overTime.
the alfex mag.
o
overTime.
the alfex mag.
monday
7:00 a.m. marcus weber ceo alfex
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8:00 a.m. alfex tells a story 9:00 a.m. a chat with pasquale feola
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12:00 a.m. baselworld 2013 an interview with hans althaus 1:00 p.m. alfex_collection 2013
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3:00 p.m. alfex_reference sheet
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4:00 p.m. art and design_kinetic and programmed art, from avant-garde to nowadays giovanni anceschi
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6:00 p.m. the new landscape of visual mapping fabio volpi
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7:00 p.m. alfex mag_characters four stories to represent our own universe
9:00 p.m. behind the scene alfex people
12.00 p.m. alfex in the world
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lake of lugano
photo alessandro biffi
7:00 a.m. marcus weber ceo alfex
it is a pleasure and an honour for me to address you all, our customers and friends. i am proud to be the ceo of a company such as alfex, founded in 1948 by a watch lover who believed that this object was not just a simple timepiece, but a true design accessory. with alfex, the watch is taken out of its original environment to become a unique, original and beautiful creation with a democratic price. this vision has not changed over the years, nor has the desire to offer our customers distinctive and unusual timepieces, designed and created by our teams of designers for demanding watch lovers. this magazine was created to best present to you our company and all those who make it possible to create alfex watches. the focus of this first issue is our head of product, who is responsible for development, acquisitions and production, and who infuses our product with his deep love for our brand. we also share some testimonials with you, collected through unique interviews with four special people, each with their own unique background and personality, so that we can put a face and a name to our reference customer.
in these pages, you will also discover all the new products that we will be presenting at baselworld 2013, which we consider as the starting point of a new adventure. today, alfex means amusement, love, fashion, excitement, extravaganza. we all need to dream. and the workmanship, passion and care that alfex transmits through its watches, feeds those dreams. whoever loves an alfex watch fully understands the hard work that went into its creation. marcus weber
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photo arjan richter
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8:00 a.m. alfex tells a story
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1, 2, 5, 6 production
3 model 5562.306
4 alfex street clock zwolle, netherlands
7 model 5542.021
8 model 5580.380
9 model 5583.380
10 model 5568.001 next page alfex work desk
it was in 1948 that ferdinand gindraux realized his childhood dream, founding the watch brand ferex sa in the city of lugano, in the canton of ticino. his wish, which was to be fulfilled through his work as a representative for a watchmaking house in the period between the two world wars, was to create a brand combining elegance, originality and innovation. his choice of the city of lugano as his company’s headquarters, instead of the canton of jura, the home of watchmaking par excellence, shows his desire to break with tradition. gindraux’s intuition was right on the mark, and ferex was a huge commercial success. it immediately took on an international slant, finding its key market in the united states, where it opened its first subsidiary. in the 1960s, ferex merged with the economic swiss time group of basel, which was then bought out by ssih, the owner of major names in swiss watchmaking like omega and tissot. yet, this collaboration did not provide the hopedfor support and gindraux decided to leave the group, founding a new independent company. thus, alfex sa was born in 1974, placed under the management of alfa grosa, gindraux’s long-time employee, and paul perlmutter, former representative in the usa. the name alfex comes from the fusion of the names alfa and ferex. the brand-new company was ready to reintroduce itself. in the early 1980s, the roskopf manual movement, which had been used in its watches, was replaced with a quartz movement. and in 1981 hans saurer took the reins of the company, shifting its focus entirely to design, following its founder’s wishes. in the period between 1983 and 1987, the brand
produced and launched particularly important models, like the “royal air force watch”, created in collaboration with the british museum, a model with the lunar phases and one decorated with crystals. 1986 saw the beginning of a fruitful and prestigious collaboration with dior, as licensee. at the time, this represented an absolute first in the watchmaking sector. alfex created 30 models for the parisian fashion house, each available in editions of about 6 500. other similar collaborations would follow with borbonese and disney in the wake of this success. alfex began working with well-known designers in 1994. this choice led the company to win numerous international awards in the 1990s and 2000s, like the “red dot award”, by the design zentrum nordrhein-westfalen in hamburg and the “good design award”, the oldest and most prestigious design competition, presented by the chicago anthenaeum museum of architecture and design. in 2005, alfex re-joined the small circle of brands representing switzerland at the world fair in aichi, japan: based on the mountain theme chosen for the fair, the brand proposed a collection called “cervino” inspired by switzerland and the alps’ symbolic mountain peak: the matterhorn. this marriage between alfex and the mountains was also expressed in 2007 through cooperation with alpine ski champion bernhard russi who designed a “capsule collection” for alfex composed of two models inspired by the mountains of andermatt, his home region: badus and lucendo. russi is also spokesman for the brand.
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9:00 a.m. a chat with pasquale feola
pasquale feola, alfex’s current coo (chief operation officer), joined the ticinese company in august 2010, after ten years in the watchmaking sector. pasquale feola’s current role at alfex is to oversee the delicate and complex process starting with creative designs and leading to the creation of the collections. the entire product creation process is managed and coordinated by pasquale feola, from the supply chain to production to after-sales service. he is backed by an in-house team of trusted designers.
your philosophy is to use the past to look to the future. how do you explain this apparent contradiction? i believe that there isn’t much room today to create something totally new. so i think we absolutely need to learn from our own tradition; past values can become a source of inspiration and a starting point to innovate and continue our own contemporary way. one big help is the possibility of using avant-garde techniques and materials that, once skilfully combined, make a big difference. a concrete example is the translucent 8x watch, a recent creation that represents the quintessence of our being. it’s a design object, an accessory, a watch, but most of all a design that benefited from a variety of sectors, technologies and materials. in your opinion, what does an alfex watch need to express? first of all, an alfex watch needs to be designed and built to meet the demands of the person who will wear it. we want to offer watches that express strong emotions; alfex proposes a lifestyle that’s strongly directed to design. people who choose us don’t simply purchase a watch, they share our philosophy and our vision. we want to make our customers feel unique. how important is teamwork? i think that teamwork is everything. the recent re-launch of our company and our brand started with our people, with the alfex staff, a group of people who are passionate about the brand and who work daily in our international team. i feel like a link in a chain of specialists who help the company advance and grow through the iteration and exchange of ideas and know-how. i want to take this opportunity to express all my admiration for all those who believed in the project with me, making a substantial daily contribution.
you’re devising a new product strategy for alfex: what is it? this new strategy has two phases: a careful study of alfex’s archives and the contribution of new strong cues from contemporary design. in this way, we have come up with three product lines: modern classic, a combination of new techniques and more traditional watchmaking know-how; trend cycle, a line with an extreme design; and new structure, dedicated to women, to whom we want to show that a watch can also be a fashion accessory. what briefings do you provide your designers to create an alfex watch? we draw from many inspirations when preparing our briefings: architecture, automotive, interior design and industrial design, plus our alfex heritage. these inspirations combine to create clear and precise briefings that we then give to our teams of designers. recently, we’ve added designers from various sectors to our team in order to make best use of currently available technologies. how can you combine extreme design with the logic of the various markets? today, the world is getting smaller and smaller: in the past 25 years, different countries and cultures have moved closer together and almost all barriers have been broken down, although some substantial differences remain. alfex is present in 50 countries on every continent, and to satisfy the specific desires of some markets, we have created exclusive models, without losing sight of our parent culture. because we’re an independent and very flexible company, we apply the motto: “think global, act local”.
