Villeroy & Boch
Brand history
In 1748, almost three centuries ago, the Villeroy & Boch story began in Germany. Then, François Boch, a canon foundry worker, together with his three sons, started his own business selling ceramic tableware: plates, cups, teapots and more. Their faience factory soon turned into a royal manufacturer. Moreover, after just 19 years, the factory acquired a serial format. At that time, the Bochs had some competition – specifically, Nicholas Villeroy. In order to maintain their premiership in 1836, the companies had to merge to become a global contender. Indeed, this move was so that no one could compete with them. Now, the ninth generation is running the company.
Distinguishing features
The Cologne Cathedral, Holland Tunnel in New York and even the Titanic liner – all these spaces were decorated with tiles manufactured in the Villeroy and Boch mosaic factory. Sanitary ceramics, which Villeroy & Boch began producing with the emergence of plumbing systems, have become one of the brand’s leading areas. However, the Villeroy & Boch product line that tends to attract the most attention is tableware, which gave birth to the brand's history. The brand regularly releases new collections dedicated to a variety of themes.
Present day
In the Villeroy&Boch boutique located on the basement floor of the Vremena Goda Galleries from 11 am to 10 pm, you can find everything for kitchen: wine glasses, plates, mugs and cutlery to suit all tastes and colors. Villeroy & Boch is represented in 125 countries, and its turnover firmly and confidently is rising towards 1 billion euro. Decal is the name of the technique according to which the brand's dinnerware sets are created, and more specifically being decorated. This technique resembles kids’ transfers: the sketch can be moved from paper to porcelain, and then be fired. However, several parts are always hand-crafted. The manufacturing processes at Villeroy & Boch tend to be mechanized as excessively as possible. Thus, 39 thousand items of tableware are made per day, plus the price for them is becoming more and more affordable.
