Cutler and Gross turns the spotlight on Cadore in the Italian Dolomites—home to the atelier and artisans who craft each acetate frame by hand.
The story begins in the small village and epicentre of Italian eyewear, surrounded by postcard mountains and turquoise lakes. Outside, the landscape offers crisp air and a peaceful soundtrack.
Inside, machinery hums quietly as the team of craftspeople measure, carve, polish and assess. Frames pass through a rigorous rulebook and fastidious approach, so that over 55 years of eyewear craft is apparent in every hinge, temple and core wire that leaves the atelier.
Sheets of Italian acetate line the walls—transparent, mottled, richly coloured and ready to be carved. The mainstay of pure black creates a shadowy cast, alongside layers of sheer crystals and textured tortoiseshell.
On cue, curls of acetate begin to be sculpted away while the frame's silhouette starts to reveal itself. A grand unveiling of sharp outlines, lens eyes and nose bridges, before receiving smooth bevelling and milling to soften the curves.
Next, frames receive the attentive hand of artisans, where soft bristles sweep away lingering acetate shavings, and inset holes are hand-cleared, giving way to a home where hinges and functional pins will later reside.
Wooden barrels of oak chips then tumble and roll frames with care, rounding off sharp edges to a steady, quiet rustle. A labour of love, this step reflects how quality takes its time. In a quiet rhythm, each drum oscillates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with frames maturing over the course of an average of three to five steps, and seven days of tumbling.
With an imperative eye and rigour, each frame then meets a gentle heating element, tuned to the exact degree required to mould a curve for the face. Preserved by a quick dip in cooling waters, the frame is now set to a natural arch.
Temples soon receive treatment to build their structure and strength, where rising temperature and pressure converge. After a light heating, acetate temples are pliable enough to meet a patterned core wire, through the machine's quick force shooting it through with pinpoint precision.
With two instinctive clicks, signature Oyster and Compass Star pins are anchored into the frontal, while a glistening gold logo is inset into temple by hand—stamps of heritage before each frame is ready for hinges, assembly and their journey beyond Cadore.
Piecing together and adjustments represent the summit. Through a series of meticulous assessments, each frame is held to the light, examined from every angle and tested for balance, symmetry and fit. Lenses are set with smooth edges, temples are aligned to the supreme degree, and every surface is scrutinised. Nothing leaves Cadore without earning its place.
A collective of wheels rotate in the distance, with a continued purr, polishing each frame with gentle, fluid motions led by each artisan's hand.
This is what over 55 years of craft looks like. It takes practice to know exactly how much pressure, heat and patience a frame requires before it is ready. The curl of acetate on a workshop floor, the click of an Oyster pin finding its home and the reward of frames that undergo over 42 steps of craft, at the hands of an exceptional team of artisans.
Every Cutler and Gross frame carries Cadore with it, from the mountains and the makers, it's a story of craft made properly, and eyewear ready to help you see the world clearly.
Discover the full film by JAKO below and on the Cutler and Gross YouTube channel.
A Cadore Story
Cutler and Gross turns the spotlight on Cadore in the Italian Dolomites—home to the atelier and artisans who craft each acetate frame by hand.
The story begins in the small village and epicentre of Italian eyewear, surrounded by postcard mountains and turquoise lakes. Outside, the landscape offers crisp air and a peaceful soundtrack.
Inside, machinery hums quietly as the team of craftspeople measure, carve, polish and assess. Frames pass through a rigorous rulebook and fastidious approach, so that over 55 years of eyewear craft is apparent in every hinge, temple and core wire that leaves the atelier.
Sheets of Italian acetate line the walls—transparent, mottled, richly coloured and ready to be carved. The mainstay of pure black creates a shadowy cast, alongside layers of sheer crystals and textured tortoiseshell.
On cue, curls of acetate begin to be sculpted away while the frame's silhouette starts to reveal itself. A grand unveiling of sharp outlines, lens eyes and nose bridges, before receiving smooth bevelling and milling to soften the curves.
Next, frames receive the attentive hand of artisans, where soft bristles sweep away lingering acetate shavings, and inset holes are hand-cleared, giving way to a home where hinges and functional pins will later reside.
Wooden barrels of oak chips then tumble and roll frames with care, rounding off sharp edges to a steady, quiet rustle. A labour of love, this step reflects how quality takes its time. In a quiet rhythm, each drum oscillates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with frames maturing over the course of an average of three to five steps, and seven days of tumbling.
With an imperative eye and rigour, each frame then meets a gentle heating element, tuned to the exact degree required to mould a curve for the face. Preserved by a quick dip in cooling waters, the frame is now set to a natural arch.
Temples soon receive treatment to build their structure and strength, where rising temperature and pressure converge. After a light heating, acetate temples are pliable enough to meet a patterned core wire, through the machine's quick force shooting it through with pinpoint precision.
With two instinctive clicks, signature Oyster and Compass Star pins are anchored into the frontal, while a glistening gold logo is inset into temple by hand—stamps of heritage before each frame is ready for hinges, assembly and their journey beyond Cadore.
Piecing together and adjustments represent the summit. Through a series of meticulous assessments, each frame is held to the light, examined from every angle and tested for balance, symmetry and fit. Lenses are set with smooth edges, temples are aligned to the supreme degree, and every surface is scrutinised. Nothing leaves Cadore without earning its place.
A collective of wheels rotate in the distance, with a continued purr, polishing each frame with gentle, fluid motions led by each artisan's hand.
This is what over 55 years of craft looks like. It takes practice to know exactly how much pressure, heat and patience a frame requires before it is ready. The curl of acetate on a workshop floor, the click of an Oyster pin finding its home and the reward of frames that undergo over 42 steps of craft, at the hands of an exceptional team of artisans.
Every Cutler and Gross frame carries Cadore with it, from the mountains and the makers, it's a story of craft made properly, and eyewear ready to help you see the world clearly.
Discover the full film by JAKO below and on the Cutler and Gross YouTube channel.