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aa akzidenz grotesk h. berthold ag berlin germany1896
helvetica haas typefoundry m端nchenstein switzerland, 1957
11:00 a.m. swiss made culture_helvetisms simone ciotola
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roots for an italian visual designer, it is an honour and a challenge to work for a swiss company, because every good designer knows that the roots of the best design culture are planted firmly in the land between the mountains and lakes of this great little country that lies in the heart of europe. the “100 jahre schweizer grafik” exhibit, held last year at the museum fuer gestaltung in zurich, clearly reaffirmed the wealth and profound influence the swiss school has had from the early 20th century to today. people such as josef mueller brockmann, richard p. lohse, max huber, carlo vivarelli, max bill, emil ruder and many others have not only enriched the global design landscape with unforgettable works, but have also contributed to establishing the foundations of a methodological form of thinking that has left its mark on all design disciplines. swiss culture not many people know that the ties between switzerland and the rest of the world were strengthened by the “diplomacy of the language of design”, perhaps even more deeply and incisively than many better known products of swiss culture. the culture of swiss design is
present in our streets, in our homes, in our computers, in our smartphones and in millions of other places we wouldn’t even imagine. i am not talking about watches, but about typography. yes, typography is the greatest ambassador of swiss culture around the world. in particular, i am referring to a typographic character that we all know and use on a daily basis as a typeface in our electronic devices, we read it in the signage of our subways and on the pages of our newspapers. i am referring to helvetica, the most beautiful typeface ever designed. swiss type helvetica has german origins; it is the heir of akzidenz grotesk, the first sans serif typeface, designed in germany in 1896. in 1957, the swiss typeface designer max miedinger redesigned it completely for the haas foundry in münchenstein. the purpose of redesigning akzidenz grotesk was to improve its aesthetic and functional qualities. miedinger did this by softening the curves, redesigning the links between the bars and the bowls, redesigning the terminal parts of some letters and introducing connecting elements that make reading text easier. he then improved the proportions between the shapes of the
josef müller brockmann poster for musica viva concerts zürich 1955
various letters of the alphabet, transforming the first sans-serif typeface in the world into the best sans-serif typeface in the world: helvetica. today, in a technological era in which anyone can hope for their 15 minutes of fame, even typography receives reality show treatment. form replaces meaning and the designer’s activity often focuses on seeking new useless typographic metamorphoses. instead, helvetica is beautiful because it goes unnoticed. indeed, thanks to its essential simplicity, but also its vast use, it is an efficient and modest typeface. it is an ideal typographical tool, entirely at the disposal of content and design. in this sense, helvetica offers a good representation of the democratic idea behind the great school of design and within swiss civil ethics. a typeface is more than a banner, it’s a true international manifesto. from switzerland to italy and back the ties between italy and switzerland in visual design are wide-ranging and reciprocal and have provided results that are still tangible in the work of many italian designers from different generations. alfex’s “overtime” magazine is one of these ties, as is the nascent
max bill variation 12 1938
project of alfex’s identity in a more general way. the magazine represents a small search for “gute form” that doesn’t ignore quality content: content that in this first edition we see in the articles of media performer fabio volpi on video mapping and in that of professor giovanni anceschi on the important experience between design and visual arts. a part of alfex’s world, beyond the product, alongside the product. to tell the stories of those behind and inside the company, along with those that ideally accompany the brand because of their shared interests, styles, culture and inspiration. this item will be alfex’s attempt at a swiss cultural embassy: an embassy dedicated to swiss design. naturally overtime magazine is entirely and exclusively printed in helvetica. simone ciotola visual designer / design director for alfex identity
simone ciotola rome 1966 visual designer former professor of visual design at politecnico di milano and scuola bauer milano after the degree in applied arts studied design with ag fronzoni and at the fhg schwäbisch gmünd as a guest student. won various design competitions such as “nuovi segni” in 2002 “iF visual design award” in 2007 ED european design award in 2009 selected for the “compasso d’oro” shortlist ADI index in 2010 and 2012 since 1994 works as consultant for visual identity
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max huber monza grand prix milano 1957
massimo vignelli nyc subway wayfinding system new york 1966
literature http://www.museum-gestaltung.ch/de/ausstellungen/ausstellungen-2012/100-jahre-schweizer-grafik/ lars müller publisher - 2002 baden, switzerland lars müller “helvetica, homage to a typeface” gary hustwit “helvetica, a documentary film” swiss dots - 2007 london josef müller brockmann, richard p. lohse, carlo vivarelli “neue grafik” otto walter verlag - 1958-1965 olten, switzerland josef müller brockmann “the graphic designer and his design problems” verlag arthur niggli ag - 1961 niederteufen, switzerland josef müller brockmann “a history of visual communication” verlag arthur niggli ag - 1986 niederteufen, switzerland emil ruder “typographie” verlag niggli ag - 1967 sulgen, switzerland
norm 100 years of swiss graphic museum of design zürich, 2012
alfex stand 2013 3d view
12:00 a.m.
baselworld 2013 interview with hans althaus
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1, 2, 3 side view 4 perspective view
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the alfex stand for baselworld this year is an avant-garde technical and innovative design concept, in line with the brand’s re-launch operation. hans althaus is the architect responsible for this project, marking a clear return to the source, with a décor reminiscent of the stilt houses typical of the swiss pre-historic landscape, in parallel with alfex’s penchant for promoting its precious past.
how did the new alfex stand come about? we were freely inspired by the neolithic homes of the peoples who lived in marshy prehistoric switzerland. we created a two-storey space composed of cubes that are reminiscent of the square floor plan of these primitive architectures. we reinterpreted the historic heritage according to the most avant-garde precepts of design, as alfex always does, for a result with a modern appeal. what was the starting point for the work? in designing the alfex stand for baselworld 2013, we started with the brand’s characteristics: technical quality, love for design and elegance, respect and promotion of the brand and its tradition. we wanted this space to be fascinating, to communicate a feeling of lightness, and obviously we wanted it to be cutting edge. how were the spaces conceived? first of all, we kept in mind that the presentation of the new watches had to be a full-fledged communication tool. to attain that, we designed a stand like a unique frame to transform the product display into a special experience for our visitors. so, we intentionally left the entranceway on the ground floor bare, creating an airy space, lit by floating lamps that welcome visitors with open arms.
what role did watches and the concept of time play in the design? the watch and time are the undisputed protagonists. we wanted to create a stand where the décor and the design of the spaces celebrated time and its instrument of measurement. besides the sensory experience offered by the composition of the space and the product display, we were also moved by the association of ideas inspired by the word “watch”. when i think of a watch, the first word that comes to my mind is “mystery”. mystery for the extremely precise mechanism that runs it, for its continuous working that marks the passage of time. what will visitors feel on entering? the basis of every idea that inspired us in designing the alfex space at baselworld is a desire to bring life to an environment that can best receive visitors and make them feel welcome, a space for visiting and experiencing.
