In a few days, Warner Brothers will release "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" in theaters everywhere. Whenever a new Hayy Potter film hits the screen, we get lots of questions about the glasses he wears.

The round, classic spectacles that Harry Potter wears are Windsor style glasses - completely round and lacking nose pads. The glasses sit right on your nose. This was one of, if not the most popular eyeglass style for both men and women for about twenty years either side of 1900.

Windsors come in all kinds of different dress, colors, materials and sizes.

SIZE
Normal adult Windsors ranged from 36mm-44mm in lens diameter, with 40mm being by far the most common. The wrap-around, or "cable" temples Windsor frames were usually fitted with ranged (usually) from 6" to 6 1/2" in 1/4" steps.
TIP: LONGER IS BETTER.

MATERIALS
These eyeglasses were made in all kinds of materials, including steel, aluminum, brass, nickel-plated copper, 1/10 12K gold, and solid 10k or 12k gold.
TIP: Frames without gold content can react with skin acids, turning the frame green and deteriorate - it depends on your Ph though. Many people are OK with steel, etc..

Colors
The metal of these Harry Potter type frames appeared either silver or gold. Many of the silver frames are actually white gold. Many pieces came with plastic (zyl) trim. The trim could be on any combination of temple, lens eye wire, and bridge. All kinds of colors were made, although tortoise shell, black, and cordovan were by far the most popular.
TIP: The trim on some Windsors is removcable around the lens. With care, you can wear them with or without trim.

How to Buy Windsors
Authentic vintage Windsors can be found at garage and estate sales, online auction sites, and vintage eyewear sellers with physical retail store fronts. There is a huge variance in the quality and price of product. At vintage retailers, these spectacles can get quite spendy, sometimes costing thousands of dollars. At other sources, quality is a very unpredictable thing. Even a frame that looks good can have hidden damage from a century of facial oils slowly eating away the frame in the "nooks and crannies".
We strike a balance, selling quality Windsor eyeglasses of the type and style worn by Harry Potter, John Lennon, and others at reasonable prices. Thanks for looking! If we can help you find that special Windsor, please give us a call at 415-251-2851.

Round Tortoise & Gold Spectacles