SWISS

MADE

Craft Begins with Proximity

A LEGACY IN PRACTICE

SWISS

MADE

Craft Begins with Proximity

A LEGACY IN PRACTICE

Across Switzerland, specialist knowledge has developed through a close relationship between material, maker, and place. Skills pass from one generation to the next, shaped by the regions and communities in which they are practiced.

For Seitz, working locally keeps these relationships intact. It means knowing where materials come from, knowing the people who shape them, and keeping production within the communities where these skills have developed. The legacy of Swiss craft lives through its continued use.

FIG. 1

A journey through the people, places and processes behind Seitz

Local by Nature

In Muotathal, craft belongs to the landscape. The valley is Seitz's home in Switzerland and the center of our production. Here, our workshop at von Rickenbach anchors a wider network of specialists across the country.

Swiss oak and ash are sourced from local forests and selected for their grain, strength, and ability to age through use. Von Rickenbach brings deep expertise in solid timber to every stage of production, from cutting and joinery to shaping and finishing. The distance from forest to finished piece remains deliberately short.

This proximity extends beyond timber. Upholstery, metalwork, saddlery, and other specialist processes are entrusted to people with knowledge particular to their material. No single hand makes a Seitz piece. Each contributes to a chain of making rooted in place.

FIG. 2

Swiss timber stacked and air-dried before production

FIG. 3

The solid timber frame of the Helm Sofa during production in Muotathal

Craft, Continued

Some traditions continue through collaboration. In Appenzell, a small number of Sennensattler still practice a saddlery tradition passed through generations. Daniel Fuchs of Appenzeller Gurt is one of them, carrying forward the knowledge of his family as a third-generation saddler.

Our collaboration began with a shared interest in finding new relevance for this regional craft. Brass fittings rooted in traditional Appenzeller belts and alpine dress are distilled into functional details for the Appenzeller table and sideboard. Their origins remain legible, carrying the hand and history of Appenzell with them.

This exchange is central to how Seitz approaches Swiss craft. Continuity depends on use. Skills remain part of a culture when there is reason to practice them, pass them on, and find new applications for what they hold.

FIG. 4

Material and finish samples showing the details carried through production, including our laser branding

FIG. 5

Traditional Appenzeller clogs from Appenzeller Gurt, a reference for the brass fittings of our Appenzeller Series

Responsibility

Longevity begins with how something is made. Solid timber, considered joinery, and replaceable components make repair part of the life of each piece. It continues through materials that age through use, carrying a history forward from one generation to the next.

Responsibility extends to the system around it. Made-to-order production keeps excess to a minimum. Local sourcing shortens the distance materials travel. In Muotathal, solid timber offcuts return to the community as energy. Keeping production close makes these relationships visible and gives us greater responsibility for the decisions behind everything we make.

FIG. 6

Locally sourced timber stored at our workshop in Muotathal

A Network of Proximity

Map of the Seitz production network in Switzerland

1 MUOTATHAL

2 OFTRINGEN

3 APPENZELL

4 AU

MUOTATHAL

47.0260° N, 8.7643° E

Main Workshop

Our furniture begins at von Rickenbach in Muotathal, where Thomas von Rickenbach and his team oversee the solid timber work at the center of our production. Swiss oak and ash move through cutting, joinery, shaping and finishing here, drawing on the workshop’s deep knowledge of working with solid wood.

OFTRINGEN

47.3135° N, 7.9257° E

89 km

In Oftringen, Bruno Berger, Christian Neubauer, and the team at Möbel Berger handle our upholstery. Cushions are made and upholstered there by specialists whose work combines the structure of the furniture with the softness, tension and finish of the textile.

APPENZELL

47.3310° N, 9.4099° E

96 km

In Appenzell, we work with Caspar Eberhard, who runs Appenzeller Gurt, and Daniel Fuchs, the third-generation Sennensattler behind the craft. Together, they carry forward a regional saddlery tradition, translating fittings rooted in traditional Appenzeller belts and alpine dress into the brass details used on our Appenzeller table and sideboard.

AU

47.4309° N, 9.6345° E

119 km

Our hardware is produced by Thomas Seitz AG in Au, run by Kevin’s uncle and godfather. The workshop machines the smaller metal components used throughout our furniture, from fittings and supports to other functional details, before they return to Muotathal for final assembly.