It must be emphasized that ic! berlin glasses really are produced in Berlin.   Ic! berlin glasses are luxury articles, hand-finished, piece by piece.  This factor eliminates unnecessary long distances between design, production, and distribution – no “made in china.”  With ic! berlin, all branches can be found in one building, the backfabrik (bake-factory) in Berlin mitte (central Berlin).  Only in this way can the highest degree of quality be lastingly guaranteed: made in berlin – made in germany!

When you hold a pair of ic! berlin glasses in your hands, you can feel why all of this effort is justified: the glasses captivate you with their form-stability, and flexibility.  The rounded edges caress your fingers.  ic! berlin glasses do not allow for compromises, because they are naked.  Because we neither screw, solder, or weld, no pair of ic! berlin glasses can irreversibly lose its parts or components!

History

The first series of ic! berlin’s well-known screwless hinge system glasses was produced in 1996.  it all began with hand cut aluminum glasses.  In these frames, the basic idea behind the hinge could already be seen, even if they were fragile and sensitive.  The fastening-clip on the hinge had not yet been developed.Their very first trade-fair was in 1997, in Cologne.   Although they were a tiny stand, hidden behind some gigantic eyewear company, the truffle hunters of the industry didn’t stop from sniffing ic! berlin out.  At the trade-fair “euroblech” in Hanover, they discovered a laser-sheet-metal-cutter, which provided the first cutouts from stainless steal – the basis for the first attempts at remodeling.   The material held out, and the hinge sprang to action with a never before seen liveliness. the frames were still without a fastening-clip.  Seek, and you will find: a slit right through the side of the hinge, and a clasp to fit around it, which held both sides together.  The frames were now able to be taken apart and put safely back together.   The so-called prescription glasses collection has existed since January of 2000.

Since 2003, Ralph Anderl has been leading the firm alone as acting partner.  Officially, he carries the honorable title “sheet-metal-glasses-salesman”.

ic! berlin Production Images

Technology

An intense amount of value is placed on the steel.  The quality of this material determines the overall quality of the glasses.  For this reason, ic! berlin relies solely on German producers, who brew the stuff together in germany, exactly according to ic! berlin’s requirements.  The front pieces are cut from the metal by a small family business in the north of Italy (Valdobiaddere). Acetate frames are complimented with the highest quality organic cotton acetate to make sure the plastic can keep up with the steel.

The flat raw pieces are then reformed in Berlin, and the edges are worked over in a small village near Brandenburg. There the edges are rounded and smoothed.  This is done using a big multiangular trovalising (vibratory grinding process) machine.   After about ten hours, sharp metal edges are made into tender feminine curves.

The cutting and routing of the lenses is done directly in the ic! berlin building in the saarbrücker street, where finishing and quality control takes place as well.  On the same floor as production, the office is also to be found, from where the logistic experts send the glasses out into the entire world.