Three questions posed to: Alexander Dieterle, master locksmith

My father was a locksmith at Mercedes-Benz and he also did a lot of locksmith work at home. He let me help out as a child and I got the “locksmith bug.” The master certification was only a logical consequence then, as I wanted to receive further qualifications in the theoretical and practical areas. I can bring both to my work at Döttling. On the one hand, I am involved in the construction of our safes. On the other hand, I also take on welding work and help with the final assembly.

The high level of precision that goes into the work here! For example, people might say that a safe already looks great, but then we discover tiny flaws, so we work meticulously to improve it, until it is really one hundred percent perfect – that’s the kind of thing that really fascinates me.

The Fortress is my favorite safe. The upper lock is mechanical and the lower is electronic. So it’s actually two safes in one. And then it also has the humidor drawer – which makes it extremely beautiful for me. I also enjoy working on it. For example, adjusting the locking mechanism, so that it runs cleanly and doesn’t drag. Sometimes, it takes a while before it works smoothly and you no longer hear a sound. But when everything is right, one tends to feel truly proud.