Over 55 years in business

Our History

1964 : Montreal, Quebec

Perfect Optical opens its doors on Parc avenue and begins its long service to the Canadian optical industry. As is often the case with startups, these early days saw founder and president Jacques Benguigui visiting clients, preparing orders for shipment, and taking care of the accounting too. Jacques' eye for quality immediately struck a chord with the underserved world of 1960's optometry and his introduction of finely made products from France and Germany literally opened the industry's eyes to what a quality frame could bring to the patient's overall Eyecare experience.

As word got out, the volumes at Perfect Optical began to increase dramatically and the staff grew. Reps were added nationally and Jacques' brother Elias joined in to help. As the business prospered, branch offices in Toronto and Calgary were opened to better serve Ontario and the West. In the days before overnight couriers existed, it was crucial for Perfect to be able to service its burgeoning clientele. During this period Perfect grew to be the world's largest distributor of Metzler frames - then a benchmark of German manufacturing quality.

1970s

The 1970's saw Perfect move to our present locale in Outremont, Quebec. In keeping with industry trends, fashionable products from Italy lined our shelves - most notably from a small Italian manufacturer we introduced to the Canadian market: Luxottica SpA. Our partnership with Luxottica lasted several years and featured phenomenal growth. Ultimately, we parted ways amicably in the late 1980's and turned to new challenges.

1980s

It was during the early 1980's that we formed a partnership with a renowned Japanese manufacturer Charmant Inc. Charmant's technicians had developed an innovative use of a new material for optical frames that knows no equal: Pure Titanium. Our tight relations with Charmant continue to this day and we are thrilled to have one of the few technological innovators in the industry as our prime supplier. Their expertise in titanium manufacturing, along with a strong stable of brand names, has assured us a prime place in the market.

1990s

The excellent quality found in Charmant products continue to contribute greatly to our success. In the early 1990's, Mr Adrian Maas, Jacques' son-in-law, began his long apprenticeship. First as a rep servicing the Montreal area, then working closely with Charmant on the technical side of manufacturing and licensing, Perfect's future is secure.

2000s

Recently, we have seen a return to Italy with the introduction of CARISMA and BLAKE. These two collections speak to our long-standing admiration of Italian expertise in manufacturing and design. Of course, our house brands, Cube and Pascale, continue to hold their own as well. Elle, Esprit, Aristar, Valmax, Charmant Titanium, Trussardi and - PUMA - provide for a compelling assortment always focused on providing the Canadian optical industry with quality frames at reasonable prices. This reputation has taken 45 years of careful attention to build and from our telephone operators to our sales force, we strive to maintain focus on this ideal.

2010s

The young and trendy collections Ad Lib and Esprit are welcome additions. We were also pleased to launch the Isaac Mizrahi collection, offering great style and flair. The principal concern for us at Perfect has always been to offer the best quality for the best price. This is what our reputation has been built upon: quality and service offered by each member of our team from our sales reps to our customer service.

2020s

The world has changed rapidly since the beginning of the millennium and Perfect Optical continues to keep up the pace. The introduction of our website has streamlined the way we do business and our clients approve! Along with our national sales team and our customer service team at head office, clients can be served at all times. The ease of online ordering and same day shipping inspired us to centralize our national offices to our head office in Montreal. We take pride in continuing to offer the best products at the best price, including Charmant, Elle, Esprit, Line Art, Isaac Mizrahi, Eddie Bauer, Strellson, John Lennon and Carisma. We are excited to introduce Rip Curl as a young and vibrant collection, completing our roster for the diverse needs of our clientele. 
We are also happy to offer ultra comfortable shields to keep our community safe during the current pandemic. 2020 has been a strange year globally, with its inevitable ups and downs. We sadly lost our beloved founder and President, Jacques Benguigui, at the age of 92. Mr. Benguigui’s wife Lucy continues her involvement in the family business, as do his daughters Yaël and Corinne. After decades of tutelage under Mr. Benguigui’s keen eye, son-in-law Adrian Maas is proud to continue his excellent work with the same determination and drive to continue our 56 year family tradition.