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alfex_collection 2013
1 traslucent 8x model 5702.892
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trend cycle
the most futuristic among alfex lines, expression of a no-compromise design. part of this line are the most distinctive timepieces, entirely future-oriented in their aesthetic and technical characteristics.
1 watchtwice line model 5721.005
2 ergo flat line model 5730.041
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modern classics
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alfex’s modern classic line is characterized by a minimalist design with a purified structure, offering the great classics of traditional watchmaking in a more innovative form, typically designed in the spirit of the brand.
1 watchtivi line 5731.023
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new structure
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on the other side, the new structure family, significantly more feminine. a modern allure inspired by contemporary lifestyle, made of colors and shapes in line with the latest trends.
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alfex_reference sheet
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photo di daniele pellizzoni
carsten nicolai unidisplay hangar bicocca milan, 2012
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art and design_kinetic and programmed art, from avant-garde to nowadays giovanni anceschi
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bruno munari la scoperta del quadrato zanichelli milano, 1978
the “kinetic and programmed art” movement was born in italy in the 1960s, a period during which the most representative form of italian design was born. at the time, design was not taught in schools in italy, even though major schools around the world, from bauhaus to new bauhaus in chicago and hfg in ulm, were teaching “basic design” [the founding discipline that determines the designer’s key abilities: “configuration”, “gestaltung” in german], i.e. the ability to give shape to objects, communication, processes, events, etc. in italy, the lack of a similar introductory theoretical and practical course encouraged the development of other paths. kinetic and programmed art, as andrea branzi also acknowledges, was our basic design. in italy, bruno munari was the first to practice this approach. he was an extraordinary man, a true reference for all italian designers of all origins and of all design orientations. his books, such as “arte come mestiere”, and his series of educational booklets on geometric shapes represented a true substitute for basic design, though with clear differences. in italy, fundamental research was conducted by that small group of artists creating kinetic and programmed art who were led by munari.
jean tinguely méta-matic 17 paris, 1959
after munari, many others would continue to crisscross the lines between art and design, repeatedly passing from one to the other. this “crossover” was possible because the confines between the disciplines collapsed because of their shared capacity for “configuration”, a solid capacity that had nothing in common with the fake concept of “creativity” so popular today. in the end, this italian disadvantage of not having participated in major movements, of not having had a great school, became an advantage, because we, the proponents of the kinetic avant-garde, had the opportunity to create a basic kinetic and interactive design. we were able to design interactive objects that were 30 or 40 years ahead of their time. with our designs, there were no passive spectators, but active users, just like with the technologies we all use so often today (from personal computers to tablets to smartphones). gruppo t: the origins gruppo t originated with a group of young men. we were all very young, just out of our teens, an age that is practically still considered childhood today. in 1959, we’d already held an exhibition, with a series of informal works that were an immediate hit: we sold everything!
enrico castellani superficie bianca 1971
yves klein blue monochrome paris, 1960
ulm 17/18 journal of the ulm school for design ulm, germany june 1966
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but we were already wondering about what would come post-informal; we felt a need to start over, to make a clean slate. in the artistic culture of the time, everything was white, monochrome, “monoform”. just think of the works of fontana, manzoni, castellani and yves klein. everything happened very quickly, within a year, while we were helping piero manzoni set up his azimut gallery in milan, among other things. during that period, giulio carlo argan considered us to be neo-costructivists, but we weren’t so much rigid builders as fluid programmers. our manifesto for an art “in variation” was published at the miriorama1 exhibition (january 1960), clearly stating who had inspired us: klee, kandinsky, fontana, manzoni, brancusi and tinguely. plus, one of bruno munari’s works, one of his “useless machines” was on display at that exhibition. these were all authors who shared our research into the concept of “time”. we exhibited a gigantic “inflatable” work at that exhibition: a machine with enormous tubes, that chased away the spectators as they were inflated, creating an inevitable interaction with the work in motion. this was an evolving work, one in transformation, almost in competition with the viewer. this seems to be a current theme...
it reminds me of a very similar experiment: one of the most recent installations by young artist tomás saraceno. when bruno munari saw our inflatable work, that we had initially called “ambiente a volume variabile” [environment with a variable volume], he advised us to change its name and simply call it “grande oggetto pneumatico” [large pneumatic object], an expression that would speak more to the viewer, to whom munari was known to be very sensitive and to pay very close attention. we decided to follow his advice, although i quite liked the first name, because it spotlighted our awareness of producing interactive environmental art. there was another work, called “quadro di fumo” [smoke painting]. it was a bulletin board with a thick frame, with a black background and two tubes connected to the frame behind the glass. one tube drew in vapour drawn from a tub of dry ice, while the other let it out. the effects created by the white smoke against the background of that black square were absolutely gorgeous, a true aesthetic wonder. then there was another work called “superficie in ossidazione” [surfaces in oxidation]. it was a thin sheet of copper placed in front of an electric stove that was turned on to heat the metal’s surface, transforming it,
producing a sequence of chromatic effects that passed from an initial rainbow to the final brown. another work was inspired by a similar principle, and was called “superficie in combustione” [surface in combustion]: a very powerful heat source consumed a sheet of plastic stretched on frames, ultimately destroying it. we had drawn regular geometric shapes, like lines and squares, on these sheets. the heat deformed them, producing a whole series of mutations: first it looked like a vasarely, then a pollock and finally a work by alberto burri. a tinguely work was also on display. at the time, he was creating very unusual works that were delicate and complex. this was an object with a black surface against which white shapes stood out, moved by a little motor through a complex maze of gears made of thin, black steel wires. around the same time, he made “meta-matic”, a kinetic machine whose function was conceptually similar to that of our surfaces in combustion: a mechanism supplying a potentially infinite series of unique works created on the spot. during that time, umberto eco asked bruno munari to do the layout for the bompiani almanac: one of the magazine’s 1962 issues entitled “le applicazioni dei calcolatori elettronici
tomas saraceno on space time foam hungar bicocca milano, 2012/13
giovanni anceschi struttura tricoma milano, 1963
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zeit ist dehnbar, wenn wir an den unterschied zwischen wahrgenommener und objektiver zeit denken eine der grundlegendsten veränderungen in der geschichte der menschheit geht auf die anbringung von uhren auf kirchtürmen zurück. von diesem moment an war die zeit nicht mehr an die unbeständigkeit der subjektiven wahrnehmung gebunden und wurde zu einer objektiven größe, auf die sich jeder sicher beziehen konnte. die armbanduhr wurde von cartier für einen brasilianischen millionär erfunden, der aufstiege mit dem heißluftballon durchführte. es scheint, als wären die ersten armbanduhren femininer schmuck gewesen, der mit einem band am handgelenk befestigt war
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alle scienze morali e alla letteratura” [electronic calculators applied to moral sciences and literature] (at that time, words such as “computer science” and “digital art” didn’t even exist yet). munari and eco came to see us and told us that in that issue, along with a literary work by nanni balestrini called “tape mark one”, designed like a computer programme, they wanted to include works by gruppo t “made according to cybernetic criteria”. we enthusiastically agreed. the budding cybernetic culture was already a part of our cultural horizons, we devoured the little news we could get about norbert wiener and had read pierre de latil’s “la pensée artificielle”. so, an insert was produced with our work, accompanied by a fantastic article by umberto eco entitled “la forma del disordine” [the shape of disorder]. it was there, in eco’s article, that the term “programmed art”, rather, “programmed graphics” was coined. this was the first time the adjective “programmed” was used in the artistic sphere, applied to bruno munari’s work, who i think was familiar with max bense’s 1960 article “programmierung des schönen” [programming beauty].
