Fope

Goldsmiths. In 1929, Umberto Cazzola opened an artisanal goldsmith’s shop in Vicenza, in Contrà Sant’Ambrogio. After World War II, his son Odino, who was very keen on the goldsmith’s art and also an expert on music, expanded the family business from an artisanal scale to an industrial one. This was the beginning of the Cazzola (Ficm) company, and its well-timed adoption of advanced technology for the production of extendible metal watch straps. With the entry of the third generation, Odino’s children Umberto and Ines, in the family business, came the 1961 launch of the Fope brand (standing for Fabbrica Oreficeria Preziosi Esportazioni, or Goldsmith Factory and Jewellery Exports). As the name says, Fope focused its energy especially on the export of gold cases and straps for watches, strengthening its contacts with Switzerland, where the company had, among its clients, several firms that produced luxury watches. The 1980s saw the company confirm its leadership in the industry, becoming well-known as a producer of jewellery. In particular, its tubular mesh was highly appreciated for its synthesis of quality design and technical perfection. The introduction of a woman’s watch came at the end of the 1990s. At present, Fope has more than 1,000 points-of-sale in Italy and abroad, with a branch office in New York directed by Giulia Cazzola. The turnover in 2002 was €17 million, of which 67% came from Italy, 17% from the rest of Europe, and 16% from the U.S.