Aquabrass Alt Progetto Aqua Review & Rating Updated: April 27, 2026
2255 W. Desert Cove Ave.
Suite D
Phoenix, AZ 85029
(888) 239-9336
(602) 943-4664
AD Waters Distribution (CAN), Inc.
9805 Clark St.
Montreal, QC H3L 2R5
(888) 239-9336
(905) 660-4992
communications@ad-waters.com.
AD Waters (USA), Inc.
5553 Anglers Ave., Suite 116
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
(888) 239-9336
tech@ad-waters.com
communications@ad-waters.com.
Download/Read/Print the Aquabrass faucet warranty.
Download/Read/Print the the Alt Progetto Aqua faucet warranty.
This Company In Brief
Aquabrass sells good to very good quality faucets made by reputable manufacturers.
There are two tiers of faucets: the top tier, Aguabrass, made in Italy and China, and a second tier, Alt Progetto Aqua, made in Taiwan and China.
The styling difference between the tiers is not at all extreme. Aquabrass faucets adhere to the design mainstream without any true styling adventures, with the possible exception of the Marmo collection with its Carrara mable base or the Tosca with its decorative stone handles.
The designs of Alt Progetto faucets are even less venturesome. We found little difference between the brands in quality, however. All seem well made and beautifully finished with quality components.
Prices between the two collections differ considerably at the high end, nearly $4,000.00 (US) vs. barely $500.00. At the bottom end, however, they are roughly the same, around $200.00.
The faucets are supported by capable customer service, but the warranties are sub-par when compared to the standard North American lifetime warranty.
The Company
Aquabrass is a Canadian company, organized in 1986, that imports and sells Italian and Asian faucets and kitchen and bath accessories sold in Canada and the U.S. through authorized dealers.
The company is owned and managed by the Panzera family, which is prominently associated with the Italian-Canadian business community in Montreal, primarily through their ownership of Ciot, Inc., organized in 1950 to sell imported stone and tile, primarily from Italy.
Giuseppe "Joe" Panzera, an Italian immigrant, became CEO of Ciot in 1957 and, along with his family, built the company into a substantial family-run business now known as Ciot-75, with stores in Canada and the U.S.
Aquabrass is a Ciot spin-off, formed to import products other than stone and tile, building on the family's connections and long experience with importing from Italy.
In 2016, the original Aquabrass, Inc. was split into two separate corporations, Aquabrass Design, Inc. and AD Waters Distribution, Inc.
Aquqbrass Design, Inc.
It is not clear what Aquabrass Design actually designs.
It holds itself as a designer and manufacturer of faucets, showers, and related products. However, we have found no evidence of manufacturing in any facility owned by Aquabrass. Nor can we identify any products designed by Aquabrass other than a shower head, two faucet spouts, a faucet handle, and a "combination bathtub and shower base facility."
The company holds a current Canadian patent on the bathtub and shower base and expired U.S. patents on the other designs.
From the information we have, it appears that Aquabrass Design is solely an importer of foreign-made products rather than a designer and manufacturer of domestic products.
AD Waters Distribution, Inc.
Distribution and sales are handled by AD Waters Distribution (CAN), Inc. in Canada and by AD Waters (US), Inc. in the U.S. Founded in 1992 as a Florida corporation, it is headed by CEO Antonio (Tony) Masecchia.
U.S. distribution, however, is a little murky. According to the company's literature, U.S. distribution is managed by yet another company, Aquabrass International Corporation (AIC), organized in Arizona. The exact role each of these corporations plays in U.S. distribution is unclear.
The Brands
In addition to Aquabrass, its upscale brand, the company distributes Alt Progetto Aqua, a lower-priced brand made in Asia.
Originally intended primarily for builders, contractors, and multi-unit applications, including condominium, apartment, and hospitality projects, it has slowly migrated into a consumer product alongside Aquabrass.
The company is also a distributor of bathwares and cabinetry from other, unrelated, companies, including:
• Fiora Bath Collections S.L. (Spain: Sinks, bathtubs, shower enclosures, and bathroom furniture),
• Simas S.p.A. (Italy: ceramic bathroom fixtures),
• OLI-Sistemas Sanitários, S.A. (Portugal: Commericial restroom fixtures and fittings), and
• Rubinetterie 3M Srl, trading as Rubinetterie Treemme (Italy: faucets and bathroom accessories such as towel racks and similar products).
The Manufacturers
Although Aquabrass claims to be a manufacturer, there is no evidence that it actually manufactures any of the products it sells. It buys them ready-made from various overseas suppliers. Suppliers over our lookback period of 36 months, include the following:
Chinese Suppliers
- Holatz Plumbing Fittings Industry Co., Ltd. (China) trades as Weixiang Sanitary Ware Co., Ltd., selling B-Jou, Kiki, Madison, and Calise faucets. It supplied faucets to while that company was still selling faucets. It no longer does so.
- Horng Lai Industrial Co., Ltd. (Taiwan/China) has been manufacturing faucets since 1975.
- It sells under the Home Life brand throughout Asia. The company manufactures the Geo line of faucets for Aquabrass.
- Horng Lai provides some of its Home Life faucets to Water Creation, Inc., which sells them as its own
- NCIP Inc. (Taiwan/China) is a manufacturer that supplies Aquabrass with its Alt, Antipasto, Cantina, Circo, Riga, Metro, Misto, Pranzo, Primo, Pulmi, Tapas, and Trattoria faucet lines and nost if not all of the Alt Progetto faucets.
- It also manufactures faucets for
- (Guangdong) Weixiang Sanitary Ware Co., Ltd., trading as Weixiang Sanitary Tapware, is an ISO-9001-certified manufacturer of faucets, shower components, tub fillers, and ceramic fixtures.
- It is part of the Weixiang Group of Chinese sanitary ware manufacturers. Weixiang specializes in decorative sanitary products for high-end and mid-priced markets.
