a.b.art
The a.b.art Swiss Made brand stands for a simple and fundamental design – for watches that are different and aim to impress with authenticity. This results in top-class modern watch design that finds admirers worldwide – because you too deserve the best quality "Made in Switzerland"! Francois Zahnd is the designer of a.b.art and ensures that the brand philosophy of restraint, authenticity, and modesty is found in every design.
a.b.art Watches: Quality Meets Design
True to a.b.art's brand philosophy, which considers restraint, authenticity, and modesty as important factors in the creation process of its watches, Francois Zahnd is responsible for the design. Under his leadership and with the involvement of graphic designers and artists, all input is discussed together in periodic creative workshops, ensuring that each design is meticulously developed step by step with great care.
Brand Philosophy
a.b.art Swiss Made is a watch brand for women and men who prefer a simple, fundamental design. a.b.art is different. a.b.art is authentic. a.b.art does not seek glitter and glamour, but aims to impress with simple beauty, restrained forms and materials, and high Swiss quality. a.b.art is an expression of true passion and care with which watches are crafted daily in the Swiss company. a.b.art deliberately refrains from using big designer names and instead fully relies on its in-house creative team, which designs all collections itself with know-how and meticulousness. a.b.art is authentic and basic art.
History
The a.b.art watch brand was founded in Germany in 1991 and quickly expanded beyond its borders. By the end of the 1990s, over 10,000 watches were already being sold annually in the two main markets of Germany and Switzerland, as well as in Belgium, Norway, and the USA. Due to this rapid development, a.b.art was integrated into the Swiss watch company Fashiontime AG in 2003, setting the course for further international growth. With the takeover by the Swiss manufacturer, the originally German watch brand a.b.art was immediately developed into a Swiss-Made label, further strengthening its position in the design watch market. In addition to the production of a.b.art watches, marketing, communication, and distribution are also handled from the headquarters in the watchmaking city of Biel.
Awards
The high design standards of the a.b.art collection become clear when one learns that three models from this watch brand already received the FORM 99 award from the German Federal Association for Crafts, Art and Design in 1999. Even then, one of the award-winning models was the A series with the 31-hole date display, which today, although no longer in production, is still exhibited and sold in many museum shops, especially at MOMA in New York. Also in 2008, two a.b.art series were selected by the German Federal Association for Crafts and awarded with the FORM 2008 certificate. These were the models EL 106 and I 101. In 2009, the O 101 series with the 31-hole date display was honored with the coveted reddot design award 2009, and the same model was nominated for the German Design Award in 2010. The elegant ZS 101 with the pull-through strap was also presented with the Good Design Award 2010 by the jury of "The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design" in 2010.