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Victorinox

Victorinox Watches Reviewed

Victorinox Watch

Introduction

Victorinox watches is responsible for creating the Swiss Army brand. They’ve been around for well over a century. We all know they make the Swiss Army Knife, which can be used for almost anything. People don’t always know about their watches, though. 

This article will discuss how the Swiss Army Watch came to life as well as explaining the quality.

Background

Victorinox had been producing the knives for over 100 years when the big-wigs at the company decided they needed to diversify their product offering beyond the multi-tool. They wanted to offer something new that kept the same quality of the knife so they could continue to meet their customers’ expectations.

So they began developing the Swiss Army Watch in 1989. 

At this time in history, Swiss watchmakers were well-established as the leaders of fine watch craftsmanship. In Geneva particularly, it was considered an art.

When the Calvinist rulers banned local goldsmiths from making jewellery in the 1700s, the clever Swiss craftsmen began making watches instead.

Are Victorinox watches any good?

Price-wise, Victorinox watches are incredibly well-priced. Typically they range from $350 – $550. This is pretty good considering a Swiss watch might fetch for thousands under other brand names. 

Let’s look at the features you get with a Victorinox:

Accuracy

Victorinox produces its own movements. They happen to be incredibly accurate. They’ll only lose about 2-3 seconds every year, if that. 

The mechanisms are water-resistant. They use synthetic rubies for the movement and this prevents them from wearing down over time.

You can pick up a Classic Quartz with chronograph and tachymeter for $139.99.

Durability

All Victorinox watches are scratch-proof. They’re coated in a hardened crystal that is twice the industry standard. 

Standard is 450 Vickers. Here, you’ll get 900 Vickers for mineral crystal or 1,200 Vickers if sapphire crystal is used. Literally nothing except a diamond could scratch your watch face. 

The INOX model ($235.00) is known for being able to survive the impact of being dropped from three storeys, run over by a HVG lorry then put in the washing machine.

The Devil is in the development

Swiss Army watches are getting a reputation for being outstanding quality at a reasonable price. It wasn’t always this easy, though. When they were first being developed, Victorinox faced a challenge that they needed to overcome. That being that outsourcing the production of the watches was the norm at the time. They didn’t want to jeopardise the quality by losing control of the manufacturing. So, Victorinox developed their own manufacturing factory in 2002. They had full control and continued to thrive.

Here we see a change in the materials used in the various models. Swiss Army watches are made using only the best materials. The movement comes from ETA, who is another Swiss company who make exceptional components. If you were to open up an Omega or Tag Heuer, or in fact any watch with the Swiss-made logo, you’d likely find an ETA movement inside it.

Take the AirBoss, for example ($749.00).

Luxury watches are typically still made by hand by expert watchmakers. Considering nearly one million Swiss Army watches are made every year, you wonder how many hands that is, and how talented they must all be to meet a global-level demand like that.

Be cautious about false claims

You have to know your stuff pretty well because there are some watches out there that claim to be Swiss-made, and they look Swiss-made, but they’re not. Unfortunately, genuine Swiss watchmakers are under threat from counterfeits entering the market. Ultimately the wearer suffers from a poorly made watch and sub-standard materials that don’t last.

An official Swiss timepiece can be identified by the use of the “Swiss-made” logo. It can officially use this logo when the movement inside is made from at least half of the components being of Swiss origin. Unfortunately, this isn’t much and a lot of shoddy watches can be found taking claim but not being worth the price.

A lot of watches coming from Asia abuse this rule and enter the market through a loophole. The watches are poor quality in comparison to their genuine Swiss counterparts and yet they get to carry a luxury label and price tag.

This is such a shame as companies like Victorinox, who have been in the watch market for over a century, making beautiful and reliable timepieces like the Maverick ( $275.00) or the Night Vision Quartz ($189.99).

If you’re looking at a watch and it claims to be Swiss-made, see how far you can dig into the origin of its components.

Summary

Victorinox Swiss Army watches have a great reputation for being excellent. They are a watch you can trust. 

You can get self-winding watches to stainless steel or titanium (check out this unusual INOX version for $693.00.

Whatever you go for, you can rest assured that you’ve invested in a classic watch that, on the inside, is a feat of engineering.

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David Bridle

With over 30 years working across a wide range of media and disciplines, David is a highly trained journalist and editor with advanced skills in news, feature writing, and editing.

Specialist in diy/home improvement (published author), technology, and travel. A well-rounded media specialist with lot of experience in magazines, showguides, books, trade publications, press releases and more.

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March 18, 2020 By David Bridle Leave a Comment Filed Under: Buying Guides, Classic Watches Tagged With: classic timepiece, classic watches, superwatches, Victorinox, victorinox watches

Field Watches Explained

Garmin DX Delta worn

What are field watches? Warfare in the 1900s looked something like this: artillery bombardment lasts for specifically eight minutes. Before the final round lands, the infantry assault has already started. The cavalry regiment, at almost exactly the same time, charges toward the enemy’s flank.