- In addition to manufacturing for Aquabrass, Weixiang Sanitary also makes faucets for
- In 2018, Weixiang Sanitary received a highly prized iF Design Award and an equally prestigious Red Dot award for the lavatory faucet in its Note collection.
Italian Suppliers
- Almar S.r.l (Italy) is a manufacturer of high-end faucets and shower components. Based in Gavirate, Varese, the company was established in 1995 and focuses on combining modern engineering with Italian design.
- It also supplies faucets to
- Carlo Nobili S.p.A. (Italy) is an Italian manufacturer and part of Nobili Group that also includes Rubinetterie Stella, a faucet company established in 1832, and C.G.S. Srl , an Italian manufacturer of good quality, well-designed drains and overflows. Nobili also supplies
- IB Rubinetterie S.p.A. (Italy) is an established Italian manufacturer that sells a broad collection of faucets, fittings, and accessories throughout Europe and most of the rest of the world.
- It also manufactures faucets for the Canadian importers
- Rubinetterie 3M S.r.l., widely known as "Treemme," is an Italian manufacturer of upscale faucets that are distributed by AD Waters under the Tremme brand. It also manufactures faucets for that are sold throughout Canada.
- Armando Vicario & C. S.R.L., trading as Armando Vicario Rubinetterie, has been manufacturing in Gozzano, Italy, since 1974. It is a fairly small company that makes well-designed contemporary faucets, fillers, and showers. It also manufactures for
- Super Inox Rubinetterie is an Italian manufacturer specializing in the manufacture of faucets from AISI 316L stainless steel in modern, minimalist designs.
AISI 316L stainless steel, or "maringe grade stainless" has superior corrosion resistance, particularly in marine environments, compared to the more common AISI 304 stainless from which most stainless steel faucets are made.
The Aquabrass Collections
Aquabrass faucets are organized into two collections: Modern and Classic.
The Modern collection is very contemporary, showing faucets that are minimalist, stark, and angular.
Its classic collection is more relaxed and traditional. The faucets are usually part of a broader body of products that includes showers, tub fillers, and accessories. In some collections, coordinating architectural and cabinet hardware is available to finish off the look.
Faucet Designs
According to the company, an increasing number of Aquabrass faucets are designed in-house by a staff of engineers and designers.
However, as of the date of this report, Aquabrass has not identified a single faucet designed in-house and has applied for no design patents in the U.S. or Canada for faucets. (A design patent is the usual protection against others copying an original design.)
We found many of the Italian faucets sold by Aquabrass for sale outside of North America by other sellers under other model names.
Rather than custom-designed faucets, in-house or otherwise, it very much appears that Aquabrass faucets are taken from the of the factories that make the faucets.
Aquabrass relies on the product designers and architects who work for its manufacturers for its designer faucets.
The distinctive Aquabrass Stiletto faucet, designed by Giancarlo Vegni, for example, is sold in Europe by Treemme as the Hedo faucet.
Likewise, faucets in the Bridge collection, designed by Treemme designer Rémi Théberge, are sold in the rest of the world as the Bridge Mono collection.
Also, according to company sources, Aquabrass has begun assembling some of its faucets in Canada. The company does not, however, claim that its local assembly is sufficient to qualify the products for "Made in Canada" status, as that term is defined by the Canadian Competition Bureau.
Faucet Assembly
None of the forgoing should suggest that the faucets are not attractive, even striking, but the designs are not unique to Aquabrass.
Alt Progetto faucet designs have traditionally been a little more pedestrian, featuring styles that are fairly common among Chinese faucet manufacturers.
Recently, however, the collection has started to branch out stylewise. A good example is the 1840 collection with handles, reminescent of valve handles of the late 19th century.
The idea of reviving 19th-century valve handles originated with and first appeared in its Brooklyn collection over a decade ago.
Faucet Pricing
Aquabrass faucets are priced from mid-price to luxury pricing. It is possible to buy an Aquabrass faucet for under $350.00. At the top end, however, prices for faucets climb to nearly $3,400 in the U.S. without any custom features or finishes.
Alt Progetto Aqua faucets do not reach the sometimes stratospheric prices of Aquabrass faucets, topping out at about $500.00 in both countries. At the low end, however, the prices are also near $200.00.
European Prices
There is a considerable price difference between the Italian faucets sold by Aquabrass in North America and the same faucets sold in Europe.
For example, the Aquabrass Stilleto faucet, made by Tremme, sells in the U.S. for a street price of $558.75. The same faucet, sold in Europe by Treemme as the Hedo, runs around $357.73 (€302.00).
Some level of price bump in North America is expected.
• Testing and certification to North American standards is expensive.
North American standards differ from and are often more stringent than their European counterparts, so certifications to European standards are not transferable and must be done all over again.
• Faucets have to be modified from metric standards to fit North American threading and fitting sizes, which are based on our non-metric Imperial units (inches and feet) inherited from England. This usually requires retooling and short production runs, both of which add to the cost of making the faucet. (The U.S. is the only industrial country not to use metric, which is a real nuisance to the rest of the world.)
• Shipping to North America from Italy is a considerable expense, much more costly than trucking faucets around the Eurozone.
But these factors do not explain all of the difference in pricing between the two continents, suggesting the Aquabrass markup on its faucets is fairly generous.
• European models will not work with North American fittings without major modification,
• European faucets are illegal to install in North America unless recertified, and
• Shipping from Europe will probably more than wipe out any potential cost savings
Minimum Advertised Price (MAP)
Don't expect any steep price discounts on either brand, no matter where you buy them in North America.
The company enforces a Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) policy, which prohibits a dealer from advertising a price below the minimum price established by Aquabrass.
It is a form of price fixing, legal in Canada under Section 76 of the Competition Act and in the U.S. as a result of the Supreme Court ruling in Leegin Creative Leather Products, Inc. v. PSKS, Inc.
Dealers may sell a faucet for below the MAP price, but they cannot advertise the lower price. (The policy is the reason you will see "Call for Price" on some websites. The implication is that the retailer is selling below the MAP price. Our research, however, found that this is not necessarily true.)
