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The Craft

Handmade in Fukui,
since 1905.

Fukui Prefecture, Japan

The world's eyewear
capital. For a reason.

Fukui Prefecture, on the coast of the Sea of Japan, produces more than 90% of Japan's eyewear — and has done so since 1905. This is not an industry that was planted here. It grew here, over more than a century, shaped by the discipline of generations of craftspeople who passed their knowledge directly from hand to hand.

When Atelier Vingt-Deux® chose Fukui, it was not a manufacturing decision. It was the only honest choice. There is no other place on earth that builds frames to this standard — in this material, at this level of precision, with this depth of accumulated knowledge.

Every frame that leaves our atelier passes through 22 distinct manufacturing stages, executed by artisans who have spent their careers doing exactly this. Not assembly. Craft.

Aerospace Titanium
Material

Grade 5 Titanium.
The material that builds aircraft.

Grade 5 Ti-6Al-4V is the most widely used titanium alloy in aerospace engineering. It is trusted in the construction of aircraft fuselages, surgical implants, space hardware, and Formula 1 components. The reason is simple: nothing else combines this level of strength, lightness, and biological compatibility in a single material.

On your face, it weighs approximately 20 grams. In an aircraft wing, it withstands forces that would destroy any other alloy at the same weight. That is the material we build with — not a variation of it, not an inspired approximation. The same alloy, the same grade, the same specification.

Hypoallergenic by nature. Corrosion-proof for life. It will never oxidise, never warp, never degrade. The frame you own today will be in identical condition in twenty years.


Alloy gradeTi-6Al-4V (Grade 5)
Density4.43 g/cm³
Tensile strength880 MPa
Hardness30–36 HRC
Frame weight≈ 20g
Bio-compatible100%
Corrosion resistanceLifetime
Carl Zeiss Optics
Optics

Carl Zeiss.
The benchmark, since 1846.

Carl Zeiss was founded in Jena, Germany in 1846. In the 180 years since, it has become the defining standard for optical precision worldwide — trusted by astronomers, surgeons, photographers, and now, every Atelier Vingt-Deux® frame that leaves our atelier.

Every lens blocks 100% of UVA and UVB radiation — the UV400 standard, the highest available. Every lens filters blue light, reducing strain from screens and digital environments. The optical grade is the same used in prescription lenses recommended by ophthalmologists worldwide.

This is not a partnership we chose for the name. We chose it because it is the only lens manufacturer whose standard matches ours. Zeiss optics are not an upgrade option on Atelier Vingt-Deux® frames. They are included. Non-negotiable. Built into every price.


UV protectionUV400 — 100% UVA & UVB
Blue light filterYes — digital screen protection
Optical gradePremium — ophthalmologist standard
OriginCarl Zeiss, Germany
Founded1846, Jena
Included as standardEvery frame, every order
Manufacturing

22 stages. Not one skipped.

Every Atelier Vingt-Deux® frame passes through 22 distinct manufacturing stages before it reaches you. Each is executed by hand, in sequence, by craftspeople in Fukui. There are no shortcuts in this process — not because we can't find them, but because the result of skipping one is visible to anyone who knows what to look for.

01
Titanium Sheet Selection

Grade 5 Ti-6Al-4V sheets are inspected for grain consistency, surface integrity, and thickness uniformity before any cutting begins.

02
CNC Precision Cutting

Computer-controlled cutting extracts the frame outline from the titanium sheet with sub-millimetre accuracy. No material is wasted.

03
Profile Shaping

The raw cut is shaped into the three-dimensional profile of the frame — the curvature that will determine how it sits on the face.

04
Temple Formation

The temple arms are bent and shaped individually, calibrated for the correct spring tension that ensures a comfortable, secure fit.

05
Bridge Construction

The nose bridge is formed and fitted — the component most responsible for how the frame distributes its weight across the face.

06
Hinge Machining

Precision hinges are machined from solid titanium. Each hinge is tested for tension and alignment before fitting.

07
Hinge Integration

Hinges are fitted and seated by hand. The connection between frame and temple is the most mechanically stressed point on any eyewear — it must be perfect.

08
Nose Pad Fitting

Titanium nose pads are shaped and positioned to distribute the frame's weight evenly and prevent pressure points across all nose profiles.

09
Initial Surface Treatment

The frame surface receives its first treatment — removing micro-burrs and preparing the titanium for the finish application stages.

10
Finish Application

The selected finish — polished, matte, brushed, or coloured — is applied. Each finish type requires different tooling and a different sequence of application.

11
Hand Polishing

Every polished frame is worked by hand with progressively finer compounds until the surface reflects with complete uniformity.

12
Colour Treatment

Coloured finishes — gold, carbon, graphite — are applied through an anodising or PVD process that bonds the colour into the titanium surface permanently.

13
Lens Groove Machining

The lens channel that holds the Carl Zeiss lens is machined to the exact tolerance required for a secure, rattle-free fit.

14
Lens Grinding & Shaping

Carl Zeiss lenses are ground to the precise shape of each frame, maintaining optical uniformity across the entire lens surface.

15
Lens Coating

UV400 and blue light filter coatings are applied to each lens. Coatings are bonded at a molecular level — they cannot be scratched off.

16
Lens Fitting

Lenses are seated into the frame channel by hand, using controlled pressure to ensure an airtight, vibration-free connection.

17
Optical Alignment Check

Each fitted lens is checked for optical axis alignment. Any deviation is corrected before the frame proceeds.

18
Frame Geometry Verification

The complete frame is measured against the master specification for symmetry, temple angle, lens plane, and bridge curvature.

19
Fit Testing

The frame is worn and assessed for balance, weight distribution, and temple tension by an experienced quality assessor.

20
Surface Inspection

Every surface of the frame is inspected under magnification for finish consistency, hinge alignment, and any surface anomalies.

21
Final Cleaning

The frame is cleaned with precision instruments — every surface, every groove, every hinge recess — to remove any trace of the manufacturing process.

22
Packaging & Dispatch

The completed frame is placed in the branded leather case, pouched in velvet, and packaged in the Atelier Vingt-Deux® gift box before dispatch.

120 Years of Fukui craft
22 Manufacturing stages
20g Final frame weight
100% Aerospace titanium
What's in the box
Every Order

Not just a frame.
An experience.

  • I.
    Atelier Vingt-Deux® Titanium Frame
    Your chosen frame in aerospace-grade Grade 5 titanium, with Carl Zeiss lenses fitted, aligned, and quality-inspected through all 22 stages.
  • II.
    Branded Leather Case
    A rigid-shell leather case with Atelier Vingt-Deux® branding — built to protect the frame with the same care that went into making it.
  • III.
    Velvet Protective Pouch
    A velvet pouch for daily carrying — soft enough to never mark the Carl Zeiss lenses, discreet enough to belong in any bag.
  • IV.
    Microfibre Cleaning Cloth
    Optical-grade microfibre for lens care. The correct tool for Carl Zeiss glass — nothing less.
  • V.
    Atelier Vingt-Deux® Gift Box
    Every frame ships as if it's going to someone who deserves it — in a gift-ready box, regardless of whether it was ordered as a gift.

"See the frames that result from all of this."

View the Collection