01Safe being assembled
02Bank vault door
03Parma Antonio & Figli’s mechanical combination lock
04Brothers Alberto (left) and Emanuele Parma
05Parma Antonio & Figli’s popular Series E safe
06Parma Antonio & Figli logo
07Giorgio Amedeo (right) inspects assembly of a vault on-site at a firm that stores and transports artworks in Milan
08Vault at Cariplo bank
Monocle cracks the mysterious and intriguing world of safes and vaults by paying a visit to family-owned locksmiths Parma Antonio & Figli. Fortuitously the Italian economic situation is working in their favour.
Issue 11
Four enthusiastic Swedes believe that the future of music doesn’t have to end in …Pod. Their Pacemaker – a palm-sized DJ system that promises fresh new pastures of musical discovery, pitch-perfect audio quality and instant…
Issue 40
China makes cheap products to order. Could it ever make well-designed ones too? Monocle looks at the companies who think it can and are leading the way.
Issue 41
This issue our regular Fairplay series on trade fairs from around the world makes a return. Here we visit the Toys & Games Fair in Hong Kong, the second largest exhibition of its kind in the world, where serious-minded…
Issue 23
For almost a century, a family-run business in St Moritz has been embroidering napkins, tablecloths and bed linen. A personalised item can take up to a year to produce, during which your chosen design will be carefully…
Issue 31
Mitsuoka makes models based on classic cars and it works unlike most other automakers in that every car is handmade in its workshop in Toyama. This gives it the edge in an industry that’s lifting itself out of the doldrums…
Issue 63
A revived firm in the Swiss Alps blends cutting-edge technology with hand-built ideals in pursuit of the perfect espresso.
Issue 3
Each month, we visit a small-scale, high-quality manufacturer that’s big on provenance. For May, we trotted into Dahlman, a 200-year-old saddlery currently owned by brothers Erik and Frank Hendriksen, direct descendents of…
Issue 38
Miele celebrated its 110th year anniversary last year. The reason for the company’s longevity is not only its quality household appliances but successive generations who have taken over – and upheld – the family firm’s…
Issue 29
The world is going electric in a bid to combat environmental change and energy dependency. For once this Christmas, batteries are included.
Issue 5
From New York to Istanbul, cities are investing in street furniture that expresses their heritage and makes them look like well thought out brands. The clever bit? Thanks to companies such as Wall in Germany, they can have…
Issue 62
Time to shine your shoes, pamper your pooch and brighten up your home with this month’s assortment of objects.
Issue 61
They may not be sexy but the small firms that make everything from dog leads to lifting gear are the fuel powering Germany’s economy.
0:00:00 0:01:00