overTime.
issue 0.1 / 2013
the alfex mag.
tuesday
7:00 a.m. marcus weber_ceo alfex
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8:00 a.m. alfex & mosalt_a piece of russian history
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9:00 a.m. a chat with guido cadei
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11:00 a.m. swiss design culture_josef m端ller-brockmann
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simone ciotola / pasquale feola 12:00 a.m. report from baselworld 2013
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1:00 p.m. alfex_collection fall/winter 2013
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3:00 p.m. alfex_reference sheet
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4:00 p.m. on the lanes of traditions lifescape from st.petersburg
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zhanna gerasimova
7:00 p.m. alfex mag_characters two stories to represent our own universe
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9:00 p.m. alfex news_new distributors
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12.00 p.m. alfex in the world
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photo alessandro biffi
aletsch glacier_swiss alps
7:00 a.m. marcus weber_ceo alfex
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dear friends of alfex, today we are already able to present the second edition of our magazine to you and as always it is a great pleasure for me to write the introduction. recent months have been a period of dynamic development for alfex, thanks largely to you. at baselworld we presented our new stand, highlighting once again our design and stylistic ambitions. which accurately portrayed our values in every sector. that is of course a source of particular pleasure for me. at this latest baselworld event our staff once again showed their great commitment to the company. we also owe a big debt of gratitude to all the helpers behind the scenes who do their utmost for the company and for you, our customers, every day on the production, logistics and administration sides. our new collection has been perceived by you exactly as we intended, namely a pure distillation of alfex values. we attach great importance to our independence as a brand and have a clear policy on models. everyone who buys an alfex watch should be rewarded for doing so. all our customers are individuals, who know exactly what they want and what they stand for. you choose to underline this fact with an alfex, and not simply follow trends and fashions. at long last, alfex has recovered its old strength: designer watches for all, made to a high standard of quality and available at fair and affordable
prices. i am particularly proud of this because i know just how much effort goes into production and purchasing. to my mind, swiss made is not just a label, but a symbol of competence and quality. that is how i see switzerland and will continue to do so in future. if you want to achieve more, as we in switzerland do, you must yourself do more. as our parents always told us, nothing leads to nothing. already today, alfex complies with the criteria of the new swissness ordinance. even if, as we have seen previously, this is no more than another guideline in our already highly regulated environment, it shows that not all the products that previously claimed to be swiss were in reality swiss. alfex will continue to give you the benefit of swiss quality with international design and flair. “we are who we are, but we aim to reinvent ourselves every day�. with this in mind, we constantly scrutinize all our activities and try to do better. perfection means different things to different people. we define it as a goal that can never be attained. however, all our efforts are focused on moving closer to that goal every day. i hope you enjoy reading our magazine. thank you very much for your friendship and support for alfex. kind regards, marcus weber
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8:00 a.m. alfex & mosalt_a piece of russian history
1 miss moscow 2010 competiton
2 2012 moscow watch expo 3 department store: the shopping center molodezhnii
4 sales procedure with customer
5 department store: yasenevo
6 2012 cruise participants 7 “president of mosalt” elena Izmailova and “coo” pasquale feola
the history of mosalt company started in distant 1992, and last year they celebrated their 20th anniversary! the name of the company is a sort of acronym: mos is a part of word “moscow” (the city where the company was established), alt – part of “altay” (one of the republics in the russian federation), which means that mosalt is a commercial company which works on the territory from moscow to altay. for sure, today the geography of their presence has significantly increased: their retailers are spread all over the country from kaliningrad to distant petropavlovskkamchatskiy. today more than 120 companies work with mosalt and alfex watches are sold in 200 points of sales in russia. in the current time of strong competition, mosalt characterizes an alfex client in the following way – a sophisticated person, who understands himself very well and highly values his dignity. this person is not like all the others and is looking for a special watch which is “not for everyone”, watches with character and charisma... each russian customer believes that “true” watches must be made in switzerland. since a long time alfex is known as one of the most creative and non-traditional swiss brands. unique architecture of models, unbelievable in-style design, and at the same time adherence to strict swiss made canons – are distinctive features of the brand.
therefore it is highly appreciated that alfex always listens to distributors’ opinion about the production of one or another model. the fact of working in a team helps the development of the brand: discussing design, developing joint marketing programs and working out ideas of brand promotion. at the one hand alfex has a great experience in the watch production process and mosalt, at the other hand knows what their clients need. the future looks promising for alfex and mosalt. they continue moving bravely forward together: inventing new models, concepts or maybe even new directions. and with each new day which comes, they will find inspiration in everything that is around them to improve their work and efficiency.