You might be wondering why an article about watches is talking about war? Well, simple. None of that would’ve been possible without the use of a wristwatch.

In the middle of the 1800s it was only ever women who sported a wristwatch. Along came a German entrepreneur who spotted a market opportunity. He changed what was originally an accessory into a practical and reliable companion for your wrist.

Officers had been using pocket watches, but the wristwatch proved to be wildly more practical, quicker and lighter.

There was an almost instant surge in popularity of these with the military around the globe. There were some features that came out which would end up creating a specific category of watch for use in the field. The style of field watches has persisted and are now generally categorised as being a masculine design.

So what makes a field watch, a field watch?

Above all, a field watch must be rugged. A decent field watch worth its salt will be made of stainless steel. Models these days might even be made of titanium or ceramics and/or offer a PVD coating.

It must be readable. This includes decent readability in low lighting or nighttime. It should, therefore, have a face that has a lot of contrast between a white or black dial with opposite colour numbering.

It has polished golden markers for the hour, giving it a more formal look. This could be detrimental to reading in bright lights and even cause a glare.

The wristband is a more traditional leather or canvas. These can be changed if needed (or wanted for a different look). It’s arguable that a metal bracelet would offer better durability, but they get scratched very easily and they’re expensive to replace.

Most field watches all have a link to the original two designs which came from WWII. The difference being the movement and size. Originally, watches had 36mm cases and the movement was hand-wound. More modern versions range between 38mm and 44mm and will be automatic or quartz.

Field watches today

The design and style of field watches changed from practical use in the military into fashion for civilians. It started between world wars and has stood the test of time since. You can easily find a field watch for every budget. If you like a masculine-looking timepiece, a field watch could be an inexpensive option to add to your collection.

Let’s look into some of the most well-regarded brands making field watches.

Timex

Timex offers a superb range of watches for less than $100. The Weekender and Expedition, for example, are two wonderful examples of a fully-functional budget field watch.

At this price, you can expect a brass finish and mineral glass crystal coating the dial, but that shouldn’t be a surprise and it’s not a criticism, either. Military officers have been sporting cheap Timex field watches for decades.

This Expedition Scout is one timepiece that comes in a plethora of finishes so you can pick one that reflects your unique style.

Wenger

Wenger was one of the original makers of the Swiss Army Knife and now offers a few field watches in their range.

The Triumph collection features an iconic dial that has tiny second markers as well as both 12hr and 24hr markers. This is a nod to its two original WWII watches.

They come with Swiss-made quartz movement on the inside and sapphire crystal on the outside. For something that typically costs under $100, this is a total steal.

You can also pick up a Terragraph which offers all of the above, plus a little more retro style. It has a date window, which is down to the increased case size to 43mm. 

You can read more about Wenger watches in our review here.

Victorinox

This is another brand offering reliable Swiss Army timepieces. If you like the functionality of the Wenger but need a little more gusto, a Victorinox might be to your taste.

Expect to pay for it, though – quartz watches range from $200 to $500 and automatics are between $300 and $800. The field watches are in the Infantry collection.

You can use a nylon NATO wristband on any of the Infantry line, which means you can change it for something more formal (leather, if you like) depending on the occasion).

Hamilton 

Hamilton has proved itself to be one to keep an eye on in the watch industry. It made chronographs specifically for marine use during World War II and began making field watches after winning a Government contract later on.

Hamilton was bought by Swatch, the group which owned Omega, and experienced a surge in popularity, even being seen in films from Men in Black to Pearl Harbor.

The most predominant colour they come in is khaki and this is a homage to the past. You get a modern watch with a distinctly retro feel. Watches range from 38mm cases to 44mm and have ETA movements inside.

On the whole, they’re great quality. Read more about Hamilton watches in our review here.

Marathon

Marathon is possibly one of the sole watchmakers under contract to supply to today’s US military. Better known for its dive watch range, Marathon has recently released a field watch which is a development on those original two WWII models.

The style of which has gone through some changes over the years (and through various designers having input). The last version was made for aviators in the 80s.

The best example is the General Purpose Mechanical ($245 / £218), a modern twist on the original timepieces and a good balance of old and new. It has excellent illumination, which is an improvement on the predecessors, but then it’s also hand-wound. It’s not too big, coming in at 36mm.

Summary

A field watch is timeless. It’s also reliable and rugged. The affordability of such watches mean there’s no excuse to ignore it in any masculine collection.

If you’re interested in the watches of the special forces, check out what we said about military watches and what watches Navy Seals wear.

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Maygen
Maygen

Maygen is a multifaceted writer, proofreader and an experienced smartwatch industry writing and editing professional.

December 22, 2020 By Maygen Leave a Comment Filed Under: Buying Guides, Fitness & Sports Watches Tagged With: field watches, Hamilton Watches, Marathon, military watches, Timex, Victorinox, watches for extreme sports, Wenger watches

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