Mr. Antonio Altobel was born in Sanguinetto Italy in November 1947. At the young age of six he started his career in woodworking in a traditional Italian workshop, where wood was processed entirely with hand tools. The workers were schooled in the fine art of woodworking similar to artisans that plied this trade working on Baroque houses and wooden Venetian ships during the 1700’s. He had to work in French Switzerland to do complete home furnishing and after being reliable rich people came to his small workshop downstairs close to parrent's home for purchasing his great pieces of furniture.
After completing mandatory military service in 1968, he began his own business of transforming damaged “circa 1800’s” furniture into 1900’s styles. It was at this time that he began building clocks, searching for incomparable workmanship and unsurpassed quality. Antonio’s sense of innovation mixed with his tradition of excellence led him to move from his small village and build the current company plant in the town of Sanguinetto in 1975, a few kilometres south of the city of Verona.
He first concentrated on manufacturing reproductions of grandfather clocks with a Westminster chime. As time went by he continue introduced new ideas in order to expand and offer a wide and selected range of floor, wall, fire and design clocks that stand out in the best galleries and collections throughout the world. Many of his creations are located in the homes and offices of government officials and political leaders in major European, African and Asian countries, to include the Kremlin in Moscow… Our Company has grown into, and is currently an acknowledged world leader in the clock making industry.
In addition to clocks, Antonio continued producing custom made Italian Walnut and Olive wood “old fashioned” furniture for special order customers. Additionally, to keep personally in touch with the Italian furniture design trends he adapts clocks by utilizing innovating materials like fine glass and metals, and current market colours. Mr. Altobel has entered into agreements with many Italian and Spanish furniture companies. In 1984 he improved his product by installing exquisite original German mechanical movements from the world-renowned Kieninger Company, noted for their Black Forest clock movements since 1912.
He also modified the clock cabinets to show the interior movements fully by opening the top or front doors, similar to the works of the original English clock masterpieces created during the 1700’s. Our quality reflects both in the clock and in the special atmosphere that its swinging pendulum lends into every home.
Altobel clocks have expanded their popular image from an occasional gift for weddings, retirement and anniversaries to an exiting timepiece that simply satisfies the desire of having a high quality piece of furniture in the home or business environment. These clocks are heirlooms that endure from one generation to the next.