_7 nowadays, to be successful it is important not to get lost among the huge variety of brands. mosalt acknowledges the fact that models popular in one country, cannot have any demand in another country. mosalt calls it “taste mentality”.
9:00 a.m. a chat with guido cadei
what is your track record in the world of watchmaking? i joined the industry when i was very young. my two elder brothers were already working in the sector and encouraged me to take this step. at alfex i have performed various duties, from fitting hands to cutting stems, in fact the full range of tasks, leading finally to my appointment as head of the assembly department. how many watches do you own? ten or so, but i’m very fond of one in particular, an alarm 5587. the alarm marks the start of my day, every day!
guido cadei began his career with alfex in 1982, following what might be described as a family tradition. his two older brothers were already employed in the sector when he decided that the watch industry was where his professional future lay. during his time with alfex, guido has performed various activities: from assembling hands to cutting stems, through to his present role as head of watch maker. passionate about every aspect of watchmaking from design to the movement, guido is responsible for developing the prototypes that are destined to become alfex timepieces, and for casing-up movements, both automatic and quartz.
what is your specialisation? there are two: technological development and the casing-up of automatic and quartz movements. when designers present their ideas and sketches for a new watch, we have to find a way of converting their design into a high quality timepiece. that is my job: to turn the vision of our designers into reality by giving advice on technical developments. what special qualities do you need to do your work? 1. passion 2. precision 3. calm /patience 4. problem solving. in assembly as elsewhere there are situations that require a degree of creativity in finding technical solutions for minor problems. what do you like most about your work? i like knowing i’ve contributed to the production of a new watch. from building the prototype, where i use my experience and knowledge of materials, through to final assembly. i find it very special that this watch will then be worn and appreciated by people all over the world. what would you like to do now? i’m very interested in new movement technologies and new watch assembly systems.
when you see a watch on someone’s wrist, what do you think? the first thing i look for is the make. if it’s not an alfex, i’m curious to see what type of watch it is. in general my eye is drawn to watches. for example, when i walk past a jeweller’s shop i always stop to take a closer look in the window. how is a watch created? once the final prototype has been built, all components (case, bracelet, dial, movement, crystal, etc) arrive for assembly and undergo strict quality controls. components that pass the criteria are then assembled in an atmosphere which must be as clean as possible. the first step is to place the dial and hands on the movement. then the calendar is checked: it must change at midnight. the stems are then cut to fit the watch and the movement is inserted in the case. once the case-back has been closed, quality control of the assembled watch begins, including a test of its water-resistance. once the bracelet is fitted, the watch is left to run and is monitored for 48 hours before a final quality check, after which it is released for sale. what do you think of alfex watches? at first sight it’s easy to be attracted by the design of our watches, but i think the real surprise comes from their strength: they will last a lifetime because we use first class components. and then, because i’ve put my heart and soul into every watch, i hope it will be appreciated. how many watches have passed through your hands in your 31 years with alfex? according to my calculations, nearly 1 million watches! how have alfex products changed since you started work in the company? as always, alfex is on the lookout for models that are unusual in terms of both design and styling. ultimately, great investments have been made to achieve further quality improvements.
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guido cadei at work
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what has changed in the world of watchmaking in recent years? firstly technology. the machines we use today are modern and sophisticated and allow us to work with much greater precision. that makes us far more confident in the quality that we offer and represents a great improvement in our work. secondly, the product life cycle has become much shorter. in the past, watches stayed on the market and therefore in production for much longer. today we develop more watches with a much shorter life on the market. lead times have become much shorter. in general, everything moves much faster. last but not least, the number of watch brands on the market has risen exponentially. consequently competition is much keener. how do you see the world of watchmaking in 20 years time? will people still be wearing wristwatches? absolutely yes. there will of course be many developments, and materials and production techniques will probably undergo further changes.
