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Press Release - May 2018

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A SWISS COMPANYSeated in a region of Swizterland renowned worldwide for its expertise in the watchmaking industry, Von Arkel’s headquarter is only an hour drive from the cradle of eyewear manufacturing in the Jura region of France, birthplace of the French eyewear industry.

Set in the city of Morges, right in the heart of the Swiss Riviera, a beautiful vineyards region overlooking the lake, Von Arkel develops its luxury eyewear concepts in collaboration with renowned experts.

Above all, Von Arkel’s aim is a genuinely new idea, creating an approach towards optics that goes far beyond the marketing of a simple frame.

The main distinction of Von Arkel’s products is the hinges, true technical achievements inspired by the virtuosity of the finest watchmaking movements.

Von ArkelA QUEST FOR TIMELESSSWISS PERFECTION

Following in the steps of the 18th century expansion of the watchmaking industry, Von Arkel nurtured its legacy from this exceptional tradition of avant-garde technology and unmatched quality and precision.

Keeping purity and timelessness in mind, Von Arkel offers frames of incomparable innovation with hinges designed and developed in the cradle of watchmaking invention.

With its patented hinges appropriately designated as “Calibers”, eyewear and watchmaking technology have never been so close.

A LEGACY OF PASSIONTradition

Hinge Quality-Controlby Master Bar turner Neuchâtel

SHARED PASSIONSBeyond technology, there is a know-how. Beyond design lies emotion. Beyond your eyewear, your personality unfolds. The Von Arkel brand is born of shared passions.

Over time, the brand’s founders had the wisdom to surround themselves with engineers, designers, master bar turners, as well as master eyewear craftsmen. Together, they create and build our exceptional frames in their studios and workshops, drawing on a tradition that is centuries old, in a perfectly synchronised dance of talent.

Von Arkel was created in 2012 with the filing of a first patent on an innovative hinge: the Caliber 8. The term “Caliber” is used to indicate the vertical length of the hinge, in millimeters and its unique technology involved.

It is to further push the technical limits of these first patents that the project of Caliber 9 and Caliber 6 Oyster was initiated. It will require more than 2 years of development efforts and focus to succeed.

Von Arkel holds the patent of 3 complex hinges derived from the world of watchmaking and made in the same stainless steel alloy that is used for the watches.

Savoir-faire

Meeting DUBOIS-DEPRAZVallé de Joux - Caliber 9 R&D

THE BRANDVon Arkel was created guided by the desire to produce a perfectly finished product and by an undisguised love for micromechanics and haute horlogerie. The Von Arkel hinges - exclusively made from 316L grade steel and completely screwless - were born with the intention of providing any style of frame the best value possible.

The team then set a simple and ambitious goal: to propose different frames, with an approach anchored in a quest for timeless perfection very Swiss Made. This positioning led the brand to rely on watchmaking know-how, notably by borrowing its subcontractors.

Von Arkel’s glasses marketed since May 2014, combine noble materials with carefully chosen finishings and offer frames of incomparable innovation.

Titanium, stainless steel, acetate, or buffalo horn. Each style with its unique frame.

Eyewear & Micromechanics

A STORY OF CHALLENGESAll of Von Arkel’s Calibers were born in a region known worldwide for its expertise in eyewear and haute horlogerie, by merging two close yet different know-hows in order to reach an object of essential simplicity with the help of complex technologies.

The concept of the Calibers combines the best of both worlds. It is thus no coincidence that specialists in each field have contributed greatly to the project.

More than beautiful, unique and special designs, Von Arkel uses all the excellence and know-how of the Swiss watchmaking industry to give its eyewear magical patented hinges with a distinctive DNA, coupled with a strong and unique selling proposal.

The different hinges represent a turning point in Von Arkel’s continuous development; each has its own unique key feature arising from the permanent desire to challenge technology itself.

Von Arkel is proud to introduce its three different patented exclusive hinges: the time defying Caliber 6 “Oyster”, the original “Plug & Play“ Caliber 8 and the removable Masterpiece Caliber 9 with the Double Lock system.

Swiss inspired

THE SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE OF EYEWEAR MANUFACTURING AND SWISS WATCHMAKING INSPIREDHINGES

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CALIBER 9

A technological marvel, the Von Arkel hinge is complex in its design and conception but effortless in its handling, this inventive and patented system is manufactured by a unique process making it more resistant to scratches and marks.  

