia and North & South America. One in every two varifocal lenses sold worldwide is an Essilor lens. For plastic lenses, the proportion is one in three.
Essilor has four major brands that embody cutting edge technology. Varilux (varifocal lenses), Airwear (polycarbonate lenses), Crizal (lenses with multiple coatings) and Transitions (photochromic lenses).
The Varilux brand often features in the national press and on radio and linked merchandising for Varilux Specialist Opticians means its campaign is a familiar sight in almost every High Street.