Technology · NEWS EXPLAINER
EssilorLuxottica discloses €486 million in wearables revenue as smart-glasses growth slows
Third-quarter sales beat expectations, but smart-glasses growth cooled to 20% from nearly 100% in the prior quarter. The new wearables figure includes AI glasses and Nuance Audio.
EssilorLuxottica reported €7.486 billion of third-quarter revenue, up 7.2% at constant exchange rates and above the analyst consensus cited by Reuters. For the first time, the group disclosed that wearables generated €486 million, about 6.5% of total revenue.
Smart-glasses revenue still increased 20% year over year, but that was a sharp slowdown from nearly 100% growth in the April–June quarter. The comparison is not a product-level profit disclosure: wearables also include Nuance Audio, and the company did not publish a standalone margin for the category.
Wearables generated €486 million in the quarter
EssilorLuxottica disclosed a precise quarterly revenue figure for wearables for the first time: €486 million. The category includes AI glasses and Nuance Audio, so the number should not be read as smart-glasses revenue alone. Reuters calculated that wearables represented about 6.5% of the group’s €7.486 billion third-quarter revenue.
Smart-glasses growth slowed sharply, but remained positive
Smart-glasses revenue rose 20% from a year earlier. That was far below the nearly 100% growth rate reported for the April–June quarter. The company and Reuters pointed to a tougher comparison with the year-earlier period, when the category was still building rapidly, rather than reporting an outright decline in smart-glasses sales.
The whole group still beat the consensus estimate
Third-quarter revenue reached €7.486 billion, up 7.2% at constant exchange rates and 9.0% at current exchange rates. Reuters said the result exceeded the €7.36 billion Visible Alpha consensus. Direct-to-consumer revenue grew 10.6% at constant currency, while professional solutions grew 3.4%.
Traditional eyecare and myopia products also mattered
The traditional eyecare, eyewear and medtech business grew by more than 6% in both the quarter and the first nine months. The myopia-management portfolio rose 24% over both periods. Asia-Pacific delivered double-digit growth, while North America rose 4.7% in the quarter.
What this release does not establish
The update reports revenue, not a standalone profit margin for wearables, and it does not separate AI-glasses revenue from Nuance Audio within the €486 million total. A slower percentage growth rate also does not mean sales fell: reported smart-glasses revenue was still 20% higher than a year earlier. Those distinctions are essential when judging how much the new category contributes to the wider group.
