GÖTTI SWITZERLAND: eyewear excellence, sustainability and innovation
- By Clodagh Norton
One of the first European eyewear companies to create its own facility for in-house additive manufacturing, the Swiss PRODUCER, based near Lake Zurich at Wädenswil says that its 3D printed collections Perspective and Dimension represent its fastest growing eyewear ranges in 2025.
Over the years since first introducing 3D printing technology in 2021, the company has grown its output of 3D printed frames and now operates three high-tech 3D printing machines at full capacity with a department that specialises in the full production, colouring and finishing of these state-of-the-art, innovation-fuelled 3D printed frames. Clodagh Norton visited the company in early Spring and interviewed Sven Götti, Founder & Creative Director, in person.
Q: Over the last years, Götti Switzerland has continued to evolve its collections with an eye on reducing its carbon footprint. How do you reflect on this process and your commitment to sustainability?
A: By creating an in-house facility for the production of 3D printed eyewear and our Perspective and Dimension collections, we have been able to be more self-sufficient as a company and therefore more sustainable. For our 3D printed production – from the design to the programming, printing and post-processing such as tumbling and mounting, everything we do regarding this part of our business takes place at our main headquarters in Switzerland – in-house. The production itself is also very efficient, given that any powder that is not used during an operation can be reused during subsequent production runs.
“Since the launch of Götti Dimension, we have recorded double-digit growth rates every year, which now accounts for around 1/3 of total production....”
Q: The company also has successful collections in acetate and titanium, working with partners in Germany and Japan with whom they have a strong long-standing relationship. Comment on these relationships. ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit?
A: I started as an optician with one shop in 1993 and then immediately started designing frames for the shop. I learnt how to design frames, and to use AutoCAD, for myself. We produced some limited-edition buffalo horn frames from this point. The natural next stop was to be producing acetate and titanium frames, and I reached out to partner with production companies…this was one of the luckiest points, I would say, in my career because I found the right partners and we are proud to be still working with the same ones for acetate and titanium today. To me it’s like building a house with the right architect. It’s amazing. If you choose the wrong one it is never going to be a special house. Of course, I also tried out other manufacturers but I’ve always stayed with these particular partners who we initially found because they know how we work and how to realise our ideas. The most valuable thing for me is that when our deliveries arrive, we know what we are getting and that we can use it, without any issues regarding quality.
Q: Götti is synonymous with minimalism, functionality and lightweight comfort. Can you explain how you have achieved these qualities consistently, even in your 3D printed collections + additive manufacturing?
A: Really, I could not have done anything else. What I like, I do and I want to bring to the world with my design team. For the 3D printed collections, and for the development of the technical side, we have had to find the right solutions for colouring, for surfacing, and hinges and so on. I am very enthusiastic about this kind of development and innovation for a collection, and it has been a key focus for us to develop our characteristics of minimalism and sleek and clean design as I want to present it in 3D. Even sometimes where the frame is quite bold or extra thin, or something like a combination style with metal temples or the hinge solution, everything should be streamlined and following my taste and what I would wear.
I am very involved in the vision of the collections, and particularly the shapes. I also work on the acetate collection and the development of the 3D printed identity. I am happy to have a development team and a marketing team to work with and exchange ideas. Many skills are required to develop our collections and I believe we have found a great way to do this here for 3D printed to create something that is actually really beautiful. We have got to a point where we are focusing on 15 key colours for Perspective and Dimension styles and basically every frame is available in every colour.
Q: Götti Switzerland is unusual in the sense that it is an eyewear company that has complete control over all its design processes and production / manufacture. What in your view are the key benefits in this regard?
A: I didn’t think so much about the benefits initially, I think my curiosity got the better of me and I wanted the goal to be making something exclusively in Switzerland. With the new production style, we have had the opportunity to develop everything we do, given that we started at a time when 3D printed eyewear was in fact completely new. When we started we didn’t even know how to do the colouring and whether the colour would actually hold in the material or if people would get a red or green or blue nose after wearing their frame! Of course we had so many things to check and so many hurdles in the process. At a certain point, we had so much know-how in-house given all the development work we were doing that we then made a decision to start producing the frames in-house. The idea was to have everything under our control and to be able to improve and evolve our work consistently and just as we do even today.
Q:When you look back on the achievements of your company, what stands out as the most important decision you ever made?
A: To me there were several steps. First, choosing the right production companies for our titanium and acetate collections. That was a key decision and in some sense I feel that was also lucky for us as it has turned out so well. I think also the fact that we have started our own production here. I am very proud of us all that we have achieved all the goals here in our HQ that we had planned and wanted to go forward with.
Q: How has 3D printed eyewear taken off in the market, if it has in your view?
A: In the beginning, honestly, we didn’t know whether 3D printed frames would be accepted in the market or not. Most of the opticians at that time said yes it’s ok but I don’t like it so much, I prefer acetate. Of course, in those early stages the 3D printed frames were not as sophisticated as they are today. But then they tried it and we had this experience that the end consumer was really fascinated with the technology and the sell-out was very good for the opticians. This meant that the retailers started to see there was a turning point where the sell-out was good and had more potential and that they were able to show something new and different in these types of collections….think that was a good step forward. For us now 3D printed is the fastest growing collection we have.
Q: Does 3D printed eyewear have particular success in particular markets?
A: Our success really started in Switzerland and Germany for 3D printing. There are still some countries in Europe which are not so open to it. But, of course, we have this experience and proof that it is working in different markets and we are therefore confident that we can increase the sales in other markets. For example, for the US we need to focus more on that because it is not a local market but it will be possible. In our main markets today, we have even implemented sales reps exclusively for our 3D printed collections and this makes the take-up much more successful. Personally, I love all the materials we offer. For me 3D printed is certainly not an alternative for another eyewear material. They all have their advantages.
Q: Finally, how do you see 2025? Where is your focus this year?
A: I’m very anxious every year that the new year will be better than the previous year! So far, we have always been on top year-on-year and that is how we already see 2025. We had a very successful opti show this year and we were very happy with this….and MIDO too. We will keep on working on the nicest frames you can possibly imagine – this is always my goal to ensure we are moving ahead, evolving our expertise and designing our frames to be the very best.
Clodagh Norton visited Götti HQ in the Spring, prior to the announcement of the acquisition by AKN Group (formerly AKONI Group) of Götti Switzerland and Eyetech Lenses on 2nd June 2025.