a painter, bordoni, suggested we use the name “miriorama” (from the greek, “infinite visions”), an 18th-century game where parts of a landscape are printed on cards that can be put together in infinite combinations. we liked it a lot and used it for every one of the group’s exhibits. however, during the sleepless nights that we, especially davide boriani and i, spent talking during long walks through the streets of milan, one walking the other home, and vice versa, just to not have to stop talking; during these never-ending night-time walks, we talked about zeroing, space, fontana’s “white manifesto” and his reference to space and time. i was studying philosophy at the milan state university at the time, so i was culturally quite well prepared to deal with such issues. indeed, i remembered henri bergson and the concept of time understood as “becoming”, that is the fact that the world isn’t stable or static, but in a state of constant transformation. this was a concept very similar to heraclitus’ concept of “panta rhei” [everything flows], which in bergson’s modern notion of space and time, had already profoundly influenced the cubists and perhaps even the impressionists before them.
the philosopher enzo paci introduced me to husserl’s thinking, whose philosophy of phenomenology was based on the concept of temporality. for him, three dimensions were no longer enough, we needed a fourth. behind this idea was the theory of relativity, the principle of open-endedness and intuitive geometry: this swarm of ideas that formed the culture of the time all seemed to converge on the concept of time. from the 20th to the 21st century in a bit pop art arrived in 1968, sweeping us away along with the entire european art system. pop art was a super-accessible form of art that was totally semantic, while ours was totally syntactic. thus programmed and optical art were swept away. at that point, we came to a fork in the road and there was a mutation. i went to ulm and became a communication designer, while some of our group courageously continued to work in art. but today’s art scene has brought our topics firmly back to the centre of attention. it would seem that gruppo t and artists of programmed art were major precursors. boriani invented the “pixel” and “image
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processing” in the pages of the bompiani almanac, de vecchi and anceschi created generative art, and colombo created graphics that pre-empted the “in-betweening” effect. today, one of my works is available as an iphone app: it’s called “innovetempi” and can be downloaded free from the app store. with philological rigour, it respects the example and program published in the bompiani almanac in 1962. for me, this is the best proof of how ahead of the times our work was and how current it still is today. it took the world just 50 years to catch up with us giovanni anceschi
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1 g anceschi, d boriani environment for a test of experimental aesthetics zagreb 1965 re-edition strasbourg 2004 2 g anceschi introduces students to the works of gruppo T museo del ‘900 milano, 2011 3 g anceschi struttura spiralica milano, early 60’s photo ugo mulas 4 grande oggetto pneumatico miriorama 1 galleria pater milano, 1960
artist / designer / former professor at iuav, venice 5 grande oggetto pneumatico fondazione olivetti re-edition ivrea, 1980
giovanni anceschi - milan 1939 exhibited – for the first time – in paris, at the le soleil dans la tête gallery, 1958. in 1959, founded gruppo t (with boriani, colombo and devecchi). between 1959 and 1968, created kinetic and interactive works including tables with liquid possibilities, fluid pathways, trichromal structures, virtual arrangements, and immersive environments: grande oggetto pneumatico (ambiente collettivo), and ambiente a chock luminosi; opere moltiplicate: abstract video; and – for the bompiani almanac edited by umberto eco – “grafica programmata” works. between 1964 and 1965, focused on “experimental aesthetics” research on the appreciation of the user (with davide boriani, milano-zagreb). graduated from university in ulm (germany) and in 1967 began working as a visual designer, essayist and culture organiser. for 40 years he has been a professor of communication design. from 2000 to the present, there has been renewed international interest in the work of gruppo t: invitations to major exhibits (in germany, and in particular at zkm in karlsruhe, siena, new york, strasbourg, etc.) n december 2005: large exhibit “gli ambienti del gruppo t, le origini dell’arte interattiva”, at the national modern art gallery in rome. some of anceschi’s works are present in the permanent collection of the museo del ‘900 in milan: ambiente a chock luminosi and la strutturazione tricroma quadrupla. in 2010, alessi reprinted 99 copies of the miriorama objects produced by danese for the first time in 1960.
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graphic light project +sign milano, 2006
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the new landscape of visual mapping fabio volpi
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“
as concerns the layout project for the structures of the alfex stand in basel, it will focus on various types of environments and materials, and on the use of two-dimensional geometric patterns from optical art, which during the live event will reveal the presence of depth perspectives and sound in a spectacular way.
