If you have oddly specific tastes in frames and styles, chances are you’ll find a match at New China Opticians. He has served three past presidents, as well as some cabinet ministers and media personalities. The store excels in its collection of vintage glasses and also more unusual frames designed by Tony himself.
The shop was formerly known for its stock of vintage eyewear from brands like Ferragamo, Versace and Coach glasses, as well as older brands like Maczler and Rodenstock. But since taking over, Lim has also been selling his own design under the Tony Hardy brand, which features a number of vintage styles such as the tortoiseshell frames and the Wayfarer-styled glasses, available for prescription lenses or as sunglasses. The frames are specifically designed for Asian wearers as well.
"You hardly find foreign brands making sunglasses for the local face, so I thought, why not just make my own brand?" says Lim. Each piece is handmade in Taiwan, Korea or China, and sports an adjustable nose bridge and a more angled lens rim that doesn’t end up sitting on one’s cheeks. We also love the case and cleaning cloth that comes with every purchase; it sports a colourful cartoon scene of a bustling modern Singapore street (the original mural is still featured on Lim’s shop wall). Look out for future styles in their recently launched website – like bamboo-hewn spectacles, and maybe even a ‘Bobby’ style, named after local actor Bobby Tonelli, who’s said to be a massive fan.