Caliber Optics — balanced titanium eyewear

Caliber Optics

Titanium frames made to reinforce a point: the brass head of a spent .357 case in each temple keeps them balanced on your head.

A' Design Award winner

Beta titanium spring temples

Prescription-ready, optical or sun

From the showroom wall

Caliber Optics frames

Come in and try any of them on — no appointment needed.

  • Caliber Optics Aviator · SA58

    Aviator · SA58

    Our largest shape, wide and geometric.

  • Caliber Optics Hexagon · SB53

    Hexagon · SB53

    A soft hexagonal aviator.

  • Caliber Optics Twin bar · DB52

    Twin bar · DB52

    A round frame with a double bridge.

  • Caliber Optics Flat top · FT52

    Flat top · FT52

    A geometric shape with a flat brow.

  • Caliber Optics Round · RB52

    Round · RB52

    A round panto with a straight top bar.

  • Caliber Optics Rectangle · SQ55

    Rectangle · SQ55

    A clean rectangle with a top bar.

The whole collection is on the wall in our Budapest showroom.How to find us

How it is made

Caliber Optics, one frame at a time

  1. The problem

    The problem

    Most glasses carry their weight at the front, so they slip down your nose and you keep pushing them back. It isn't the extra grams that matter — it's where you put them.

  2. The counterweight

    The counterweight

    The brass head of a spent .357 cartridge case is machined and washed, then swaged into the end of the temple. About 6 grams of brass per pair sits behind your ears and balances the lenses.

  3. The spring temples

    The spring temples

    The temples are flexible beta titanium, with a spring cut into the titanium itself by electrical discharge machining, so the frame gives a little and holds its fit.

  4. In balance

    In balance

    A light stainless steel front, the lenses held by a fine nylon line, and the weight shifted back: the frame stays where you put it.

How to get yours

From frame to finished glasses

Find your frame

Try the collection on in our Budapest showroom. No appointment needed to browse, compare shapes and find your fit.

Book an eye exam

Our optometrist measures your eyes on Zeiss equipment, and we make ZEISS lenses to the results. Bringing a recent prescription? We can work from that too.

We make your glasses

We fit the lenses to your frame and your measurements. Most glasses are ready in one to two weeks.

Visit us

Try Caliber Optics in our Budapest showroom

The best way to choose a frame is to wear it. Try on as many as you like — no appointment needed. Book ahead only for an eye exam.

Address
Tipton Eyeworks · Erkel utca 6, 1092 Budapest (District IX)
Parking
Csarnok tér 2 (3 min walk)
Phone
+36 1 786 1080
Email
showroom@tipton.hu
Hours
Tue & Wed8:00–16:00 Thu10:00–19:00 Fri10:00–18:00 Sat10:00–15:00 Mon & Sunclosed
Languages
English & Hungarian
Good to know

Questions we get in the showroom

What is Caliber Optics?

Caliber Optics is Tipton Eyeworks' own line of titanium eyewear, designed by Zack Tipton in Budapest. The idea came on a trip to the United States, when Zack picked up a few spent cartridge cases from the street. The .357 collection turns that brass into counterweights that keep the frame balanced on your face.

Why does a frame need a counterweight?

Lenses make glasses front-heavy, so they slide down and need constant adjusting. The brass in the temple tips moves the balance back behind your ears, and the frame stays put.

Are the counterweights really made from cartridge cases?

Yes. Each tip is a spent .357 brass case, machined and washed before it is swaged into the end of the temple. It is just the empty brass case.

How heavy are they?

Our award entry frame weighs 17 grams in total: 6 g for the front, 5 g for the temples and 6 g for the pair of counterweights. We don't try to build the lightest frame — we put the grams where they help.

Has the design won anything?

Yes. Caliber Optics won an A' Design Award in the Jewelry Design category (2020–2021).

How much does a Caliber Optics frame cost?

Prices vary by model, and we don't list them online. Write to showroom@tipton.hu or call +36 1 786 1080 and we'll tell you the price of any frame — or come in and see them in person.

Do I need an appointment to try frames on?

No. Come in during opening hours and try on anything. You only need to book for an eye exam.

Can I get them with prescription lenses?

Yes. We make ZEISS lenses, single vision or progressive, to the results of your eye exam.

How much is an eye exam, and how long does it take?

There are three levels, all on our own Zeiss equipment with our own optometrist: Basic 20,000 Ft (30 min), Deluxe 30,000 Ft (45 min) and Premium 45,000 Ft (60 min). Book a slot online.

Can I have the exam in English?

Yes. Our optometrists run the whole exam in English or Hungarian, at the same price. Your confirmation and your written prescription come in the language you choose.

How long until my glasses are ready?

Most glasses are ready one to two weeks after you choose your frame and lenses. Some lenses take a little longer.

More from Tipton

Other collections in the showroom

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