Pinnacle of Concrete Craft

Origin
Since 2006, 22STUDIO was inspired by the works of Japanese architect Tadao Ando to adopt the "exposed concrete" method for designing and manufacturing our own concrete rings. At that time, very few people in the world used concrete as a material for product design, so we had to explore on our own. Gradually, 22STUDIO developed our own proprietary concrete formulas and precise casting processes. Today, we not only produce our own products but also manufacture concrete products for clients around the world who wish to develop products using cement.

Production Base
Currently, 22STUDIO operates two production bases for concrete components—one in Taipei and one in Guangzhou. All products are assembled and inspected in Taipei.

Materials
Our proprietary concrete formulation boasts ultra-high strength, low shrinkage, and rapid setting. Laboratory tests have shown compressive strengths of up to 9,000 PSI (compared to approximately 4,000 PSI for standard construction cement), and the product has passed the US California Proposition 65 test. Although the concrete formula may vary slightly depending on the product, our cement materials generally include components such as Portland cement, high-alumina cement, silica fume, ground granulated blast-furnace slag, quartz sand, and various recycled materials.

Sustainability Mission
As a brand founded by product designers, we believe that the best approach to sustainability is to design and manufacture high-quality products that customers love, backed by a lifetime warranty. At the same time, we strive to ensure the physical and mental well-being of our partners throughout the production process, minimize material waste, and incorporate as many sustainable recycled materials as possible.
We have utilized the following sustainable recycled materials: cement powder produced using renewable energy, silica fume and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (by-products from ironmaking), recycled aggregates made from reclaimed construction waste, and recycled glass. The specific percentages of these materials range from 5% to 65% and are adjusted according to the product.

Molds
Another key to producing high-quality concrete products is the design of our molds. Most of our product molds are made from low-shrinkage, high-elasticity transparent silicone. The resulting concrete components typically have dimensional variations of less than 0.5% from the preset dimensions. Coupled with our extensive experience in mold design, this enables us to continually push the limits of concrete as a material. For example, in our watch dials, the thinnest part of the cement is only 0.7 mm, and a 37 mm dial maintains a tolerance of ±0.15 mm.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the exposed concrete method?
After the concrete is removed from the mold, its surface is not subject to excessive post-treatment. This preserves the original color and texture of the material—a method known as the exposed concrete technique. This method results in a rich texture where the natural beauty of the material and the marks of the construction process can be appreciated. It began to be widely used in Moldenist architecture in the 1920s,  and became a big theme with Brutalist architecture, and by the 1990s, Japanese architects had mastered advanced techniques to produce exposed concrete buildings with smooth, precise surfaces. This embodiment of the artisan spirit—pursuing perfection in one go—made exposed concrete architecture very popular, especially in museums, religious facilities, and boutique residences, which in turn inspired us to use concrete in product design.

Is concrete fragile?
Compared to common materials used in product manufacturing, such as metal or plastic, concrete is relatively brittle and prone to scratching (with a Mohs hardness of about 5–7). Although our products continue to function normally even after being dropped onto hard surfaces—and have passed drop tests (as documented in SGS drop test reports)—minor chipping may occur at the edges. Viewed from another perspective, these signs of use are one of the distinctive features of our concrete products.

Is concrete heavy?
It is not as heavy as most people imagine, especially when scaled down to the volume of our products. Our concrete has a specific gravity of approximately 137 lb/ft³, which is just a bit heavier than acrylic. However, because concrete is usually used in large volumes in everyday construction, it gives the impression that concrete is very heavy.

Shouldn’t concrete be cheap?
While standard construction concrete is inexpensive, the raw materials we use can cost up to around US$7 per kilogram. Combined with our fully handcrafted production process and rigorous quality control standards, the cost of our concrete products is significantly higher than that of typical industrial products.

What about concrete color?
The colors of our concrete products are integrated into the material itself using color pigment, rather than being applied by surface painting. This method preserves the unique texture of cement (with its slight unevenness and occasional air bubbles) and prevents the loss of definition in the product’s edges due to coating thickness. Moreover, since concrete is not naturally pure white, our color choices do not include overly bright or saturated hues but rather lean towards more muted, moorland tones.

General handling instructions?
You are encouraged to avoid storing our products in humid or wet environments since water will penetrate pores of the concrete and weaken the structural integrity of our products. Thus, items created by 22STUDIO should not be brought into the shower or worn during water activities.

Although we use highly reinforced concrete, chipping is possible when the product makes contact with certain hard surfaces. To avoid chipping, you are urged to handle their products with care and place them on soft surfaces.

Concrete accessories do not require any special maintenance. Large items that require dusting should be cleaned with fiber cloth. Stainless steel components may be cleaned with polishing solutions. However, you should ensure that these solutions are not used on concrete components.