Imported Italian Faucets
Street Price Comparison I
In U.S. Dollars
Prices do not include custom modifications or finishes.
The policy has a legitimate purpose.
It protects brick-and-mortar showroom retailers by discouraging internet sellers with much lower overheads that can price aggressively. Without the policy, many showrooms could not afford to carry the product line.
Imported Italian Faucet Price Comparisons
Compared to other importers of Italian faucets, Aquabrass's pricing is in the range of most Italian companies that import into North America.
The price champion is Paini's line of
If you are buying an Italian faucet from Aquabrass, make sure that it is actually made in Italy. Increasingly, Aquabrass faucets are made in China.
Faucet Valve Cartridges
The faucet component that actually controls water is the valve.
Buying Rule for
Smart Faucet Buyers
Valve Cartridge
Never buy a faucet until you know the type of cartridge used in the faucet and who made it.
Its cartridge is the heart of a modern faucet and should be your very first consideration when making a buying decision.
It is the component that controls water flow and temperature. Its finish may fail, and the faucet will still work. It may be discolored, corroded, and ugly, but water still flows.
If the cartridge fails, however, the faucet is no longer a faucet. It is out of business until the cartridge is replaced. It's important, therefore, that the cartridge be robust and durable, lasting for many years.
For more information on faucet valves and cartridges, the differences among them, and the history behind each technology, see Faucet Basics, Part 2: Faucet Valves & Cartridges.
The valve is attached to a handle. Turning the handle opens the valve to allow water to flow or closes the valve to stop the water from flowing. The rest of the faucet is essentially nothing more than a housing for the valve that makes the faucet pretty and channels the flowing water into a sink or other catchment.
Modern faucet valves are housed in removable cartridges, unlike valves in the early years of faucet manufacturing, when they were a part of the faucet itself. The advantage of self-contained cartridges is that they can be easily removed and replaced, quickly restoring the faucet to full functionality.
Today's valves do not use vulnerable rubber washers to control water flow. Rubber wears out fairly quickly and needs to be replaced once or twice each year. Modern valves use nearly indestructible ceramic discs that don't wear out.
Stem Cartridges
Two-handle faucets are equipped with what are called stem cartridges or headworks.
Two cartridges are required for each faucet, one for the hot (left) side and one for the cold (right) side. They are usually not interchangeable. These are relatively simple valves that control just the rate of water flow. Temperature mixing takes place in the spout where hot and cold water join.
Ceramic stem cartridges were invented by and patented in 1971. To show how confident it was in the new technology, Wolverine guaranteed the cartridges for 100 years (and still does).
Mixing Cartridges
Single-handle faucets require a more complex device called a mixing cartridge. It controls water temperature as well as flow rate. Temperature mixing takes place inside the cartridge before water is delivered to the spout.
The mixing cartridge was invented by in 1972 to compete with the washerless cartridges used in faucets, at the time the most popular crtridges in North America.
The better technology of the ceramic mixing cartridge had largely replaced washerless cartridges by the 1990s.
Learn more about the evolution of the faucet valve from its invention in the 19th century to the rise of the modern super cartridges at Faucet Valves & Cartridges: An overview.
Cartridge Failure
Ceramic cartridges do not wear out.
The ceramic disks are almost as hard as diamond and so precisely polished that when two discs are pressed together, the gap between them is smaller than an atom of water, so water cannot squeeze past.
If a modern faucet leaks, it is rarely a defect in the valve. It is usually the accumulation of mineral deposits on the polished surface of the ceramic disk. These prevent the discs from fully meshing together, allowing water to slip past.
The cure for this is to periodically (about every five years, a little more often in very hard water areas) remove the accumulated mineral deposits.
Moen Motion
Al Moen invented the valve that made single-handle faucets possible. This valve has long been retired in favor of the more durable ceramic technology. But before its well-earned retirement, it established the way all single-handle faucets operate.
No matter the style, source, brand, or manufacturer of a single-handle faucet, or where the handle is located on the faucet: front, side, or top, it works the same way.
Moving the handle up, back, or out turns the water on – the further up, back, or out, the more water you get. Down, forward, or in turns the water off.
Right or counterclockwise delivers cold water and left or clockwise supplies hot water.
As a result no one has to relearn how to operate a faucet every time a new one is installed – they all operate the exact same, Moen, way.
A mineral-encrusted valve cartridge is not a defect covered by any faucet warranty. It is "ordinary wear and tear" in the 85% of North American households located in hard water areas.
Find out how to clean a ceramic valve cartridge.
Cartridge Manufacturers
Faucet manufacturers do not make their own ceramic valve cartridges. They lack the technical ceramics expertise and the necessary equipment to manufacture ceramic discs. Cartridges are purchased from outside suppliers.
Aquabrass and Alt Progetto faucets include some very good valve cartridges.
The stem cartridges used in many of the company's two-handle faucets are from the German firm, Flühs Drehtechnik, GmbH, generally thought of as the manufacturer of the world's best single-function stem cartridges for two-handle faucets.
Some Aquabrass single-handle faucets are fitted with ceramic valve mixing cartridges made by the European technical ceramics company, Kerox Kft of Hungary.
Kerox is a preferred mixing cartridge. Its reputation is well-earned for extremely reliable cartridges that perform well even in relatively hard water. We know it to be a very good, long-lasting cartridge.
The faucets made in China generally include valve cartridges by Sedal S.L.U., a technical ceramics company chartered in Spain but manufacturing in China, or Geann Industrial Co., Ltd., manufacturing in China and Taiwan.
These brands have traditionally been considered not quite the equal of Kerox valves, but that viewpoint is becoming dated as both companies improve on their products year after year.
Geann, in particular, is gaining recognition as a cartridge on par with many of the best European products and is becoming the cartridge of choice for faucet companies that buy their faucets from Asian manufacturers. We are even starting to see Geann cartridges in some upscale faucet lines. The U.S. up-scale faucet manufacturer, recently switched to Geann cartridges for its entire line of luxury faucets.