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anti vj Paleodictyon meltz, france 2012
over the years, cinema has always sought to escape the narrow confines of the screen to embrace unusual and unexpected surfaces. in recent years, this trend has gone to the extreme, assuming the characteristics of a true art form. this is visual mapping, a new form of video art in which images are designed to be projected onto buildings, artificial sculptures or natural elements of the landscape. in this way, the “natural” perception of three-dimensional forms is modified, through the superposition of a “film” of light, which, in the darkness of the night-time event, creates the sensation of a new, fluid reality that replaces the existing solid element. this poetry makes this type of event impactful and immersive, finding its impact in the play with perceptive ambiguity. the light produces two-dimensional animations that adapt to the architectures, they are superimposed and embraced to be modified or even cancelled out through veritable “virtual demolitions”. accompanying the sensory stimulation of the performances of this type is the audio component, which is also intense and composed to be perfectly synchronised with the visual part, in order to further increase the spectacle’s power of involvement. this new form of “cinema” is developing and has been made available to the general public through the development of technology. starting in the 1990s,
new and more powerful projectors made it possible to create visions that were unthinkable until a short time before. paired with that was the exponential improvement in the quality of digital platforms, encouraging a new wave of creativity that began with home computers and not with film studios. some also claim that, during the same period, visual mapping received a strong push from the rave culture, which needed to create exciting and engaging environments in spaces not suited to permanent projection media, but perfect for “fleeting” performances. every available surface was an opportunity to create new imaginary worlds, not necessarily restricted to the restrictive rectangle of cinematographic viewing. this technology was consecrated as a recognised artistic form starting in 2005, with the mapping festival in geneva. this event was born with the idea of exploring and expanding the vjing phenomenon, visually translating the entertainment techniques of digital disk jockeys, who create new music by mixing samples, “cutting” audio files, live and in real time. following this analogy, vjs project visions derived from animations or short films synchronised with the audio performances. over the years, visual mapping has come to dominate the geneva event, with the most advanced techniques and
kernel festival desio, italy 2011
artistic expressions of this type of performance. french european artists with the visual label antivj are among the best-known exponents of visual, participating in several editions of the geneva festival. alongside them are other world-renowned names linked with huge performances, such as urbanscreen at the sidney opera house. projections on architectures can entertain huge numbers of spectators, attracted by the event’s novel and unique nature. urban facades, which are seen in daily life as static and predictable, come to life in contorted geometric expressions that pulsate with synthetic rhythms and sounds from the electronic music scene. the spaniard pablo valbuena has designed more reserved and intimate staging, with a more reflexive focus on perceptive phenomena. in 2007, he began working in museums and in small urban spaces, using the concept of “augmented sculpture” in order to represent an ideal extending artistic forms consolidated by the academic world to new stimuli related to the immaterial and virtual world. other artists from the dance world, like klaus obermaier, deny the static and artificial world of usual projection surfaces, and use the human body as an expressive technological element as a part of the choreography. this technological setting is called “motion tracking”, reflecting the purpose of tracking movements in addition to the
performer’s own physicality, which is extended and distorted through immaterial interventions and light to create new hybrid dancing life forms in the continuous ambiguity of their own stage or protagonist.visual mapping is only one of the stages on a historical pathway of the need to create imaginary visual worlds of movement and virtual worlds. yet, it has illustrious ancestors, starting with chinese shadow theatre, but also the search in the romantic era for total art that was realised only with the invention of digital platforms. the contribution of the lumière brothers and expanded cinema of the second half of the 20th century are its foundations. the process of mapping three-dimensional surfaces is nothing more than a technological and expressive evolution accompanying the dematerialisation of media towards increasingly detailed holographic projects, to create not only an augmented reality, but an entire new borrowed landscape. fabio volpi architect, media designer, visual perforarmer
fabio volpi (aka dies_) was born in 1971, formed at first as a visual graphic and architect, from 2001 became member of otolab collective, participating in the creation of multimedia events that will be performed live in milan, rome, bologna, brussels, paris, mexico city, tunis and montreal. in 2003 he found echran, an electronic -experimental noise band, and record 2 albums “echran” and “in offret”. in 2008, he worked out graphics and visuals for multimedia performances of contemporary music ensemble “sincronie“, performed live in jakarta and bali in indonesia. since 2008 he sarted to teach representation theory at “r. bauer” in milan. in 2010, the galleryfabbrica borroni in bollate (mi), showed his paintings generated from live media performance, “les champs magnétiques”, winning the international competition “celeste prize” in berlin. currently integrates the teaching activities at the cfp bauer, n.a.b.a. milan’s with media artistic creations for otlolab and studio28 dance factory.
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7:00 p.m.
alfex mag_ characters four stories to represent our own universe
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four very special “ordinary people”, who shared with us their personal, professional and life experiences... the common thread through all of them is the passion, the desire to live life to the fullest, without wasting a single second. achim, vanessa, lada and cristina are the protagonists of alfex’ interviews: an entrepreneur, a professional in the commercial sector, a musician and an actress. the ticking of the clock punctuates their hectic days - as for achim and vanessa - or overlaps to the rhythms of a score – like for lada - or even tates the pauses of a stage drama – as it does for cristina. the watch becomes a personal item, an accessory, a companion of intense days. alfex proposes a new concept of timekeeping that evolves through the refinement of the design to an accessory that everyone enhances with their own personality.
alfex mag
cristina chinaglia actress. was born in the italian province of rovigo. after crossing italy to study acting, she decided to return to her home town, where the slower pace of the countryside and its wide open spaces better suited her. after acting, music and singing are her second great passion. she was introduced to the music world at the age of seven, when she began learning the clarinet, which she later gave up to study lyrical singing, her true passion. these days, cristina doesn’t have much time to dedicate to this passion, as she dedicates herself fully to the theatre – her favourite form of expression.
alfex mag_ besides being an actress you also are a lyric singer. how much does your actress side affect your singer side and vice versa?
alfex mag_ you studied theatre in many different italian cities: what did you gain from this experience?/ what did this esperience give you?
cristina chinaglia_ an actress cum singer and a singer cum actress, both are true, because i’m not one or the other, i’m just me. i’ve been studying music since i was a little girl, learning the clarinet when i was seven (so young!). it still makes me smile to think of myself so young and tiny (i’m still tiny), trying so hard to get a few squawking notes out of an instrument that was almost bigger than me. finally managing to get a velvety, on-key sound out of an initially uncontrollable one using a reed between my lips was a feeling i still remember. for the little girl i was, i felt like i had grown a little bit, managing to do something that only adults usually do. my lips were swollen and my thumbs ached from supporting the weight of the instrument, but i was even happier than if it had been my birthday. as i grew, i became increasingly interested in singing in all its forms, and i truly fell in love. i love lyrical music more than anything, but after trying the theatre and stopping daily singing practice, i prefer to listen to and admire others and i prefer to tell stories. or to live them. sometimes i sing in the theatre and i still love to do it. with the same, unchanging love. that’s why what i’ve learned in my artistic career, all that i’ve studied, comes together. on the stage, i’m never an actress, never a singer. i’m not and i don’t feel like either of these artists. it’s a performance, an event, perhaps artistic. with me and whoever is living in that sacred place that is the theatre.
cristina chinaglia_naturally, every city i have lived in has enriched me. every city to which i have gone goes with me in my memories, in every city there are friends i see too infrequently, evenings that will never happen again, the beating of a heart in love and its theatres that you leave late at night with feelings of both joy and solitude that i’ve never experienced anywhere else. i’m a country girl, so for me, the city, and especially rome, the capital, represents “otherness”, it’s not a place where i “am” but one in which i “live”. the city is a constant source of entertainment for the eyes, a multitude of possibilities and constant surprises. but i need to run away. i always go back but i never stay. i need to be able to look around me and not see any houses or buildings but just the countryside all the way to the horizon, i need to be able to spend hours imagining, thinking, working without doing anything, and only the countryside or a small country village lets me do that. i have a need to return to the place i was born into, that i’m used to, i’m not saying one or the other is better. i just know that the city is where i have learned, known, met, frequented and discovered. in my village i make things my own, i imagine, i rework, i think. in the city i try a wine, in the country i let it decant then that wine seems better than the best to me.
one_cristina, actress
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alfex mag_how much does make up and costumes help you to walk in your charachter’s shoes?
alfex mag_the respect of time, lines and pausea are essential to an actor. how do you live this relationship?
