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, understated 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 foregoes big designer names and instead relies entirely on its in-house creative team, which designs all collections with expertise and meticulousness. a.b.art is authentic and basic art.
Design
True to a.b.art's brand philosophy, which considers restraint, authenticity, and modesty as important factors in the creation process of their watches, Francois Zahnd is responsible as the designer. Under his leadership and with the involvement of graphic designers and artists, all inputs are discussed together in periodic creative workshops, thus ensuring that each design is developed step by step with meticulousness and great care.
History
The watch brand a.b.art 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 acquisition 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 sales are also managed from the headquarters in the watchmaking city of Biel.
Awards
The high design standard of the a.b.art collection becomes clear when one learns that three models of this watch brand received the FORM 99 award from the German National Association for Crafts, Art and Design as early as 1999. Even then, one of the awarded models was the Series A with its 31-hole date display, which, although no longer in production, is still exhibited and sold in many museum shops, particularly at MOMA in New York. In 2008, two a.b.art series were again selected by the German National Association for Crafts and awarded the FORM 2008 certificate. These were the models EL 106 and I 101. In 2009, the Series O 101 with its 31-hole date display received the coveted reddot design award 2009, and the same model was nominated for the Designpreis Deutschland in 2010. The graceful ZS 101 with the pull-through strap was also awarded the Good Design Award 2010 by the jury of "The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design" in 2010.