Most Alt Progetto cartridges are, as one might suspect, from lesser-known Chinese manufacturers, some of which lack the maker marks that allow the manufacturer to be identified.
We did not find cartridges from any of the Italian ceramics companies such as Studio Tecnico Sviluppo e Ricerche (STSR) S.r.L. and Hydroplast S.r.L., both excellent Italian cartridge makers, or from Galatron Plast S.p.A., an Italian technical ceramics company that is credited with developing the standardized designs used in most modern ceramic faucet cartridges.
Generally, Italian faucet manufacturers favor Italian ceramics. The fact that we did not find any, however, does not mean there are none. We did not inspect every faucet in the Aquabrass inventory.
Cartridge Certification
However, no matter who makes them or where they are made, all valve cartridges have to be certified for use in North America.
Certification requires a life-cycle test that puts the valve through 500,000 on/off cycles and what is informally called a "burst test" that subjects a valve to ten times normal household water pressure for one minute to see if it will deform or leak. If a valve fails either of these tests, it does not get certified.
Consequently, all ceramic valves used in certified faucets, even those from companies we have never heard of, are almost certain to be adequate to the task of controlling water for many decades.
Certainly Aquabrass thinks so and guarantees all of its faucet valves for a lifetime.
Faucet Finishes
The Aquabrass finish chart shows nine "in-stock" finishes. Of these, Alt Progetto Aqua finishes include three: Polished Chrome, Brushed Nickel, and Electro Black.
Not every faucet is available in every finish, however,. The standard finishes available on a faucet depend on which manufacturer makes the faucet.
The company also offers custom finishes on Aquabrass faucets.
We are not sure how many such finishes are available. The information about them from Aquabrass is very sparse. Even the number of custom finishes is uncertain. The company variously mentions 14, 15, and 20 available custom finishes. We were able to find just 14, so the remaining six, if they exist, are a mystery.
There is, of course, not only an additional charge for custom finishes and sometimes a substantial additional charge, but also a longer lead time while the faucet is custom-manufactured. The company estimates the lead time at ten weeks.
Custom finishes are not available for Alt Progetto Aqua faucets.
Aquabrass, unlike most other faucet companies, discloses the processes used to produce its standard finishes. The process used has an enormous bearing on the durability of the finish.
It does not, however, reveal the technologies used to create its custom finishes. It identifies them only as lacquered or unlacquered. Since these finishes have a very short warranty (three years), it would be prudent to determine the process from customer support before ordering any of these finishes.
Stainless Steel
Two of Aquabrass' finishes. Brushed and Polished Stainless Steel are identified as "native" finishes.
These are not applied coatings but the stainless steel material of the faucet, polished or brushed to an attractive finish.
The finish has the advantage that it cannot possibly peel or delaminate since it is the faucet's native material. But it has the disadvantage of more readily showing fingerpprints than other finishes, especially in the polished version.
Electroplating
Electroplating is a traditional process for finishing faucets. It involves immersing the faucet and the metal to be used as plating in an acid bath, then applying an electrical charge to both objects so metallic ions are drawn from the plating metal to the faucet.
Chrome does not bond well with brass, so one or more undercoats, usually of nickel, are applied before one or more coats of chrome.
The process is potentially hazardous to the operator and the environment.
It involves toxic and corrosive chemicals that must be disposed of safely. No other coating technology even comes close to the dangers involved in electroplating.
The durability of the finish depends on the metal used as the plating.
Chrome is very hard and very durable; nickel is much softer and scratches more easily, which is the reason chrome replaced nickel in the early 20th century as a faucet finish of choice.
Physical Vapor Deposition
Physical vapor deposition, or PVD, is one of the latest space-age metal-coating technologies, rapidly replacing electroplating as the finish of choice.
Although the technology was discovered in the 19th century, it was not used in industry until the 1950s and, even then, only rarely due to its great expense.
Its first use was inside nuclear reactors, where very tough coatings are mandatory.
Today, PVD technology is everywhere, and the equipment required is getting smaller, faster, and cheaper all the time.
The process is the closest that the coatings industry gets to actual magic.
Load a chamber with unfinished faucet components, remove all the air, and add back a carefully calculated mix of nitrogen or argon and reactive gases.
Add a rod of the metal to be used for the coating. Heat that rod to a temperature so high that the metal dissolves into individual atoms. The atoms mix with the various reactive gases to get the color and finish effects you want and are then deposited in a very thin layer – 2 to 5 microns – on the faucets.
A micron is one-millionth of a meter or 1/26,000 of an inch. The average human hair is 83 microns thick. The smallest object a human eye with excellent vision can see without magnification is about 5 microns.
Amazing finish effects can be generated.
For example, titanium, an inert, dull gray metal in its natural state, can be used to create a gold finish, like Aquabrass Brushed Gold, by combining it in a PVD chamber with nitrogen gas.
Adding methane to the mix reddens the color. A touch of acetylene darkens the finish for an antique or vintage brass effect, like Aquabrass British Gold.
Finish Durability
Faucet durability is largely determined by how the finish was produced. Some finishes are more durable than others. To avoid disappointment with a finish, know how it was made. If the company's website does not tell you, contact customer support for the information.
- is the old standby. It is a tough finish that will stand up to most abuse, but its durability depends on the metal used.
- Chrome is durable, nickel less so because it is inherently a softer metal (the reason chrome replaced nickel as the faucet finish of choice in the early 20th century.)
- (PVD) finishes are 10 to 20 times more scratch-resistant than electroplated chrome. They are also not affected by most household chemicals. In our experience, they are largely invulnerable to harm.
- and lacquers are paints. They are no more than semi-durable, with about the same resistance to scratches and mars as the finish on your car.
Despite being very thin, a PVD coating is extremely dense and, in consequence, very hard and incredibly durable. By some estimates, it is up to 20 times more scratch-resistant than electroplated chrome.
From long experience, we know that PVD is nearly impossible to accidentally scratch or mar, never fades or changes color, and resists all forms of soiling.