With no screws, no rivets, no souldering nor setting, the Caliber 9 is composed of two parts only: the barrel and the axis. The system allows fixing the lenses and temples simultaneously thanks to a double lock mechanism : whereas the axis lock the clamping of lenses, the temples lock the whole system.

The regulation of opening and closing of the temples are friction limited and can vary depending on the collections and the needs.

The 9mm high hinge has an internal opening and closing mechanism stop with no protruding points and therefore has zero risk of pinch.

Interchangeable, the Von Arkel hinge is also available in a number of different finishings, from polished stainless steel to 23.5-carat gold with Precious Gemstones finished by PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition). A combination of different processes ensure durable and subtly-coloured colour hues.

REMOVABLEDOUBLE LOCK KEY

Caliber 9

Caliber 9 features:

· Reduced temple frcition and lens block with a single mechanism · Frame independant hinge · Zero risk of pinching · Customisation through the Gemstones Program

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ONE OF A KINDOur iconic and distinctive feature is clearly the hinges. They represent the brand’s product signature as well as the added value for each frames. Unlike the rest, the hinges are timeless, extremely durable  and reliable  over time, they embellish the frame that will evolve with fashion cycles and other material improvements.

With the Caliber 9, we deliberately separated the micro-technical elements that are both timeless watchmaking and jewelry, from the spectacle manufacturing that is subject to trends, styles and materials.

Thus, our customers can enjoy having a pair of Von Arkel eyewear available in limitless versions of hinges Caliber 9 Precious Gemstone, custom made according to their taste, ranging from watchmaking’s steel to jewellery finishings.

Caliber 9

Caliber 9 Gold Plated Precious Gemstones Entourage Buffalo Horn - Limited edition.

An unfaltering passion for high-quality frames. Consummate knowledge drawn from the world of engineering, physics, and micro-mechanics. Von Arkel frames symbolise the convergence of style, technology and exclusivity.

The Von Arkel Caliber 6 Oyster is distinguished by its patented hinge, which intelligently uses the principle of reversed tension between these different elements, induced by the physical limit of the elasticity of the metals.

Entirely screwless as well, the reliability and solidity of the 6mm high Caliber are ensured only by using the subtil game of opposed forces. At each end of the hinge, the two heads of the axes close completely the mechanism, such an oyster closing on itself from the inside. One barrel, 2 axes, that’s all it takes.

The result? A movement of perfect fluidity. The friction is practically non-existent, giving to this mechanism an exemplary (and extraordinary) longevity.

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGYCaliber 6 Oyster

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CALIBER 6

Caliber 6 features:

· Assembly based on opposing forces · Frictionless movement · Exemplary durability · Zero risk of hair or skin pinching

CORE VALUESVon Arkel’s Calibers reflect the pursuit of a perfectly completed product.

Feature of importance: the use of PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) process for the treatment finish of the Colour Tradition series. This technique widely used in watchmaking allows to achieve high-level requirements in terms of solidity and unalterable aesthetics. This guarantees the accurate rendering of deep colours as well as an unparalleled reliability.

Technicality, reliability and solidity proven over time, precision and rigor, sobriety and essentiality are the main values that drive the brand’s work. Each Von Arkel glasses are the depository of those values.

Goals

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An unfaltering passion for high-quality frames, Von Arkel frames symbolise the convergence of style and technology.

One of the great innovations of Von Arkel’s Caliber 8 is the hinge dealing with the problem of friction and allowing greater reliability and durability.

By entirely avoiding any friction on the metal of the frame parts, the 8mm high hinge is completely wear-free.

The mounting of the lenses is also considerably simplified and quality remains constant after assembly.

All Von Arkel Caliber 8 frames have been shaped according to a 3D technology that processes the material differently depending on the point chosen. Thus, the elements requiring more rigidity will become thicker, while the temples and other parts requiring greater flexibility are more slender.

SOPHISTICATEDPLUG & PLAY

Caliber 8

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CALIBER 8

Caliber 8 features:

· Sophisticated «Plug and Play» mechanism · Easy handeling · Reduced temple friction and lens blocking with a single mechanism · Extremely reliable · State-of-the-art 3D metal process

A legacy of passion

FOUR JOINT VISIONS,ONE SINGLE PASSION

CHRISTOPHE REYNALD PHILIPPE JOHN

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Rue de Lausanne 45, 1110 MorgesT : +41 (0) 21 552 60 60

W : vonarkel.comM : info@vonarkel.com