cristina chinaglia_makeup and clothes always help me get into a character. they help me because they’re something concrete to hold onto to create the final transformation. a transformation that has already occurred during rehearsals, working, through a process; we can say that dressing up makes it easier to take that step into another dimension, into something other than everyday life, that dimension that should make whatever happens on the stage a little more magical. to be honest, i’ve never really liked dressing up, not even when i was little. i never even dressed up for carnival or for school recitals. i wasn’t one of those kids people would think would become an actor. “she loved to dress up like different characters”, “she put on performances for her relatives”. never. i always invented stories, yes, i’ve always written wild stories, i’ve always read five or six books at the same time, mixing up the plots and the authors, and i’ve never been afraid to perform in front of people when playing an instrument or singing, even before i discovered the theatre. because when i played an instrument, i felt like i wasn’t performing, the music was. that still happens. i don’t feel like it’s me on the stage. i’m there in spite of myself. but i’ve never wanted to be on the stage for my own sake, but because there’s something important that the public needs to know.
cristina chinaglia_it’s true, time is essential for actors. for comic actors even more. there’s the perfect timing after which a line, a response or a reaction stops being enjoyable and starts being unbelievable, stilted, revealed before its effect can be felt. a performance is like a musical score. and time is the element on which the string of lines, breathing, gestures and pauses are based. i don’t know how people live their relationship with time, i don’t even think there is such a thing as a “relationship with time”, i think that time is that veil that covers everything during a performance, that it’s one of the characters in the play. i don’t think that an orchestra conductor has a “relationship with time” in any special way; i think that it’s part of the very material that art is made of. i wear a watch, but not every day and not all day. i put it on when i go out, like a nice dress or pair of shoes that i’ve just bought. i like to think it’s something that dresses up my wrist like a bracelet when i’m elegantly dressed, or a colourful and a bit flashy object that doesn’t go unnoticed. i often wear it on top of my sleeve. i wear it on my bare wrist only when i don’t have a long sleeve! when i wear a watch-bracelet, that might even be all the jewellery i wear, i like it more than bracelets and rings. when i wear a watch it scolds me gently. “it” knows that i’m always late and whenever i need to do something i’m always arguing and mediating: it gives me the right time, i give it the
time that’s right for me then we find a happy medium, not too late for it and not too early for me. the reason i’m always late is that i don’t think linearly. i get lost in a million things, i start one thought then something else strikes me, i calculate time based on what i initially planned to do then i find myself doing something totally different with no hope of making up for lost time. and, for me, time is an illusion that comforts us when we don’t understand the laws of the universe or a caress from god. basically, as paul claudel says: “time is the sin of eternity”.
two_vanessa, sales assistent
vanessa lebaut was born in france and studied languages at the university of metz. her first encounter with italy was in lecce, where she studied while on an erasmus year. she fell in love with the country and lived there for almost 15 years. immediately after graduating university, she moved to valle d’aosta, where she worked successfully alongside an entrepreneur for 14 years. she recently returned to her home
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alfex mag_ born in france, you’ve lived in italy, and now in luxembourg: what differences have you seen in the pace of life in these countries? vanessa lebaut_ by definition, italy is a relaxing and joyful country and the pace of life there is pleasant and harmonious. on the other hand, luxembourg has a german influence, so the pace is stricter and marked by the imperceptible rhythm of the financial world.
alfex mag_as a single mother, you’re constantly on the run: how do you manage to organise your daily life? vanessa lebaut_a mother’s life is full of surprises, and that of a single mother is like a marathon, you’re on the go from morning to night, until you can finally collapse into bed. good organisation becomes a habit; you always have your eye on the clock. for things to run smoothly, you need to organise things down to the minute. alfex mag_what did you learn from your studies in lecce, in puglia? vanessa lebaut_my experience in lecce, and what led me to decide to move to italy, is that lecce is a city of gorgeous historical buildings, sometimes when i walked its streets it felt as though time had stood still, as though i were living in another period. the harmonious rhythm of life, the warmth of the people and the culture rich in history and emotion had a major impact on my life.
alfex mag_what has been your most
formative working experience? vanessa lebaut_ for sure, my most formative working experience was working closely with an experienced entrepreneur in valle d’aosta. i learned a lot from her, both in terms of work and as a person. i learned to organise the agenda of a very busy person, and to manage time, taking advantage of every moment. alfex mag_do you usually wear a watch? if yes, how do you use it? vanessa lebaut_i consider a watch to be an indispensable tool that guides me in my busy days, almost like a compass in the desert. it marks every minute of my day. the only time i don’t check my watch is when i’m cuddling with my daughter. that’s when time stands still.
lara bronina lada bronina was born in saint petersburg to a family of musicians, and began studying the violin at the age of seven. a precocious talent, she began performing as a concert violinist while still in school, playing with the world’s finest orchestras, first in her home city, then elsewhere. at the age of 12, she won a scholarship to chetham’s school of music in manchester and moved to the british city, where she would stay for many years. in 2007, again thanks to a scholarship, she moved to the royal northern college of music, where she graduated with honours in 2011. she continued her studies at the conservatorio di milano, playing first violin for its orchestra, and winning the carminelli prize as best student. she currently lives in düsseldorf, playing first violin for the staatskapelle berlin and as soloist in the cologne chamber music orchestra.
alfex mag_ born in saint petersburg, you studied at the royal college of music in london, then at the conservatorio di milano and you now live in düsseldorf: what led you to germany? lada bronina_i chose to live in germany for strictly professional reasons. here, musicians are held in high regard, and their artistic value is recognised. if i could choose, with no concern for my profession, i might live somewhere else, like spain or italy, because i love the mild climate and the good food. alfex mag_ you’ve lived in a number of countries. do you feel like a citizen of the world? lada bronina_yes. i truly do feel like a citizen of the world. obviously with all the advantages and disadvantages. i never feel alone anywhere, but at the same time i never feel completely at home anywhere either, not even in my home country russia (i come from a beautiful city, saint petersburg).
alfex mag_ do you usually wear a watch? if yes, how do you use it? lada bronina_yes, i usually wear a watch. i bought one last year that i wear every day. i never take it off, not even when i play. alfex mag_ you keep time every day. what is your relationship with time as a musician? lada bronina_time is precious. i realised that when i was very young. and so i don’t like to waste it. that’s why i try to live my life intensely (not just on a professional level but also on a personal level, in terms of how i live my relationships with other people). i love to live every moment to the fullest even if it means making mistakes and suffering. i savour every moment of joy or suffering fully, focusing on the present. time has taught me to be afraid of nothing.
alfex mag_ where did your passion for the violin come from? lada bronina_ my passion for the violin developed slowly. when i started studying it at the age of six, i obviously had no desire to do so and didn’t understand the value of it. then around 13 or 14, when i was starting to play well (before that it was almost unbearable to listen to), i understood that it was something really wonderful and i started to love it. obviously, now i couldn’t go a day without playing.
three_lada, musician
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achim siegfanz was born and lives in Germany. He started his career just after finishing university, as manager of a shopping centre. Sales and textiles immediately became a part of his professional life, and in 1992, he took over his parents’ store, transforming it into a distributor of Italian brands. In 2008, in partnership with his wife, he opened his first shop, called Hiqua, in Aschaffenburg, soon followed by two more. alongside an entrepreneur for 14 years.