It can usually be maintained with just an occasional wipe from a damp cloth to remove water spots.
Non-Metallic Finishes
Metallic finishes can produce some colors, especially through the PVD process. But the range of colors is very limited. Most color finishes are some form of paint.
One Aquabrass color finish, Electro Black, is a lacquered finish. Brushed Gold is a powder coat.
Both powder and lacquer coatings are commonly referred to as painted
finishes, although the finishing processes differ substantially.
Powder Coatings
Powder coats are a powdered paint used widely in industry to produce color finishes with a process that does not require a long curing time like most liquid paints.
Daniel Gustin is credited with inventing the powder coating process during World War II to help speed up U.S. production of war materials. He received U.S. patent 2538562 in 1945 for his "electrostatic coating method and apparatus."
The apparatus
was a flame sprayer that shot colored thermoplastic powder onto a surface and cured it at the same time. It was temperamental and dangerous, but it shortened production time considerably.
Today's powder coating process, invented by Dutch chemist Peter de Lange in 1962, is much saner.
A low-velocity spray gun safely disperses the powder while giving it a positive electrical charge. The powder particles are drawn to the negatively charged faucet parts and components to be coated.
Then the faucet is "cooked" under ultraviolet light or in an oven at about 400°F (204°C)—;depending on the requirement of the specific powder brand being used—;to bond the powder and change the structure of the coating into long, cross-linked molecular chains.
The cross-linked chains give the coating its durability.
Lacquered Finishes
It is very unlikely that Aquabrass lacquered finishes are actually lacquers.
The term is common in the industry to refer to any liquid coating, a leftover from past decades when a liquid coating was probably a lacquer of some sort.
Modern "lacquer" finishes are usually created by spraying the faucet with several coats of a much more durable in a spray booth—the same apparatus used by an auto-body shop, but usually smaller.
Basic lacquer coatings may be followed up with hand-applied highlights, shadows, and textured effects as needed to produce a specific appearance. Some of these final treatments, especially those on custom finishes, require real artistry to create the interesting finish effects.
Painted Finish Durability
Both powder coatings and lacquer finishes are much less robust than most metallic finishes. They are usually described in industry literature as "semi-durable."
The finishes have about the same robustness as the finish on your car, tough but not immune to scratches and chips. They typically require more care to maintain a like-new appearance year after year.
Thin Film Ceramic Coating
An alternative to relatively fragile powder and lacquer coatings has been introduced to the faucet industry in North America only very recently. This is Thin Film Ceramic (TFC) coating, a liquid paint infused with microscopic ceramic particles that make the material highly resistant to scratches and other surface damage, almost as durable as the nearly indestructible PVD finishes.
Thin Film Ceramic Finishes
Image Credit:Flusso
Thin film ceramic finishes.Originally used to protect firearms and military field equipment (where robustness is paramount and prettiness counts not at all), the process is being refined by companies like CeramTec to produce an increasing rainbow of colors combined with damage resistance not available from other painted coatings.
Although available in Europe and parts of Asia, TFC has not yet been widely adopted by foreign faucet manufacturers.
Where the finish is used on faucets, such as by it is applied in a north American facility.
Faucet Quality
We upgraded our rating of Aquabrass from 5-8 to 6-8 several years ago for a number of reasons, including:
- Clear and evident improvement in the company's faucets over five years.
- Choice of world-class manufacturers with solid reputations for quality products.
- A lifetime warranty.
- Faucets with very few reported problems and customer support that is quick, capable, and bilingual.
- A clear record with the Better Business Bureau.
- No serious installation issues.
We have no basis at this time for changing that overall rating.
Faucet Warranties
Aquabrass and Alt Progetto Aqua have separate warranties.
Neither is competently drafted. They were probably not written by a lawyer. (If they were, then this is an attorney who badly needs a refresher on warranty law and legal drafting.)
No doubt a company executive decided that his or her MBA was all the qualification needed to write a consumer warranty, one of the most complex of legal documents. It is not.
Neither warranty complies with the U.S. Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. §2308) applicable to faucets sold in the U.S. It is missing all of the required statutory language and is unlikely to survive even a minor challenge in a U.S. court.
The consequences of such omission can be severe. Aside from actual and exemplary damages, the company can be taxed with the plaintiff's attorney fees, a little gift from Magnuson-Moss for companies that sell in the U.S. while ignoring its mandates.
Aquabrass Warranty
The Aquabrass warranty provides the following:
"Aquabrass offers a warranty against defects in materials and workmanship under normal conditions of use, care and maintenance of the product(s), for as long as the original purchaser owns their home. The warranty applies only when the product is purchased from an authorized Aquabrass dealer. It is not transferable and is limited to products sold and installed in Canada and the United States." (Emphasis supplied)
Polished chrome, electro black, stainless steel, and finishes are likewise guaranteed for as long as the buyer owns "their" home, but custom finishes are warranted for either three or five years. (Some Aquabrass warranty documents say three, others five.)
Consequential and Incidental Damages
We don't know what the problem is with custom finishes that makes Aquabrass uncomfortable enough to offer such a short-term warranty. It may be nothing more, however, than an imperfect understanding of how finish warranties work.
Improper Disclaimer of Certain Damages
The Aquabrass warranty attempts to disclaim any liability for consequential and incidental damages but omits the clarifying statement required by the federal statute:
"Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you."
Without the qualifying statement, the attempted disclaimer of consequential and incidental damages is void in the U.S. and has no legal effect.
Exclusionary Definition of "Lifetime"
Some of the warranty's language is not just vague; it is nonsensical.
For instance, the "lifetime" duration of the Aquabrass warranty is not actually for the owner's lifetime. It is defined as " for as long as the original purchaser owns their home."
This definition has the effect of excluding buyers who don't own their home from any warranty coverage. Since they don't own a home, their warranty ends the moment it begins. What Aquabrass has against renters and lessees who buy its faucets is not known.
