Swarovski
The exterior of a binocular reveals precious little about the degree of technical innovation inside. Then again, the singular goal of all improvements is to make the complex lens and prism systems on the interior as "invisible" as possible, as a means of ensuring the clearest, most pristine view of nature imaginable. Toward this end, Swarovski Optik employs 38 people in research and development alone. But how does one go about improving an already formidable device? The best answer is to consider the complexity that goes into creating the high-precision optics, and here the production environment speaks volumes: hermetically sealed clean rooms protected by airlocks, where master technicians must combine over 70 different types of glass by hand in order to overcome the undesirable effects of dispersion, refraction, reflection, deflection and edge distortion. Ultimately, the very best optics will always remain out of sight and mind when they deliver a viewing image so vivid that the object appears close enough to touch.