Victorinox may be synonymous with the Swiss Army knife, but recent years have seen the brand focus on its watches vertical more strongly. Last year, Victorinox announced seven new collections to be released over the next three years, and Carl Elsener Jr., CEO, Victorinox, in an interview with WatchTime India, added that the company had decided to introduce new collections as it wanted to craft watches with a stronger connection to the Swiss Army knife while presenting a distinct identity (read the full interview here). Victorinox first launched its steel tool watches in 1989; currently, INOX is its most popular line. Now joining its repertoire of offerings is the Victorinox Journey 1884 collection. The collection was teased by the brand late last year, and today it has been officially released.
The Victorinox Journey 1884 is launching with nine timepieces, both quartz and automatic, and is inspired by the brand’s Swiss legacy and ethos. The name then is fitting – 'Journey' references how far the brand has come since it was established in 1884 in the town of Ibach, in the Canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. The 43mm timepieces are made from 316L steel, which means that they feature a minimum of 50 percent and up to 90 percent of recycled steel. The timepieces are built for rugged activity, their design specifically taking cues from hiking.
The hour and minute hands of the Victorinox Journey 1884 replicate Swiss hiking signs, while the outer part of the dial features a rough texture inspired by natural hiking paths. Furthermore, both as a reminder of its legacy and the fact that it is an essential tool for hiking, the counterbalance of the seconds hand is designed like a Swiss Army knife. The inner part of the dial features military time, with the brand name resting at 12, and the logo, just above it. A date window sits at 6 o’clock, its presence made more emphatic by the luminescent triangle below it. There is Super-LumiNova® on the hands and hour markers. The unidirectional rotating bezel is ratcheted, with an inlay in aluminium that has an engraved 60-minute scale (every minute is marked till 20, and then markings come in at 10-minute intervals), with a luminescent dot at 12. The bottom of the bezel is engraved with ‘1884’, and the watches have a screwdown crown. There are options of steel bracelets, and rubber, leather, and wood straps. And thanks to an innovative system, the straps can be easily changed without the need for tools.
Of the nine watches launched, the black and blue dial variants, featuring the word ‘Automatic’ and accents of yellow on the dial, feature Sellita SW200-1 movements, while the quartz watches, with ‘Antimagnetic’ and accents of red on the dial, are powered by the Ronda 715 Swiss-made quartz movement with battery end of life indication. The watches have ISO certifications for being antimagnetic (quartz models), shock resistant (quartz and automatic), and having a water resistance of up to 200 metres.
The Victorinox Journey 1884 watches are all designed, developed, tested, and manufactured by the brand in its own factory, the Watch Competence Center in Delémont, Switzerland. The timepieces are priced between Rs 45,500 (approx.) and Rs 91,500 (approx).
Images: Courtesy Victorinox
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