If you’ve done business with us at any point in the last 30 years, you know how much pride we take in our finishes. We offer 24 standard finishes and we have also collaborated with many architects and designers on custom finishes for residential and contract projects. We like a good challenge!
We’ve recently invested in a new PVD machine so we could offer polished and satin PVD brass finishes. We consider this an investment not only in the technology but in the future of our company as this type of finishing process gives us total control over the quality and the lead times, versus contracting with an outside firm. If you are not familiar with PVD finishing, here is a brief description:
Physical vapor deposition (PVD) describes a variety of vacuum deposition methods which is used to produce coatings. PVD is characterized by a process in which the material goes from a condensed phase to a vapor phase and then back to a thin film condensed phase. Most coatings have high temperature and good impact strength, excellent abrasion resistance and are so durable that protective topcoats are almost never necessary.
All of our finishing is done in-house..all of it. This is something we say with pride because it is not typical of every faucet manufacturer. In fact, we have a PVD technician whose sole job is to oversee these machines. David Vargas, technician extraordinaire is many things aside from the just our PVD magician. We asked David to tell us a bit more about himself:
What type of training/background experience do you have that makes you the best person to oversee the PVD machines?
I was a pharmaceutical coating lead operator for five years. I have mastered color coating, film coating, sugar coating (on certain types of pills) and PVD coating. I have SOPs and cGMPs coating certification from the FDA.
What do you find the most interesting aspect of a PVD finish?
What I find most interesting about PVD finishes is the way the coating gives the product a new strength and shine.
Do you have a favorite PVD color?
My favorite PVD finish right now is High Brass.
Do you find yourself looking at colors and wondering if you could somehow do that on a faucet?
Actually I do! Just the other day I saw a metallic blue car and thought that would be a cool color to do on a faucet!
Do you have a favorite Watermark product (you can tell us…everyone has a favorite)
The Elan Vital is my favorite
What do you do outside of work to relax (that you’d like to share with us)?
I’m a musician. I’ve been playing since I was eight years old. I play many different instruments; 14 different ones. But my main instrument is the upright bass, which I play as first chair in the York College Chamber Orchestra
What is the most surprising thing about working for a company like Watermark Designs
The thing that I like most about the company is the unity. Here you can go up to anyone and they will help you out. We are all a team and we all want each other to succeed.
Okay this being Brooklyn…favorite pizza place?
My favorite pizza is Juliana’s Pizza on Old Fulton Street, Brooklyn!