And it's not just renters and lessees who are excluded from warranty protection.
Many very well-to-do people, the company's target market, don't own their homes. The homes are owned by trusts set up for tax and estate management purposes. But, since these buyers don't actually own their homes, they do not qualify for Aquabrass warranty protection.
Moreover, if the buyer owns a home at the time of purchase, it does not appear that she must continue to own that same home for the warranty to remain in force. That omission has some interesting consequences.
Understanding Finish Warranties
A finish warranty does not protect against everything that can go wrong with a faucet finish.
It protects against defects caused by faulty materials or errors in the finishing process, generally subsumed under the rubric "manufacturing defects."
Blistering, delaminating, peeling, and spalling are the usual manufacturing defects. These are very rare – almost unheard of. The bad old days of peeling China chrome are long gone.
Most finish problems these days are caused by overzealous cleaning and ordinary wear and tear, neither of which is covered by a finish warranty.
If it peels, the company pays, but if you scratch it or it turns a funny color after you polish it a few times with Wham-X All-Purpose Miracle Cleaner, well, you should have read the "Care and Cleaning Instructions" that came with your faucet, and you are on your own.
Sorry!
Consider these scenarios:
1. Buyer buys a new home and moves the faucet to the new home? Is the warranty still in force?
Almost certainly.
The warranty does not require the buyer to own the home in which the faucet is first installed. It merely requires her to own a home that qualifies as "their" home. Since the new home is certainly "their" home, the warranty continues in force.
She can move as many times as she likes, and as long as the faucet moves with her and she owns rather than rents, it remains under warranty.
2. Even if the faucet does not move with her, it is probably still under warranty. For example, the buyer buys a new home and sells the old home to cousin Nell. Is the warranty still in effect?
The buyer still owns "their" home, so, yes. The real question is, can the buyer claim against the warranty for the benefit of the new faucet owner?
That answer depends on the state in which the buyer lives. Some states allow a "third-party beneficiary" claim; others do not.
Although the warranty itself does not transfer to a subsequent owner of the faucet, there is nothing in the warranty that prevents the benefits available under the warranty from being extended to the new owner as long as state law permits.
3. Suppose the original purchaser is a contractor who then installs the faucet in a bathroom under renovation for a client. Who actually has the warranty? Does the contractor need to make a claim if the faucet proves to be defective? Does the warranty continue only as long as the contractor owns his home?
Aquabrass may argue that none of this was its intention, but intentions don't really matter; words do. As long as its warranty remains as currently written, Aquabrass is stuck with these outcomes.
The simple solution lies in a competent definition of lifetime. For example:
"… for as long as the original consumer owner owns the faucet and lives in the home in which the faucet is first installed. Neither this warranty nor any benefit under this warranty may be transferred to a subsequent owner of the faucet."
This definition …
- Ensures that only a consumer owner of the faucet is eligible for warranty coverage. The contractor is a reseller, not a consumer. He bough the faucet to sell to the consumer aa part of the renovation. As a non-consumer owner, he does not get the warranty which passes to the homeoner as the first consumer owner.
- Does not exclude renters, lessees, or those who live in a home owned by a trust from warranty coverage.
- Ends the warranty as soon as the purchaser moves from the home in which the faucet was originally installed or transfers ownership of the faucet to another person.
- Prevents a subsequent owner of the faucet from benefiting in any way or manner under the warranty.
This provision does everything Aquabrass tried but failed to accomplish in its badly written warranty.
The lesson to be learned from the Aquabrass warranty is that if you are going to provide a written warranty, make sure you know what you are writing.
Alt Progetto Aqua Warranty
The Alt warranty has many of the same problems as the Aquabrass document. It also fails to comply with Magnuson-Moss, with all the attendant consequences of such failure.
Here is the warranty for residential buyers:
- Limited lifetime warranty for ceramic disc cartridges.
- Five (5) year warranty for all other cartridges (thermostatic cartridges, diverters, check stop mechanisms etc.).
- Limited lifetime warranty for the polished chrome, stainless steel and PVD finishes
- Three (3) year warranty for all other finishes.
- Two (2) year warranty for electronic faucets and components (batteries are not covered by our warranty).
- Five (5) year warranty for all other Aquabrass product(s) and parts. (emphasis supplied)
How "Aquabrass" got into an Alt Progetto Aqua warranty, we don't know, but we suspect it is a mistake and should be "Alt Progetto Aqua."
Undefined "Lifetime"
The warranty's less-than-professional drafting is most evident in the complete omission of any definition of the term "lifetime."
Courts have repeatedly cautioned that the word "lifetime" used in a warranty is not self-defining. It must be explained.
What "lifetime" is meant—the life of the buyer, the faucet, the company, Canada itself? We simply do not know because the warranty is completely silent.
One consequence to the company is that in any dispute over how long the lifetime part of the warranty lasts, a court will be compelled by the rule of contra proferentem to award the longest lifetime reasonably available, most probably the life of the faucet, which could be a very long time.
The rule of contra proferentem is a doctrine of legal interpretation stating that if a written term is ambiguous, it should be interpreted against the interests of the party who drafted or "proffered" the ambiguous language. The rule is the reason lawyers are very careful about what they put on paper.
In our day jobs, remodeling kitchens and baths in heritage homes, we routinely come across faucets that are well over 50 years old, some approaching a century, and some even older, so old that the companies that made them no longer exist.
The Prohibited "Etc."
This language …
Five (5) year warranty for all other cartridges (thermostatic cartridges, diverters, check stop mechanisms, etc.)
… is ambiguous and does not meet the federal law requirement that a consumer warranty be written in language that is "simple and readily understood" by a typical consumer buyer.
The culprit is the "etc." It is an abbreviation of "et cetera" meaning "and other things."
Exactly what is included in "all other things"?
We don't know. A consumer buyer could not know, and it is likely that whoever wrote the warranty also does not know but thought there might be some.
But Aquabrass could point to literally any faucet part or component, claim that it is included in the "all other things," and deny warranty coverage.
