Akoni Eyewear: the Models, the Codes and How to Choose

Designed in Lugano, handmade in Japan. How to read the AKS and AKX codes, the five Akoni model families and how to choose yours.

Akoni Eyewear: the Models, the Codes and How to Choose

You can spot an Akoni from a metre away. From ten centimetres, you understand it.

Akoni was founded in Lugano in 2019. It designs in Switzerland, builds by hand in Japan and takes its references from watchmaking: exposed hinges, engraved temples, ceramic nose pads, finishes that change in the light. This guide puts the collection in order: how to read the code on the temple, the five model families, where the shapes come from and how to choose yours.

Who is behind it

Akoni was founded in 2019 in Lugano by Rosario Toscano, an optician by training who spent years leading Dita, and Salma Rashid. The collections are designed by Jeff Solorio and John Juniper, the founders and former designers of DITA: two names that, for anyone who knows luxury eyewear, explain the level of detail on their own.

The name, the brand explains, comes from Latin and means priceless, worthy of admiration. Production is Japanese and done by hand, in Japanese titanium and cotton-based Japanese acetate.

2019Founded, in Lugano
SwitzerlandWhere the design starts
JapanWhere it is made, by hand
Titanium · acetateJapanese materials

How to read the code on the temple

Every Akoni has a code engraved inside the temple. It is worth learning: it is the fastest way to identify a model, compare it and find it again.

AKSSunglasses. AKX marks optical frames.
511The model. 511 is Skyracer.
BThe colour. B is Antiqued White Gold.
54The lens width, in millimetres.

The same model can exist in both versions: Cosmo is AKS-114 with sun lenses and AKX-114 with clear lenses, ready for prescription.

The five families

The collection reads as five families. Every model below is in stock now and ships worldwide from our boutique in Crema, Italy.

Family I

The aviator, in titanium

Akoni starts from the most imitated shape in eyewear. The difference is in what you notice up close: double rims, bolted brow bars, perforated side shields, ceramic nose pads.

Skyracer worn, official AKONI campaign
AKONI Skyracer AKS-511B-54, sunglasses

Skyracer

AKS-511B-54

Double rims, perforated side shields and mustard lenses. Among Akoni models it is one of the most searched online, by name and by code.

View the model ↗
AKONI Tiros AKS-510C-58, sunglasses

Tiros

AKS-510C-58

The aviator at its largest, with a bolted brow bar and adjustable temples. The reference is openly aeronautical.

View the model ↗
AKONI EOS Polarized AKS-201C-57, sunglasses

EOS Polarized

AKS-201C-57

A navigator with polarized G-15 lenses and grooved cylindrical temple details. The quietest of the family.

View the model ↗
AKONI Echo AKS-204D-59, sunglasses

Echo

AKS-204D-59

A visor above the lenses, taken from architect Jean Prouvé's brise-soleil. Enamelled outlines and side shields.

View the model ↗
AKONI Icarus AKS-206A-58, sunglasses

Icarus

AKS-206A-58

Components on display, like the exposed structure of the Centre Pompidou. Acetate and titanium, matte black.

View the model ↗

Family II

Rims, shields, interlocks

Here titanium becomes construction. Concentric rims, side shields that continue the front, materials that lock together like the parts of a watch case.

Sprint-A worn, official AKONI campaign
AKONI Sprint-A AKS-504D-55, sunglasses

Sprint-A

AKS-504D-55

The perforated side shields recall the interiors of vintage sports cars. Black titanium, matte or brushed.

View the model ↗
AKONI Eris AKS-505C-46, sunglasses

Eris

AKS-505C-46

Two concentric rims on the front, repeated in the side shields. Also in the Mykonos Limited Edition, with blue lenses.

View the model ↗
AKONI Eclipse AKS-513C-49, sunglasses

Eclipse

AKS-513C-49

Titanium and acetate overlap like an eclipse: that interlock is what gives the front its depth.

View the model ↗
AKONI Atlantis AKS-534A-55, sunglasses

Atlantis

AKS-534A-55

Layered volumes, solids and openings that echo the geometry of the sea. Titanium in Brushed 12k Gold.

View the model ↗

Family III

Sculpted acetate, for the sun

When Akoni moves to Japanese acetate, it treats it as a volume to carve. Thick fronts, exposed rivets, side shields cut into the material itself.

Hercules worn, official AKONI campaign
AKONI Hercules AKS-105B-54, sunglasses

Hercules

AKS-105B-54

A wide front and side shields set into the acetate. The reference is Italian cinema.

View the model ↗
AKONI Phoenix AKS-517B-55, sunglasses

Phoenix

AKS-517B-55

The aviator remade entirely in acetate, with Akoni rivets and side shields that link it to Hercules.

View the model ↗
AKONI Cosmo AKS-114C, sunglasses

Cosmo

AKS-114C

Akoni's Wellington: sculpted acetate and faceted temples that reveal the internal structure.

View the model ↗
AKONI Juno Two, sunglasses

Juno Two

Slim acetate rims, a titanium bridge and temples, a lens halfway between round and square. Room for colour, without weight on the profile.

View the model ↗

Family IV

Titanium, for prescription

The same craftsmanship as the sunglasses, in frames made for every day. They come with clear demo lenses, ready for prescription lenses.

Calisto worn, official AKONI campaign
AKONI Calisto AKX-303A-51, optical frame

Calisto

AKX-303A-51

The aviator, for prescription: double rims in brushed titanium and enamel inlays on the brow bar.

View the model ↗
AKONI Telesto AKX-523C-53, optical frame

Telesto

AKX-523C-53

All its character is in the worked temples and the contrasting finishes on hinges and tips.