beethoven z端rich tonhalle 1955
11:00 a.m. swiss design culture_ josef müller brockmann swiss exactitude as universal prototype of good design. a dialogue between an italian visual designer and a swiss chief operation officer simone ciotola pasquale feola
simone ciotola_when I first saw josef müller brockmann’s work I didn’t know anything about him and even if I knew it, I wouldn’t be able to understand the complexity of its, apparently, simple design. why, in spite of my ignorance, did i loved that design at a first glance? pasquale feola_because at that time you were very young. you didn’t know much about visual design yet, but jmb conquered your soul with simplicity, clarity and the effectiveness of his design. sc_ if I think that when I was an high school student, in the mid ‘80s, jmb was still alive and active and if I only knew who he was and the influence he was going to have on me, I could have gone from southern Italy to switzerland by feet, just to meet him. unfortunately that meeting, between me and the swiss master of modern visual design, took place only in books, but has been strong enough to drive my hand and my head until here, today. pf_ why jmb is so important to you and to anyone approaching to the world of visual design? sc_ jmb isn’t just one of the greatest designers ever, because of his style, his unique
composition skills and deepest typographic knowledges. he did a lot more. he gave modern foundations to the profession, defining technical and ethical rules. rules still effective nowadays, even if often neglected. when someone, not necessarily a designer, has the chance to read his fundamental book “the graphic designer and his design problems”, discovers a world made of intellectual honesty, a whole system of democratic principles applied to visual design. a real manual of disambiguation between different kinds of communication. pf_ I imagine this story like a movie, were the «designer» plays the role of good guy and the «marketing manager» plays the role of the villain. sc_ eh eh! jokes apart, jmb explained in simple words and images the vital difference between “persuasion” and “information”. in his vision, the visual designer must fulfill the task to be as much objective as possible, using words, shapes, colors, images, organized in a rational system conceived to capture the audience smartly. the designer isn’t an “hidden persuader”. he gives to the people the informations they need, in the best shape and in full respect of their intelligence.
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musica viva zürich tonhalle 1957/69
swiss railway logo / guidelines 1978
pf_I would call it: the elegance of democracy in communication. sc_definitely. pf_ design is always a matter of choises, as mr brockmann teached us. sc_ as we know, a visual design project could change a lot just because we decide to use drawings instead of pictures. then there are still a lot of choices to make: technical drawing, freehand illustration, painting. if we want to draw, for instance, a technical sketch of a watch, we should choose between the objectivity of axonometry and the emotional 3d effect of perspective. and so on... jmb teaches us how to be consistent as designers when we are called to make those choices. he explained, through his valuable example, how to take a clear position in the media industry. in jmb paradigm, design is a social role where the person always comes first. pf_ hey, wait a minute! weren’t we talking about “visual design”? how did we end talking about “democracy”, “intellectual honesty” and so on?
sbb tribute t-shirt graniph tokyo 2012
sc_ because that is exactly what design is about, or should be. jmb explained to any visual designer in the world how to accomplish their delicate mission. building a strong identity just through a good use of typography, well balanced into empty space. we could say that the greatest contribution of jmb to visual design, aside ethic priciples or maybe as part of them, is the method to design the empty space. the grid system. pf_ this is quite a big theme, I think we should discuss grids in the next issue. sc_ such a big theme, and not only technical. we should thank jmb for this precious heritage. personally I feel grateful, to him and to schweizerische bundesbahnen, every time I take a train to switzerland. just watching timetables, signage and sbb brand identity, for me it’s a trip in the trip. pf_ that’s how we do things in switzerland!
simone ciotola rome 1966 visual designer former professor of visual designat 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, currently design director of visual identity and communication for alfex
the graphic artist and his design problems 1961
protégez l’enfant! swiss automobile club 1952/53
grid systems cover / internal pages 1981
pasquale feola aarau 1967 alfex’s current coo (chief operation officer), joined the ticinese company in august 2010, after ten years in the watchmaking sector.
literature josef mueller brockmann, «the graphic artist and his design problems» verlag arthur niggli 1961 - niederteufen, switzerland josef mueller brockmann, «grid systems» verlag arthur niggli - 1981 niederteufen, switzerland lars mueller, «josef mueller brockmann, pioneer of swiss graphic design» verlag lars muelle publishers - 1995 baden, switzerland
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.
