During his address to the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 20th, the French president Emmanuel Macron He attracted attention because of the sunglasses he was wearing. This appearance, which sparked an intense reaction on social media and an avalanche of memes referencing the film Top Gun, had unexpected consequences on the financial markets, particularly for the stock of the manufacturer of the sunglasses in question.
A buzz that triggers a stock market surge
Shares in iVision Tech, the Italian group that owns the high-end eyewear brand Henry Jullien, saw a spectacular rise of nearly 28% during a trading session in Milan.This jump added approximately €3,5 million (around $4 million) to the company's market capitalization. The stock's upward trend had already begun the previous day with a gain of about 6%, indicating that speculative activity had started before Thursday's explosive trading session. Due to the volatility, trading was halted several times throughout the day.
The share price peaked at a gain of around 31,7% at the close of the session, marking one of the strongest daily increases in the recent history of the company listed on Euronext Growth Milan.
The model worn by the president costs 659 euros
iVision Tech confirmed that the watch seen on the President's face was the Pacific S 01 from the Gold-Laminated Collection, a model priced at €659 on the Henry Jullien website. According to iVision Tech CEO Stefano Fulchir, the international exposure afforded by the appearance of this model has "Certainly created a 'wow' effect on the stock."
These glasses, although produced in Lons-le-Saunier in the Jura region using elements of French expertise, are marketed by a brand now under Italian control. Since the phenomenon began, consumer interest in this model has intensified to the point that the factory's website was temporarily overwhelmed with visitors.
An eye injury
As a reminder, the Élysée Palace indicated that Macron's wearing of glasses was due to a minor eye problem, related to a burst blood vessel. While the presidency has not officially commented on the brand of the glasses, Stefano Fulchir claims to formally recognize them as Henry Jullien glasses, which he says he sent to Emmanuel Macron in 2024.
