Haute Cartography

Sculpted out of wood or ceramic, the A1-size Spitzwerk maps are phenomenally exact reproductions of Switzerland, micro-milled with a precision of 22 or 28 µm. This is highly-technical prowess transformed into creative art.

We all remember the treasure maps of our childhood and the world map posters that decorated our elementary school classrooms. “I’ve always been passionate about cartography,” says Spitzwork Founder, Patrick Pestalozzi. “A map shows where we’ve been and where we’re going. It offers a plethora of information and gives us an entirely new perspective of our current location and our surroundings. One can spend hours pouring over a map, diving into every nook and becoming familiar with every cranny.”
The truth is, Spitzwerk maps are a total paradigm shift. Forget everything you know about those maps from your childhood, those maps that display territories with some vague colors and a general idea of precision. This three-year old company, founded in Switzerland’s Watch Valley in upper Jura, relies on the latest technologies to bring mapmaking back into the realm of the decorative arts. Their mantra: large-scale extreme precision.

The Art of Details
Spitzwerk was born out of the union between Patrick Pestalozzi, a Swiss-American entrepreneur, and Éric Marguet, an Engineer. “I was visiting the University of Saint-Imier for an entirely different project, when I stumbled upon a tiny, incredibly-detailed map of Switzerland made out of brass,” recalls Patrick Pestalozzi. “I asked Éric if it would be possible to recreate his work out of wood and on a bigger scale and he liked the challenge. That’s how it all began.” Their idea seemed so simple... but art is often difficult and extremely complicated. It would take them three years to complete the research and development needed to bring their idea to life. Three years to fine-tune the necessary approach to recreate a map of Switzerland with a precision of 22 microns on a surface that was 84.1 cm x 59.4 cm (A1 format). Three years of trial and error to create a patented, digital manufacturing process that meets Spitzwerk’s high standards for maps of Switzerland and Valais, with other regions to follow.

In Another Dimension
The numbers speak wonders about the technical know-how on display in every Spitzwerk creation: eight weeks of non-stop work, day and night (the equivalent of 4,273 km of toolpath for a map of Switzerland). “Our algorithms transform geospatial data and allow us to reproduce landscapes with far greater detail in wood or ceramic than one could ever get on a computer screen,” explains Pestalozzi.
Creation of the Valais map, which has a precision of 28 microns, requires a reduced fabrication time of “only” six weeks… “Our maps are not simple engravings; they’re decorative objects of extreme precision that are only possible with the very latest technology.”
Indeed, many of the details are imperceptible to the naked eye, but if one looks closely… Here, a gorge. A bit further, a glacial tongue. There, an unexpected summit. Anyone who is passionate about the mountains, loves maps or simply appreciates beautiful creations, will find that these maps reveal a wealth of details and treasures upon examination (even more so if one uses a magnifying glass). One can get lost for hours in the topographies of our maps,” says Pestalozzi. “I remember a mountain guide looking at one and being able to name at least forty peaks!” These stunning objects are the perfect union of large surface space and infinitely small details, sculpted in maple or beech wood, or molded in ceramic. Spitzwerk maps are the modern day successors of Switzerland’s original mapmaking tradition, which started with Dufour in the middle of the 19th century. While getting lost in these rocky peaks and valleys, one feels invited into the very heart of Swiss territory – a world of such beauty that it feels like another dimension.