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alfex stand at baselworld 2013
12:00 a.m. report from baselworld 2013
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1 building up 2 interiors 3 corner view 4 hans althaus sketches
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baselworld, the trade fair held every year in the swiss city basel, is the outstanding highlight of the world watchmaking scene. the 2013 edition welcomed visitors to a totally refurbished setting, the central pavilions having been linked up to increase exhibition space, which can now accommodate a total of 1460 exhibitors. the upgrade was welcomed by the public, as attested by a record attendance of 122,000, up 17% compared to last year. the press was also more strongly represented with 3,610 accredited journalists from all over the world, an increase of 9%. present as it is every year, alfex saw this facelift as a good opportunity to introduce its new stand, accompanying the in-depth relaunch process on which the brand has embarked in its 65th anniversary year. with a floor space of 110 m2, the new stand is the work of architect hans althaus. its design reinterprets the essence of switzerland and the brand’s own unique design spirit: a journey to the dawn of history, a space on two levels based on cubes reminiscent of the lakeshore pile-dwellings that typified switzerland in the neolithic era. an airy, simple setting defined by a linear, modular and exceptionally clean structure whose style is a perfect match for the pure lines of alfex it’s timepieces.
a separate area provided a wonderful showcase for watches in the new collection, in a unique and evocative setting illuminated by concentric lighting that echoed the theme of the stand’s graphic styling. primitive circles evoked the invisible vibrations that power timepieces like a secret beating heart. the creation of this 756 cubic metre stand required four months of design work by a team of architects working between turin where nüssli, the company responsible for fitting out the stand is based, and bern – home to the architect hans althaus. fifteen days of preliminary assembly work and 20 days of final assembly on site in basel involving a team of 10 fitters guided by architect isabella artana (nüssli) were required. a remarkable quantity of materials was used including 25 tons of glass, steel and wood. to celebrate the return of alfex to the international scene, a cocktail party was held on the stand during the week of the show. it featured a live performance of video mapping, a multi-sensory artistic experience in which visuals merge with sound to reinterpret the nature of matter, reflecting the avant-garde philosophy that is such a distinctive feature of alfex. a show to celebrate the past with an eye firmly on the future.
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alfex life experience event at baselworld 2013
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1:00 p.m. alfex_collection fall/winter 2013
3:00 p.m. alfex_reference sheet
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trend cycle this most avant-garde collection of alfex watches boasts a design that doesn’t accept compromise. belonging to this line are supremely distinctive timepieces that looks unswervingly toward the future in their appearance and technical sophistication.
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new structure the watches in the new structure family are endowed with a clearly feminine style: the modern allure of watches inspired by contemporary lifestyles, created in the colors and shapes of today’s latest trends.
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modern classic the alfex modern classic line of watches shows a streamlined configuration whose minimalist look is an innovative interpretation of the great classics of traditional watch making, in the typical designer spirit of the brand.
carsten nicolai unidisplay hangar bicocca milan, 2012
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4:00 p.m. on the lanes of traditions lifescape from st.petersburg zhanna gerasimova
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it has more than 300 years, but even nowadays this city-museum looks young and progressive. saint petersburg holds around 15 architectural styles, from sophisticated classicism to futuristic constructions. here you can walk around the center and be inspired by buildings of italian masters and a little away from the center get acquainted with the architecture of soviet constructivism, thereby seeing and comparing the difference of cultures and ideas. the sights of the city i could list infinitely: hermitage (incidentally, headed the rate of best museums according to the popular tourist site trip advisor), kunstkamera, st. isaac’s cathedral, “summer garden” and more others. developing and city building still going on, but it’s more difficult to enter new projects in the historical center then in the open field (passenger terminal of the airport pulkovo-3). the most striking examples are new scene of mariinsky theatre, nevskaia ratusha and shopping center “galeria”. the “galeria” neatly fits into the space and harmonizes with the historical area of vosstaniia square. on the contrary, the new scene of mariinsky theatre, which was planned as a frame of classical ballet in the new non-standard frames, but realized as unremarkable theatrical space.
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every year young designers and artists graduate from peterburg’s universities, one of the best is the academy named shtiglits. they show their works in historical buildings and unusual art-spaces. even in the remotest corners of the city exhibitions are organized, a good example is a cultural center named “loft project etagi”. walking for the first time on ligovskiy prospect is difficult to decide where you have to turn head, the “etagi” is already considered as a cult in the circles of young hipsters and fashionistas. expositions of world press photo and old comme des garcons collections, loved by all fashion insiders, took place here. even an extraordinary space such as a production workshop is used for exhibitions. for example, in the “gallery rizzordi art foundation”, situated on the territory of the brewery, open exhibitions of the modern artists are organized. in the city center you may find many interesting galleries, such as “rosphoto”, where both distinguished and young photographers exhibit their work, for example geoffrey h.short or agnes eva molnar. another place that tracks trends of art and design is “taiga” on dvortsovaya embankment. recently, there has been an exhibition of spanish photographer ernesto artillo “beauty in the cut”.