We are not suggesting that it does so or ever will, just that the warranty language legally allows it to do so.
An "etc." should never be used in a consumer warranty. It is ambiguous by its very nature and cannot meet the specificity requirements of a consumer warranty.
For an example of a warranty that avoids these problems and meets all of the requirements of U.S. warranty law, see the Model Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Customer Service
Our customer service experience with Aquabrass has been good, but it has changed under AD Waters.
Neither the telephone number nor an e-mail address for customer support is published any longer on the company website (but see above). The only obvious contact option is through a contact-us screen, which, if you need help right away, is not nearly as helpful as a telephone number.
Once you get in contact with an agent, however, things move along quickly with the cordiality for which Canadians are well-known.
Most of the time, the customer service agent just wants to know what model faucet you have so the correct parts can be sent. The original receipt that the warranty requires "be made available" is almost never asked for. The company usually takes the common-sense approach that you would not be asking for help with an Aquabrass or Alt faucet if you did not own one.
BBB Rating
Neither the Better Business Bureau of Canada nor that of the U.S. has a file on Aquabrass,
The lack of a file usually means that the BBB has received no adverse reports about the company in either country, an excellent record to have, especially considering how long the company has been in business.
The company is not accredited by the BBB, however, and not pledged to its code of ethical business conduct. It should be.
Aquabrass Websites
Aquabrass maintains three websites: aquabrass.com, aquabrassexpress.com, and alt-aqua.com, the Alt Progetto Aqua site.
Aquabrass Express is an abbreviated line of Aquabrass products designed to offer a balance of high-end design, modular customization, and faster accessibility than the company's showroom-oriented premium plumbing lines.
The sites are intended to promote and sell the company's various products. They are colorful, artistic, and lavishly illustrated with professional photographs and videos—;all typical characteristics of Italian faucet company websites and, indeed, Italian commercial websites in general.
The problem we have with the sites is that they don't actually provide enough information for a fully informed faucet buying decision.
Aquabrass Website Summary
Here, in summary, are some other features of the Aquabrass website that we think are important:
Finishes
The finishes in which a faucet is available are displayed on the faucet image itself. When you select a different finish, the faucet image is re-displayed in the newly selected finish.
This feature is very helpful in visualizing the faucet in different rainments, and is kind of fun to play around with.
360° Visualization
Another aid to complete visualization is the 360° feature. Once selected, it allows the user to rotate the faucet to any angle using the mouse. Other companies offer a similar feature, but the Aquabrass implementation is the most sophisticated we have seen.
| Specification | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ADA Compliance Indicated | 5 | |
| Aerator Manufacturer Identified | 0 | No |
| Baseplate Included, Yes/No (Where applicable) | 5 | |
| Certifications Identified | 0 | No |
| Dimensions/Dimensioned Drawing | 5 | |
| Drain Included, Yes/No (Lavatory Faucets) | 5 | |
| Finishing Processes Identified | 3 | For some finishes |
| Finish Images Provided | 5 | Swatches and dynamic display |
| Flow Rate Maximum Specified | 5 | |
| Installation Instructions | 5 | |
| Material, Primary (Brass, Stainless, Aluminum, Zinc, etc.) | 5 | |
| Materials, Secondary (Zinc, Plastic, etc.) | 0 | None identified |
| Mounting Holes, Number/Diameter | 0 | No |
| Multiple Faucet Images, 360° Display, or Video Link, | 5 | 360° display. Dynamic finish display. |
| Parts Diagram | 5 | |
| Spray Head Material Identified (Kitchen Faucets) | 0 | Not identified |
| Spray Hose Type Identified (Kitchen Faucets) | 0 | No |
| Supply Connection Size/Type Identified | 0 | No |
| Valve/Cartridge Type Identified | 5 | |
| Valve/Cartridge Manufacturer Identified | 0 | No |
| Warranty Link Provided | 5 | At bottome of each page |
| WaterSense® Listed, Yes/No (Lavatory Faucets) | 0 | Listed, but ot identified as liste. |
|
SCALE:
90+ A Excellent, 80+ B Good, 70+ C Fair, 60+ D Poor, 59- F Fail
| ||
| Download/Read/Print the minimum content required in an online faucet listing to permit an informed buying decision. | ||
Downloads
A "Downloads" link displays further links to installation instructions and something called "spec eng" which we assume means "Specifications in English."
Spec eng: contains a dimensioned drawing of the faucet and "Specs at Large," which simply repeats the dimensions already displayed in the drawing, and "Features," which, for the ARISTON 47020, are the following:
- Solid brass construction
- Crystal clear water flow
- Single volume and temperature lever control
- 3/8" connection
- Drain sold separately
The Shape of Water
Faucet areators can produce any of several types of water streams. Here are the most common:
-
Aerated Flow:
To create an aerated stream, the aerator introduces air into the water flow. Air softens the stream, making it less likely to splash. The aerator was invented by Greek engineer, Elie Prodromou Aghnides in 1943. -
Laminar Flow:
Laminate flow is a less common process for producing a water flow that is splashless. - Water droplets are constrained to travel along smooth, parallel paths without any intermixing or disruption between the adjacent layers. This softens the water flow, eliminating splashing, without introducing air.
- Claims that laminar flow is more hygienic that aerated flow is supported by some evidence, but it is by no means conclusive, and the difference, if any, is very slight.
-
Spray:
To create a spray, aerators re-route the water through tiny apertures that separate the single stream into dozens of tiny streams and simultaneously cut off air intake so the water is no longer aerated, making the spray more powerful. - Sophisticated sprays also increase the water volume, usually from 1.8 to 2.2 gallons per minute (the legal maximum flow) to give even more power to the spray for rinsing dishes.
The 3/8" connection and drain sold separately are useful information.
"Solid brass construction" is a myth. No faucet is solid brass, but it tells us that its primary material is brass, not zinc or stainless steel.
"Single volume and temperature lever control" tells us that the faucet is a single-handle faucet, something we already figured out from looking at the picture.
