Breaking the light

A car's paintwork is both a curse and a blessing for a photographer. The color, the condition and how the body interacts with the environment - all factors that determine whether a motif is successful or not. But what makes a good paint job? It's time for a visit to SWISSVAX!

Of course, it's not just photographers who care about well-maintained car paintwork. This is true for everyone who has a certain connection to theautomobile. Care has a special significance. Only the best for your darling. After all, you also pay attention to the quality of your own care products - whether soap, scrub or body lotion. And if you are looking for something special, the Swiss manufacturer SWISSVAX is the right place for you.

Today I am meeting CEO Markus Herzberg. A man who is passionate about his work - and of course he is also a petrolhead. With the claim "Care for your Dream", he draws attention to the fact that it doesn't matter whether you own a hypercar or a small car. What matters is the passion and fulfillment of driving, caring for and maintaining your own vehicle.
 
Markus, what does a perfect paint job feel like?

Good question! Most people always ask what a perfect paint job looks like. But what the perfect paint feels like is at least as important. The feel is an important characteristic. Above all, a perfect polish feels soft - like silk or velvet. It is best to always touch over it with the back of your hand! The reason for this is a good polish and wax: this combination creates a smooth, soft surface.

The company was founded in 1930. There were no good care, polish and wax products for cars in Switzerland. After just a few years, the luxurious cars had paintwork with streaks, holograms and scratches.

The descendants Claudius Anwander and Georg Weidmann were absolute car enthusiasts. In their day, they produced marine paints for Switzerland and therefore had access to the raw materials and a great deal of professional experience with the national environmental restrictions.

So they knew how to care for and seal paints and surfaces. What was their first product?

They found the recipe for Mystery Wax in an old recipe book. That's where it all started and we still have it in our range today.

Unchanged to this day?

We have adapted some of the old recipes to make them more environmentally friendly. There are now some substances that were not known in the past and are simply more ecological.

And now you supply worldwide?

We started with production and distribution within Switzerland and at first it was just a hobby. But demand grew and today we deliver to over 40 countries. Well-known OEMs from the luxury sector have also been our customers for years.

And production?

...will always remain in Switzerland! We are a manufactory where every wax is cooked and filled by hand. This is the only way we can offer the quality our customers are accustomed to.

Why does a well-maintained varnish shine?

As with photography, light also plays an important role for us. A well-polished paintwork ensures the greatest possible refraction of light. Carnauba wax takes this to the next level.

What makes carnauba wax so special?

Carnauba is the hardest, purest, most transparent and also most expensive natural wax in the world. This highest quality is classified as rare grade-one carnauba and is used for cosmetics and our SWISSVAX waxes. The gloss level increases the more carnauba wax there is in a formulation. While conventional car polishes or car waxes contain around 3% to 7% carnauba wax, SWISSVAX formulations contain 30% to 81% of the most valuable carnauba wax. It is also considered to be harmless to health and is fragrance-free - making it good for allergy sufferers.

Is the carnauba wax the USP of SWISSVAX?

Not quite. The SWISSVAX secret of the exceptionally long-lasting carnauba formulas lies in the mixture of carnauba wax with other waxes, fruit oils and the manufacturing process in our factory, which takes several hours - made exclusively by hand and filled tin by tin. The high-quality and complex formulas are simply not suitable for industrial production.

What are the advantages of the other ingredients?

Our waxes, which are produced using organic raw materials, leave no white residue on rubber or car body edges. And our polishes do not develop dust and are free from silicone and solvents.

What do the perfect water droplets look like on the paint?

Round! The drop does not look large, does not stretch and almost retains its round shape on the surface. Hydrophobicity (also known as the lotus flower effect) is an important property of car sealants, such as our waxes. The drops then roll off the paint very quickly. There is something organic and lively about this. Like brushing the back of your hand over the paintwork.

Is it applied with the bare hand?

With our very natural waxes, this is possible and makes sense. It's the best way to melt the wax at body temperature. You also quickly notice whether you have prepared and polished well. By touching the car with my hand, I "grasp" it much better and establish a completely different kind of connection. The haptic sense is one of, if not the most important sense we have. But it is the least easily fooled.

Matt lacquers are on trend. Why do you particularly recommend the use of wax here?

Matt paints are special and also very sensitive. For example, commercially available polishes, waxes, insect removers or insect sponges must not be used. If small scratches appear, matt paintwork cannot be polished - otherwise it would shine again. Special products are needed to maintain the appearance of matt paintwork. Under the name "Opaque", we have developed something exclusively for matt paintwork and matt foiling. With the right wax, the saturation and thus the shadow effect on the car can be improved. The shapes of the car come into their own much better. The same care effect as with glossy paintwork and the same hydrophobicity and dirt resistance, but without the paintwork starting to shine.

How often do you think paint care is necessary?

Many people believe that car care means polishing the paintwork every weekend. That's not true. Properly maintained cars - with deep cleaning, polish and wax treatment - can be easily cleaned within 20-30 minutes every two weeks. That's enough!

It's not just cars that have painted surfaces. Do you also have products for other areas?

For example, we have our own series for motorcycles, boats, yachts, even private jets and helicopters. But we also offer them for a wide variety of interior materials such as leather, plastics, carbon, wood, textiles, etc.

When was the last time you polished and waxed your car?


I have the luxury of being able to rely on the expertise and experience of my colleague Pascal. But I also like to do it myself regularly - the last time was my 911 before the winter break. Sometimes I just go to our detailing shop for a few hours and work on one of my cars. Every now and then I just need to work more with my hands and feel something. This also gives me new ideas for product developments. 


»We don't actually own anything. We buy the privilege of being allowed to use things for a certain period of time. In the end, someone else will have these things again.«

Photography & Interview: Max