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in addition you can find clothing stores which represent promising russian designers. in petersburg you can stumble upon many interesting design shops and flea markets. the now popular “new holland” holds not only bio-markets, but also arranges open-air concerts and various presentations. design for citizens is not just to found in new objects; it is the way of life. you can lose count enumerating all bars and restaurants in which you can feel as in one of dan flavin’s artworks. polished style and desire of a beautiful life coexist with hipsters and bars like “dom beat” where people go just to hang out with friends, and not to show off their new suit. for saint petersberg’s residents intelligence and reticence are inherent and this is defining the difference from the usual idea of “russian” style. in general, moderate, minimal and classic is the style of young petersburg.
previous page nevsky prospect
1 gallery loft project etagi
2 fontanka river
3 pulkovo 1 airport
4 art space “taiga” exhibition of spanish photographer ernesto artillo “beauty in the cut”
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6 shopping center galeria
7 academy named by shtiglits
hermitage
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zhanna gerasimova saint-petersburg 1990 was born in saint-petersburg, russia 23 years ago. after the school of art she studied 4 years industrial design at st. petersburg’s university. later on, to follow her passion for fashion design, she decided to move to milan. today she’s living her design dream in the italian fashion capital, where she studies fashion design and works as a graphic designer, fashion designer and photographer.
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two very special “ordinary people” 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. elena and else are the protagonists of alfex’interviews: an entrepreneur and an artist. the ticking of the clock punctuates their hectic days. their 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
7:00 p.m. alfex mag_characters two stories to represent our own universe
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elena izmailova president of mosalt elena izmaylova is president of the mosalt trading company which was founded in moscow in 1992. the company specializes exclusively in the sale of watches. it is backed by 120 other firms which distribute the brands concerned to more than 200 points of sale all over russia, from st petersburg to siberia, and of course in the russian capital. she has always been passionate about watches which she describes as “magic boxes capable of encapsulating time.” elena is enthusiastic about travel, art and culture. she loves renaissance painting and design.
one_elena, president of mosalt alfex mag_you are woman who loves to travel. which place in the world you love the most, and where you feel at home? elena izmailova_i greatly enjoy travelling all around the world, because travelling means meeting new people, seeing beautiful landscapes, ancient towns with magnificent architecture and visiting interesting museums. there are a lot of amazing places on our planet, but mostly i was impressed by the maldives islands, especially by the full moon island. it gave me a tremendous feeling of being one with nature, a rare sensation of detachment from the civilization, peace and serenity. alfex mag_you have many interests and commitments in your life. what is your secret to not miss out or get lost, how you organize your working day? elena izmailova_there is no special secret! i’m just fond of living! and love of life starts with enjoying each day of your life. life itself provides you with enormous energy. i’m a curious person and want to know, to see and to feel as much as possible. however if you want to succeed in doing everything you desire, you must organize your time properly. the most important thing is not to wait for tomorrow to do what can be done today: execute work and achieve targets. my advice is to use your spare time to learn new things and to reach new heights in your life. alfex mag_what is your relation with the time passing by?
elena izmailova_mostly philosophical. it doesn’t frighten or scare me. time passes, and a new day comes with new possibilities. to me, the future is represented by my children. the uppermost happiness is to see their success and their achievements. and it doesn’t really matter that time is passing by inexorably. alfex mag_what is professional experience has influenced you the most? elena izmailova_for sure the experience in the watch business. selling watches is a kind or art. it is an unique combination of complicated movements, and its design made out of flowing delicate lines. sometimes you wonder: what else can be renewed within a watch? nevertheless, each year upon seeing the launch of the new models, i can’t stop admiring creativeness of designers and the efficiency of the watch masters. but then again, to produce watches it’s only half of the business, the watches should also be sold. therefore it’s necessary to be able to explain to the customer, who is mostly not aware of all the particularities of watch design and how valuable ‘time’ embraced in a case is. with watches, ‘time’ becomes a stylish accessory. alfex mag_how did you fall in love with watches and with alfex in particular? elena izmailova_before becoming the exclusive alfex distributor, we had been selling alfex watches successfully in our retail shops for almost 10 years. i have always admired the design of alfex and the high quality of the watches, however mostly i was impressed by the team of alfex: professional, motivated, creative and strong!