alfex mag_ how would you describe your experience as an entrepreneur?
alfex mag_ how much is creativity important for you, both in business and personal life?
achim siegfanz_ i started out as a director of a shopping centre when i was 23, and very quickly wanted to create my own store. the chance to start my own business arose in 1992, when i took over my parents’ company. this was my real beginning in entrepreneurship. i started out selling new sportswear brands, including italian ones, like napapijri, and in 2008, my wife and i decided to open our first store in aschaffenburg, followed by two others.
achim siegfanz. for me, creativity is an essential aspect of every day, both in my business and in my private life. using creativity, you can find alternative solutions to your problems: imagining how things could be different is the first step to change. i try to apply this philosophy every day, preferring alternative and innovative solutions. we don’t often see change, but we need to consider it as a precious opportunity to grow and develop.
alfex mag_ as an entrepreneur, you are no doubt quite busy: is time a friend or an enemy for you? achim siegfanz. for me, time can be both a friend and an enemy. it depends. i like to think of it as a tool, and like all tools, it’s up to us to make careful and responsible use of it. my days are very busy, but i often manage to use time to my advantage and set aside a few extra hours to spend with my family. when i succeed in doing this, time is definitely my friend.
alfex mag_ do you usually wear a watch? if yes, how do you use it? achim siegfanz. yes, i do usually wear a watch. my days are marked by the pressing pace of appointments and constantly checking my watch is the only way i can avoid being late. it helps me manage my time. if i didn’t have this useful tool, i think i’d be very anxious.
four_achim, entrepreneur
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1.ilse baas - 2. patrizia bisello - 3. daniela braccio - 4. valeria braga - 5. laura bralla - 6. nicola bobbio - 7. guido cadei - 8. milena cantaluppi - 9. roberto carfagno 17. danijel jovanovic - 18. bob lebet - 19. ivana mazzola - 20. sonia pigretti - 21. teresa somma - 22. patrizia steffen - 23. rossana tassini - 24 fulvio vanoni
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behind the scene
- 10. cassy chi - 11. mattia ciapessoni - 12. rita ciapessoni 13. pasquale feola 14. anna ferrer - 15. anna fumagalli - 16. ulla gangale - 25. gareth wong - 26. sonja z端rcher
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alfex_distributors
_australia lion brands pty ltd 1070 glenhuntly road glen huntly, victoria, 3163 ph: 03 9572 9820 fax: 03 9572 9899 e-mail: info@lionbrandsaustralia.com.au
_asia / australia
_usa eurotime corp 145 huguenot street new rochelle 10801 new york ph: 914 235 6261 fax: 914 235 3190 e-mail: eurotime2@msn.com
_jamaica swiss stores ltd. 107 harbour street p.o.box 171 w.i. kingston ph: + 876 922 8050 fax: + 876 922 8403 e-mail:info@swissstoresjamaica.com web: www.swissstoresjamaica.com
_argentina itg international time group lavalle 534 3° piso (c1047aal) ciudad autonoma de buenos aires 1001 ph: 005411 5278 3001 fax: 005411 48141045
_america
_tunisia bmg. s.a.r.l. 11, rue h. bouzaiane 1001 tunis ph: 00216 71 344073 fax: 00216 71 342396 e-mail: bmg.tn@hotmail.com
_lybia alsanusi & sons al shabab building tripoli - libya 82936 ph: +218 21 714 2840 fax: +218 21 363 0768 e-mail: info@alsanusi.com web: www.alsanusi.com
_egypt kiro time 17 omar ben el khattab st., ismailia sq., heliopolis 11351 cairo ph: +2 02 26437590 fax: +2 02 26437591 e-mail: thomas-trade@link.net web: www.thomastrade-eg.com
_africa
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_vietnam tan tan watch 182 ho van hue st, phu nhuan dist hochiminh city ph: +84.8.39971023 fax: +84.8.39971022 e-mail: htlk2006@yahoo.com
_korea romanson co., ltd. 77-1 garak-dong, songpa-ku 138160 seoul ph: +82 (0)2 2190 7106 fax: +82 (0)2 406 9180 e-mail: yoonjik@romanson.co.kr web: www.thewatches.co.kr
_singapore all watches pte ltd 304, orchard rd, #b1-128 lucky plaza 238863 singapore ph: 0065 67327673 fax: 0065 67348816 e-mail: allwatch@singnet.com.sg web: www.allwatches.com.sg
_philippines time depot inc 380 del monte ave.sta. mesa heights, 1114 quezon city ph: 00632 743 5220 fax: 00632 743 4982 e-mail: watch@belrewmond.com
_kazakhstan erdenbekova abylai han st., 62 050000 almaty ph: +7 727 272 9000 fax: +7 727 272 9889 e-mail: yevgeniy.golenko@peregrine.kz
_japan alfex asia +65 67335417 info@alfexasia.com
_hong kong / china alfex (hong kong) co. ltd. unit 1601-2 saxon tower 7 cheung shun st., lai chi kok kowloon, hong kong ph: 00852 2367 8022 fax: 00852 2366 0829 e-mail: gareth.wong@alfex.com.hk
_china after sales service pu xun entreprise co. ltd g/f. block b, 1998 yang gao road south 200125 shanghai ph: +86 21 6888 8600 e-mail: info@alfexasia.com
_finland rotor form oy sammonkatu 47 33540 tampere ph: 03 3122 56 66 fax: 0358103203030 e-mail: kontakti@rotor.fi web: www.rotor.fi
_denmark timework design aps vestergade 35 5500 middelfart ph: 0045 64 40 18 18 fax: 0045 64 40 10 18 e-mail: info@timeworkdesign.com
_czech republic design trade s.r.o. klausova 15 15 00 praha 5 ph: 00420257213232 fax: 00420257214565 e-mail: info@designtrade.cz
_cyprus melekkis and sons ltd. paralimni/dherynia road po box 36005 dherynia ph: 00357 2382 1791 fax: 00357 23 82 52 05 e-mail: melekkis@cy.net web: www.melekkis.net
_croatia cordis malesnica 16 10000 zagreb ph: +385 1 3733 357 fax: +385 1 3733 366 e-mail: cordis@zg.t-com.hr web: www.cordis.hr
_bulgaria mega trade ltd 31 alabin str. 1000 sofia ph: 00359 2 986 45 68 fax: 00359 2 980 54 85 e-mail: megatrade@trading.bg
