If you want serious performance with a look you won’t find anywhere else on the road, turn your attention to a company nestled in the Alps, Assos and their new entry into the sunglass market, the Zegho. You are in for a unique treat from the very moment you grab the box.
As you open the Zegho box you will get your own factory tour, from raw materials to the finished glasses, with the end result a blooming collection of beautiful images with your glasses nestled within. Drama. Nice.
Remove the white clamshell case, open it, and the new Assos Zegho glasses are revealed. The Zeghos are wrap around, frameless and very large. They feel more high fashion than high speed, but we would expect nothing less from the Swiss in Lugano. Many know Assos clothing has always stood alone for its quality and its styling. If they produced a generic wrap around set of glasses we would have been very disappointed.
The three models of the Zegho are the Noire, black frame and black lens, the Werksmannschaft, white frame with black lens and the Amplify with black frame and yellow lens. While Assos style and quality stand alone, you’ll pay for it. The model we tested, the Noire retails for $469, the most expensive in the line. At 27.5 grams that’s $17 per gram. That is a price approaching the street value of cocaine, according to Wikipedia, of course.
The lightweight is complimented by the incredibly light touch of the frames. On the face it feels as if they may not stay put, but thanks to a material called skinTouch, the glasses won’t budge even under the sweatiest conditions. The next thing you’ll notice is the lens itself. An unobstructed 180º field of view with just enough tint to manage full on afternoon sun, but light enough to ensure you never miss an obstacle or crack in the pavement. The large lenses also keep you protected even with your head buried, while never encroaching on helmet fit.
Optically the lenses are crystalline, from edge to edge. Their partner in this endeavor, Carl Zeiss, is the reason for this. The German company is a world leader in optics. Zeiss makes lenses for motion picture cameras costing as much as a new Mercedes, an S class Mercedes. Zeiss knows lenses and the Zegho are a great example of this expertise. A hydrophobic coating means you get the most out of the optics even on misty mornings.
Assos produces high performance and high cost products. The Zegho adds to this a truly unique look. You can be sure you won’t see them on the road very often and with the sad state of generic sunglasses on the market today, that’s too bad.
Assos Zegho
Weight 27.5grams
Price: Noire-$469 Werksmannschaft-$429 Amplify-$399
More: zegho.assos.com