i think these characteristics enabled alfex to win, not only my love, but the love of people all over the world. as soon as it became possible, i signed the exclusive agreement with great pleasure. and now i’m very happy to represent alfex in russia. alfex mag_what is your preferred form of art, and why? elena izmailova_i can’t stop admiring paintings. i like various styles and directions, but i’m mostly drawn towards classicism. i worship the talent of creator of each piece of art. rafael, michelangelo, lorrain, poussin – they presented our world with a priceless treasure. for me designers are also creators and the results of their work delight me as well. if you ask me this question: turning back time, what would you like to do in your life? i would answer you without hesitation that i’d like to be a designer! maybe designer of watches…..
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else else was born in paris in 1962. she discovered her talent for painting and drawing at an early age, thanks to her mother who gifted her with a cloth when she was 5, nevertheless she didn’t study art but math. so, totally self-taught, at the age of 33 she decided to become a full-time artist. the body of her works is a continual quest of equilibrium, where forms, matters and colors release a freshness and an undeniable originality. her first exhibition took place in 1997 in enghein-les-bains, france, and since then her paintings have been seducing and convincing lots art admirers worldwide, from paris to beijing through almost one hundred exhibitions. in 2007 else moved to tel aviv, where she opened her own gallery, attracted by the incredible freedom and artistic stimuli that animate the city.
two_else, artist alfex mag_tell me about your experience as an artist since the early days of your creativity. else_i didn’t just wake up one morning thinking i’m an artist so i must start painting.painting began of its own accord, it was self-evident. i’m a very private person, so painting and drawing have become the best way of establishing a link between myself and others. this have liberated me and enabled me to express myself by converting the emotions i feel into lines and colours. then again, when a customer buys a painting there is more to it than the purely commercial aspect. it is an encounter, because the chosen painting corresponds to a point in time in that person’s life and emotional make-up. the meeting of client and artist it is an encounter of two emotions. one expresses through painting or drawing what the other feels at a particular moment in his or her life, and words are superfluous in terms of understanding one another. art is a universal language. alfex mag_ you used to live in paris and now you are in tel aviv. what are the special features of these two cities that you love? else_both cities express freedom through their melting pot of cultures and their vibrant character.
they convey the idea that every day of your life must be lived to the full. paris and tel aviv are inspiring cities for an artist. there is a kind of artistic rivalry, not least because of the number of artists, cultural activities and sources of intellectual stimulation, and in the case of tel aviv the spiritual aspect, too. tel aviv is a small city where everything is within reach of your “eye”, desire and love. every street corner is an invitation to life. musicians, painters and writers cross paths, exchange views, express opinions and create with astonishing vitality. this is a permanent challenge to me. for a long time paris had the same effect on me.
of everlasting life, even when we’re no longer here. for instance, works of art remain behind for others. ultimately, that’s very reassuring. i am conscious of the fact that we are only passing through. alfex mag_you are an artist. what are the other facets of your personality? else_i am a mother and that takes priority. i am incapable of describing myself except through what others say about me: committed, close to other people and in love with israel and france.
alfex mag_tell me where you find inspiration for a new work. else_i am an observer, a dreamer and a contemplative person. i’m also inclined to nostalgia. i’m inspired a lot by things that i see and hear, but i can’t describe exactly what triggers a work. alfex mag_time in your work and your life: is it a friend or an obstacle? else_that’s rather complicated (laughs). i see time increasingly as a friend. for me, time is an infinite reservoir of memories, emotions and familiar faces, and it also offers the promise
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9:00 p.m. alfex news_new distributors
chile concepto tres was established in 1998 as part of the empresas philipp holding focused on brand development. there are several the business fields in which the company is present: fragrance, cosmetics, hand tools, electronics, eyewear and now also in the watch industry with alfex. concepto tres is part of an important group that includes companies involved in different steps of the distribution channel. brands development and distribution are part of this holding that has products in most of the retail chain stores.
