Thanks to its innovative blockchain service, Gebruder Thonet Vienna certifies the true uniqueness of its products in a fast and secure way. Affixed in the form of a QR code on each piece of furniture inside the iconic gold coin, this type of marking allows customers to trace back all informations regarding the product purchased and have an official certificate attesting its authenticity. In fact, the blockchain service has a dual value, which protects the customer and the company at the same time: while it’s possible to bundle all the informations regarding a product, offering the customer maximum transparency, blockchain is also a useful tool in the fight against counterfeiting.Gebruder Thonet Vienna’s signature products have a long history of marks and references that certify their authenticity. From the earliest laminated wood chairs, Michael Thonet decided to distinguish his products with brand marks imprinted on the inside of the seats and on some of the legs of the renowned chairs. These markings, consisting of easy-to-understand letters or numbers, were meant to help assemble the chairs.
The evolution of GTV: from label to blockchain
The product authenticity is certified through the immaterial
With the rising of companies that marketed similar products Thonet, on the wave of the Austrian company’s success, added to the practical function of the marks the one of certifying the authenticity of the product. For GTV finding an effective way to distinguish its products became a top priority. The first marks, placed always on the inside of the seats, carried the name of the company along with the place of their products’ manufacture, the workshop in Vienna at 396 Gumpendorf Street. Other types of fire stamps such as “GbThonet,” “Thonet” “Wien” or simply “Gt” could later be found on Thonet furniture. As the technique of steam bending wood was perfected, GTV made use of paper labels. In the past few years it has been possible to identify any item of Thonet production thanks to the dating of the five historical variants of the labels which over time have changed shape and innovated thanks to new technologies and in recent years have been taking on the appearance of a golden coin. Today this recognizable coin acquires even more value by telling the whole story of the product and the GTV company through a simple QRCode.
At the Salone del Mobile 2022, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna will display the first product embedded within the blockchain. The new coin with QR code will be affixed to the unedited Loop lounge chair designed by India Mahdavi .
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