We had no idea what "Crystal Clear Water Flow" means, and neither would most consumer buyers. Nor could we find information about the feature on the website.
Other sources suggest that it refers to a laminar flow stream that, unlike a more common aerated water stream, is air-free, "resulting in a solid, glass-like column of water that is nearly silent."
A laminar flow significantly reduces splashing, but not as much as an aerated stream.
If Aquabrass is going to use the term, "Crystal Clear Water flow," it should explain it and provide a link to the explanation.
Installation Instructions
In adition to step-by-step directions for installing a faucet, installation instructions also repeats the dimension drawing, includes an exploded parts diagram with all of the major components of the faucet identified with part numbers, and a brief description of the warranty along with care instructions.
Our plumbers found the installation instructions easy to follow, and had no difficulty insstalling our test faucets.
Warranty
A warranty link is available at the bottom of every page, something that is now permitted by U.S. law as a convenient means of making a consumer product warranty available to a consumer prior to a sale, a legal requirement. (16 CFR § 702.3 (b)(2))
Finishes
The standard finishes available on a faucet are displayed as swatches. Selecting a finish redisplays the faucet's image in the selected finish, a feature that is very useful for accurate visualization. However, the process used to produce a finish is not identified.
Critical Components, Materials, and Sources:
The faucet specifications do not identify the source of a faucet's valve cartridge or aerator. They do not disclose secondary faucet materials or kitchen spray head (wand) materials. All of these are important considerations when choosing a faucet.
The cartridge valve information is particularly important for judging the long-term functioning of the faucet.
Certifications
The faucet's certifications are not identified anywhere on the site.
Website Ratings
Presentation: A-
The site is colorful and artistic. Unlike many Italian faucet sites, its imagery does not get in the way of efficient navigation.
Navigation: A
Moving around the site is generally menu-based and intuitive. Sometimes, however, we could not tell where a link leads. "Spec eng," for example, has no meaning, so the only way to find out what it does is open the link.
Additional explanation is also needed for some menu options. For example, an explanation of Aquabrass Xpress
would be nice. It is a main menu choice, but you have to actually go to Aquabrass Xpress to find out what its all about. A tool tip, something like
, would be very helpful. IA tooltip for each of the main menu options would be ideal.
Some of the menu items like "Last Call Inventory" can be accessed only by registered users.
Faucet Specifications: F
The website provides just over half of the information needed for a fully informed buying decision. The other half is missing. The omitted specifications resulted in a score of F (fail) on our rating scale.
The Website Faucet Listing Information table, elsewhere on this page, details the omitted specifications.
Testing & Certification
Comparable Faucets
Fully certified, safe, and lead-free faucets made in Italy that are comparable to Aquabrass, but not necessarily at the same price range, include any of the following:
Fully certified, safe, and lead-free faucets made in Asia that are comparable to Aquabrass with the same or a better warranty but, not necessarily at the same price range, include any of the following:
Aquabrass Asian-made faucets are substantially equivalent to the faucets sold by companies such as The four companies share roughly the same manufacturers, so their faucets are very similar in quality and design.
Fully certified, safe, and lead-free faucets made in Asia that are comparable to Alt Progetto Aqua with the same or a better warranty but not necessarily at the same price range, include any of the following:
The Bottom Line
|
Street Price Comparison Table II
AquaBrass Aria Monoblock Faucet
Non-Sale Street Prices
|
||
|---|---|---|
|
This tubular monoblock faucet is one of the most common faucet styles in the industry, based on a design from the 1960s by Danish architect, Arne Jacobsen.
It is made in almost every faucet factory in the world with very little departure from the classic Danish Modern styling.
|
Brand/Model | Street Price |
| Kohler Components | $553.60 | |
| Gessi Via Tortoni | $492.80 | |
| Phylrich Basic II | $477.00 | |
| Aquabrass Aria | $379.31 | |
| Artos FS308CH | $234.51 | |
| Lulani St. Lucia | $219.95 | |
| Hansgrohe Tecturis | $217.70 | |
| Duravit C.1 | $205.60 | |
| Peerless Precept | $125.92 | |
| Kingston Rrass Tecturis | $97.47 | |
| Ultra Faucets Euro | $76.49 | |
| Allen + Roth Harlow | $69.00 | |
| Prices as of April 27, 2026. Prices may have changed. | ||
Aquabrass and Alt Progetto Aqua sell good-quality faucets. But whether they are a good value to match the good quality varies.
The designs of its Italian-made faucets are rather bland, largely lacking the styling flair associated with italian design. There are exceptions, of course, like the Tosca, but, overall, its Italian designs are unexciting.
There is logic behind the company's design choices, however.
The market for high-design faucets is actually rather small, limited to the design glitterati. The majority of buyers prefer designs that are a little less "out there." The Aquabrass caters to that larger market by keeping its designs more middle-of-the-road and its prices rather modest for Italian faucets.
With these considerations in mind, we judge the company's Italian faucets to be a good value by comparison to the products offered by companies like
Its Chinese-made faucets are a different matter. The designs are again rather mundane, typical of the mass of Chinese products, but both Aquabrass and Alt Progetto prices are fairly high. Dozens of sellers offer the very same or similar faucets, fully certified and legal to install, at a lower, and often much lower, price.
Everything considered, these are no better than a fair value, and that may be generous. They are worth a look, however, if you need one of the 30 or so finishes not available elsewhere.
Continuing Research
We are continuing to research the company. If you have experience with Aquabrass faucets, good, bad, or indifferent, we would like to hear about it, so please email us at starcraftreviews@yahoo.com or post a comment below.
Some of the information we feel is important to know is not disclosed by Aguabrass and is otherwise not readily available: cartridge sources, finishing processes, and aerator manufacturers being among the many.
We have contacted the company for this information, but so far it has not responded. If it ever does, we will update this report as needed.
Please note: we do not answer questions posted in the comments unless they are of general interest. If you have a question, email us at starcraftreviews@yahoo.com.