concepto tres s.a. av. americo verspucio no 1385 oficina 14, edificio b, condominio industrial spacio flex quilicura, santiago chile tel +56927709800 email pvaras@conceptotres.com
germany schweizer uhrenhandelsgesellschaft (suhg) was founded in 1972 by marcel butz and his wife lys in frankfurt and is now active in the watch industry for over 40 years. the company is known for the high quality of its products and has worked with well-known, and mainly swiss, manufacturers. in 1989, the company moved to baden rheinfelden, closer to switzerland, in order to facilitate the contacts with the suppliers. since 2008, the family business is run by marc butz supported by his partner mandy hausmann as well as a strong sales team.the new partnership with the brand alfex expanded the company brand range to a quality design product.
suhg
columbus i&a was founded in 2009 by avner bitton, who is experienced with more than 20 years old the industry, and by isabelle gabry, who mainly takes care of managerial and administrative tasks. the competences in the of mr. bitton and the great internal management make the company successful.based near besançon (france), the main activity of columbus i&a is the exclusive distribution of watches and jewels on the french market.
columbus i&a
a new shop “laiks avenue” has opened end of april 2013 in latvia
laiks avenue
schweizer uhrenhandelsgesellschaft rheintalstrasse 24 de-79618 rheinfelden tel. +49 (0)7627 1655 fax. +49 (0)7627 2434 email: info@suhg.de
france
2 roc clair 25690 avoudrey tél: +33.3.81.88.53.45 contact@columbus-ia.fr
latvia
galleria riga dzirnavu street 67 riga, lv-1011, latvia http://galleriariga.lv/en/laiks-avenue
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12.00 p.m. alfex in the world
_australia lion brands pty ltd
_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
_chile concepto tres s.a. av. americo verspucio no 1385 oficina 14, edificio b, condominio industrial spacio flex quilicura, santiago ph: 00569 2770 9800 e-mail: pvaras@conceptotres.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
_czech republic design trade s.r.o. klausova 15 15 00 praha 5 ph: 00420257213232 fax: 00420257214565 e-mail: info@designtrade.cz _finland rotor form oy sammonkatu 47 33540 tampere ph: 03 3122 56 66 fax: 0358103203030 e-mail: kontakti@rotor.fi web: www.rotor.fi _france columbus i&a 2 roc clair 25690 avoudrey ph: +33.3.81.88.53.45 e-mail: contact@columbus-ia.fr
_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
_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
_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
_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
1070 glenhuntly road glen huntly, victoria, 3163 ph: 03 9572 9820 fax: 03 9572 9899 e-mail: info@lionbrandsaustralia.com.au
_ 47
_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
_turkey pirlant saat müc. paz. san.tic.ltd.sti. çekirge cad. intam 101 k.1 d.1
_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
_slovak republic design trade s.r.o. Klausova 2541/15 150 00 praha 5 ph: 00420257213232 fax: 00420257214565 e-mail: info@designtrade.cz _spain vallromanes plaza can poal, 2 08188 vallromanes - barcelona ph: +34 93 566 94 04 e-mail: febexdist@gmail.com
_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 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
_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
_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 no.23 - sadaf shopping center aghdasiyye, pasadaran ave. tehran ph: +98 21 22 29 87 02 ph: + 98 21 22 29 89 73
_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
çekirge / bursa ph: 00902242332290 fax.: 00902242332292 web: www.pirlant.com.tr
_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
overTime. alfex_mag_0.1 / september 2013
alfex sa via cantonale, centro galleria 3
concept and design direction
6928 manno - ch
simone ciotola I ciotolaepartners.it
phone +41 (0) 91 61 22 290 fax +41 (0) 91 61 2 23 09
layout and grid
info@alfex.ch
daniela rossi I c-r-u-d © alfex sa _ 2013 graphic development elena ballan | ciotolaepartners.it drawings on internal pages francesca ceccoli photos pp. 23, 27, 29, 31_© amendolagine e barracchia pp. 8, 11_© beatrice arenella I c-r-u-d pp. 33-37_© zhanna gerasimova pp. 4, 17-19, 21_© christian bettinger | fotobasilisks pp. 20, 21_©simone ciotola | ciotolaepartners.it a special thank to ilse baas cristina chinaglia pasquale feola nicola bobbio pallavicini and to marcus weber and all alfex people for their cooperation and support
the alfex mag.