View the model ↗
AKONI Mercury AKX-301A-49, optical frame

Mercury

AKX-301A-49

Round lenses and an aviator double bridge. Ceramic nose pads, temples with a worked cylindrical element.

View the model ↗
AKONI Europa AKX-200F-50, optical frame

Europa

AKX-200F-50

The navigator in compact proportions, square. The aviation reference is still there, in a lower voice.

View the model ↗
AKONI Juno One AKX-308D-47, optical frame

Juno One

AKX-308D-47

Rimless: a Japanese titanium bridge and temples, and the lens left free.

View the model ↗
AKONI Proteus AKX-539B-52, optical frame

Proteus

AKX-539B-52

Soft curves and sharp lines in one frame, with enamel details where the parts meet.

View the model ↗

Family V

Acetate and titanium, for prescription

The largest family: Japanese acetate fronts with the metal parts left visible. The panto, the round, the browline and the Wellington, each with its own construction.

Cosmo optical worn, official AKONI campaign
AKONI Infinity AKX-512A-46, optical frame

Infinity

AKX-512A-46

An acetate front with titanium rims and side shields: three layers that give the profile depth.

View the model ↗
AKONI Copernico AKX-415A-45, optical frame

Copernico

AKX-415A-45

The round frame, with a sculpted front and an inner double rim in titanium.

View the model ↗
AKONI Wise AKX-418E-45, optical frame

Wise

AKX-418E-45

The panto with a keyhole bridge and high-set temples. In Deep Emerald Green and Crystal Blue.

View the model ↗
AKONI Hubble AKX-412C-52, optical frame

Hubble

AKX-412C-52

The mid-century browline, with the upper profile carved into the acetate.

View the model ↗
AKONI Argo AKX-538B-55, optical frame

Argo

AKX-538B-55

Generous proportions and a sculpted metal bridge. For anyone who wants a prescription frame with presence.

View the model ↗
AKONI Cosmo AKX-114F-52, optical frame

Cosmo

AKX-114F-52

The Wellington for prescription, in Green Swirl acetate. In the Horn Series it becomes Crafted Cosmo, in buffalo horn.

View the model ↗

Akoni

Where the shapes come from

Akoni does not quote other glasses. It quotes watches, buildings, cars and films.

Watchmaking

The texture on Orion's temples is taken from watch crowns: the reference the whole brand starts from.

Orion ↗

Centre Pompidou

Icarus shows its components the way Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers's building shows its pipes and structure.

Icarus ↗

Jean Prouvé

Echo's visor comes from the brise-soleil, the sun screens of the French architect and designer.

Echo ↗

Vintage sports cars

The perforated side shields of Sprint-A recall the interiors of classic sports cars.

Sprint-A ↗

Italian cinema

Bold volumes, contrasting surfaces: Hercules looks to the glasses of Italian film.

Hercules ↗

Mid-century

Hubble takes up the browline, the strong upper profile of the glasses of those years.

Hubble ↗

Which Akoni for you

An aviator you can recognise from afar
SkyracerTiros
Understated sunglasses for every day
EOS PolarizedEcho
More volume, more presence
HerculesPhoenix
A slim titanium optical frame
CalistoTelestoJuno One
An optical frame with character
InfinityCopernicoArgo
A material that changes from one frame to the next
Crafted Cosmo, in horn

Lenses, sizes, shipping

Optical frames come with clear demo lenses and are ready for prescription lenses, which we fit in our own lab with SEIKO lenses. Many sunglasses can take prescription lenses too: it depends on the prescription and the curve of the front. Progressive lenses need measurements taken with the frame on, so they are made in the boutique.

For sizing, compare the lens width in the code with a pair you wear comfortably: our frame size guide also explains bridge and temple length. We ship from Italy worldwide, including the United States and the United Kingdom; orders are dispatched within 3-5 working days. For US orders, import duties are charged on delivery.

Where to try them

The OCCHIO! Akoni selection is in our boutique at Via XX Settembre 15 in Crema, Italy, 40 minutes from Milan. The Horn Series has its own story: Crafted Cosmo, thirty hours to shape the horn. And if you are choosing between metal and acetate: titanium or acetate.

Frequently asked questions

Where are Akoni glasses made?

Akoni is a Swiss brand based in Lugano: the design starts in Switzerland, and the frames are made by hand in Japan, in Japanese titanium and acetate.

What do AKS and AKX mean in the code?

AKS marks sunglasses, AKX optical frames. Then come the model number, the colour letter and the lens width in millimetres: AKS-511B-54 is Skyracer, colour B, lens width 54.

Who designs Akoni eyewear?

The brand was founded in 2019 by Rosario Toscano and Salma Rashid. The collections are designed by Jeff Solorio and John Juniper, the founders and former designers of DITA.

Can Akoni frames take prescription lenses?

Yes. Optical frames are ready for prescription lenses; for sunglasses it depends on the prescription and the frame. Progressive lenses need measurements taken in person, in our boutique in Crema.

Do you ship Akoni to the US and the UK?

Yes, we ship from Italy worldwide, including the United States and the United Kingdom. Orders are dispatched within 3-5 working days; for US orders, import duties are charged on delivery.

Where can I try Akoni in Italy?

At OCCHIO!, Via XX Settembre 15, Crema, 40 minutes from Milan. The same selection is available online.

Choose your Akoni

Five families, one code for every model. See what is in stock now, then choose the one you want to wear every day.

Sources and images

Sources: Optometry Today, 2021 (founders and designers) · nss magazine (Rosario Toscano, materials) · akoni.com. Official AKONI photography. Models and codes from the OCCHIO! selection, October 2026.