Ippazio Andrea Palama

Born in Crotone in southern Italy i, he spent most of his youth in Rome, where he studied design at the Academy.

After working as an assistant in numerous design studios, he began his own career as a freelance designer in 1991.

It was in this year that he came up with first brilliant creation for the watchmaking sector: a watch with case and strap of high-quality Sardinian natural cork.

After spending more than a year designing and producing this model, he decided to set up his own distribution company for this special watch. And so he invented the NICE brand.

Thanks to the product's originality in a market crowded with more or less famous brands of all kinds, his company very soon established itself with thousands of points-of-sale.

In 1996, he was awarded the Best Award Design at the Gallery of Design and Innovation in New York.

His work with computerized graphics led to an international prize, the Best Combination Site, an award given by Media Magazine and Apple Inc. for the creation of an original website.

In 1998, he presented an innovative collection of watches with essential lines and featuring only the basic colours black and white. The collection proved to be too minimalist for consumer tastes at the time and did not meet with the expected success.

The trend was, however, launched the following year, when designer Calvin Klein came out with his first watch collection, which had essential lines and used only black and white. It was a worldwide success and the trend took hold in the sector.

In 2000, Andy Palamà decided to design a collection with very original shapes and, this time, in an explosion of colours and new materials. With a new industrial partner that enabled Palamà's company to expand its horizons to the world market, production was transferred from Switzerland to Asia.

Specialties: WATCH DESIGN AND BRAND DEVELOPMENT