_belgium & luxembourg soficharm bvba stwg op antwerpen 82 2300 turnhout ph: 0032 14 42 86 31 fax: 0032 14 42 87 41 e-mail: info@alfex.be
_azerbajan aztime 7b. izmir str 1065 baku ph: +994 12 510 94 70 fax: +994 12 537 12 70 e-mail: aztimewatchcompany@yahoo.com web: www.aztime.az
_europa
_netherland alfex nederland b.v. nieuwstad 62-64 7201 ns zutphen ph: 0031 575 542 860 fax: 0031 575 541 757 e-mail: info@alfex.nl web: www.alfex.nl
_moldova godina international str. bernardazzi, 59 md-2009 chisinau ph: +37322 227973 fax: +37322 227971 e-mail: godina@godina.md web: www.godina.md
_lithuania uab “koliz laikrodziai” naugarduko str. 41 lt-03227 vilnius ph: 00370 5 213 08 09 fax: 00370 5 235 60 77 e-mail: watch@koliz.lt web: www.chronos.lt
_latvia rippol ltd valnu 35-9 str. lv-1050 riga ph: 00371 67 217 425 fax +371 67 240430 e-mail: laiks@laikswatches.lv web: www.laikswatches.lv
_kosovo ias group shpk rr “bulevardi i pavaresise” pn 60000 gjilan ph: +381280322058 fax: +381280322058 e-mail: info@iasgroup-ks.com web: www.iasgroup-ks.com/
_italy alfex sa via cantonale, centro galleria 3 6928 manno, switzerland ph: +41 (0)91 612 22 90 fax: +41 (0)91 612 23 09 e-mail: info@alfex.ch
_iceland jon & oskar laugavegi 61 101 reykjavik ph: 00354 552 4910 fax: 00354 551 4910 e-mail: hakon@pipar.is
_germany suhg schweizer uhrenhandelsgesellschaft rheintalstr. 24 _ rheinfelden 79618 ph: +49 7627 16.55 fax: +49 7627 24.34 e-mail: info@suhg.de
_spain euroalfex, s.l. agricultura, 16 despacho 2-5 08320 masnou (barcelona) ph: +34 93 555 70 21 fax: 0034 96 554 0826 e-mail: es.info@alfex.com
_slovak republic design trade s.r.o. Klausova 2541/15 150 00 praha 5 ph: 00420257213232 fax: 00420257214565 e-mail: info@designtrade.cz
_serbia happy moments time timocka 38/4 donja vrezina - nis ph: 00381600666700 fax.: 0038118226975 e-mail: happymomentstime@hotmail.com
_russia group of companies mosalt dorozhnaya str., 3, build.6 117545 moscow ph: 007 (495) 666 2003-4; 007 (495) 798 16 44 fax: 007 (495) 666 2003-4 e-mail: masalt@yandex.ru web: www.mosalt.ru
_romania b&b collection srl str. traian nr.3, bloc e 6, sc.2, ap.54, sector 3 30571 bucharest ph: 402 1327 4477 / 402 1327 4444 fax: 402 1327 4467 e-mail: office@bbcollection.ro web: www.bbcollection.ro
_portugal watch planet rua das amoreiras, no. 66/rc 1250 024 lisboa ph: 00351 21 342 83 08 fax: 00351 21 324 01 28 e-mail: info@watchplanet.pt
_poland poljot euro ul. iganska 24 04-087 warszawa ph: +48 22 879 97 93 fax: +48 22 879 97 96 e-mail: pawel@poljot.com.pl web: www.poljot.com.pl
_norway timework design aps vestergade 35, strib 5500 middelfart, denmark ph: +45 64 40 18 18 fax: +45 64 40 10 18 e-mail: info@timeworkdesign.com
_israel h. stern savionim center - p.o. box 11370 56450 kiryat savionim ph: 00972 3 6323666 fax: 00972 3 6323777 e-mail: serge@hstern.co.il
_iran jam-e jam watch co. 23 sadaf shopping center aghdasiyye ave. tehran 19576 - iran ph: +9821 22 29 87 02 fax: +9821 26 13 03 16 e-mail: info@jamejamwatchco.com
_bahrain deluxe store bab-al bahrain road p.o. box 865 manama ph: 00973 17 255 499 fax: 00973 17 275 455 e-mail: deluxest@batelco.com.bh
_medio oriente
_uk westport of london the old parlour-unit 6 ockley court farmcoles lane rh5 5ls ockley-surrey ph: 01306 712220 fax: 01306 712073 web: www.westportoflondon.com
_ukraine jv deka ltd gurova ave. 13 83055 donetsk ph: +380 62 335 13 44 fax +380 62 335 38 23 e-mail: zsv@deka.dn.ua web: www.deka.dn.ua
_turkey pirlant saat müc. paz. san.tic.ltd.sti. çekirge cad. intam 101 k.1 d.1 çekirge / bursa ph: 00902242332290 fax.: 00902242332292 web: www.pirlant.com.tr
_switzerland alfex sa via cantonale, centro galleria 3 6928 manno ph: +41 (0)91 612 22 90 fax: +41 (0)91 612 23 09 e-mail: info@alfex.ch
_sweden timework design aps vestergade 35, strib 5500 middelfart, denmark ph: +45 64 40 18 18 fax: +45 64 40 10 18 e-mail: info@timeworkdesign.com
_united arab emirates /u.a.e al futtaim watches & jewelry al maktoum street-al futtaim tower - po box 7916 dubai ph: 00971 42224142 fax: 00971 42224599 e-mail: afwatches.jewellery@alfuttaim.ae web: www.watchesuae.com
_syria mario retail mehdi pen barakeh street, p.o. box 30660 damascus ph: 009633113312221 00963966662222 fax: 009631133 10909 e-mail: info@mariogroup.net
_sultanate of oman al faisal company l.l.c. 115 madinat al sultan qaboos ph: 00968 24590086 fax: 00968 24591700 e-mail: alfaisal@omantel.net.om
_saudi arabia badghaish store king khaled street - p.o. box 2016 31952 al-khobar ph: 00966 3 864 11 18 fax: 00966 3 898 46 57 e-mail: badghash@badghaish-store.com web: www.badghaish-store.com
_qatar al-muftah centre al sadd street p.o.box: 875, doha - qatar ph: +974 44446867 fax: +974 44326868 e-mail: almuftah@almuftah.com web: www.almuftah.com
_kuwait alargan trading est. showaik industrial area papsi cola st. - pob 1532 13016 safat ph: +965 257 57 137 fax: +9652 57 57 138 e-mail: argan@alargan.com
_jordan diamond star trading est. 2nd flr., nabulsi center, basman st. p.o.box 1556 11118 amman ph: +96264619711 fax: +96264613616 e-mail: timegallery@go.com.jo web: www.timegallery.me
overTime. alfex_mag_0 / 2013
concept and design direction simone ciotola I ciotolaepartners.it art direction and visual design daniela rossi I c-r-u-d assistant to design director elena ballan drawings on cover and internal pages francesca ceccoli photos pp. 6, 9, 10, 34_Š beatrice arenella I c-r-u-d pp. cover, 21, 23, 25, 27, 39_Š massimiliano foscati a special thank to marcus weber pasquale feola ilse baas nicola bobbio pallavicini and to all alfex people for their cooperation and support alfex sa via cantonale, centro galleria 3 6928 manno - ch phone +41 (0) 91 61 22 290 fax +41 (0) 91 61 2 23 09 info@alfex.ch Š alfex sa _ 2013
the alfex mag.