The inspiration for the AirBoss line is the countdown commander of an aircraft carrier - the "air boss" officer who decides every take-off and landing time. A task requiring pinpoint accuracy and an unswerving attention to details.
The 2011 AirBoss pays fitting homage to this inspirational source. Simpler in its overall design to its predecessors, and slightly smaller in size (42mm), it marks a return to basics, to fundamental values. Function rules design, reflecting the spirit of an age where a new modesty prevails. The look - three hands, three circles of digit tracks, a date window at 6 o'clock - emphasises readability and functionality. The lines are sharp and clean. Every detail is sober, serious and stripped down. The finishes are superlative. Above all, precision and functionality are the governing forces.
The AirBoss is a classic example of a "second-glance" timepiece design. At first, everything seems obvious and apparent. Then you notice the detailing. The raised Arabic numerals. The luminescent metal skeleton-frames, reminiscent of pilot issue designs. The dimaond-cut striations on the dial tracks. The overall effect is an unexpected richness, understated and deeply satisfying. Audacious in its simplicity, modern in its outlook, Swiss-mastered to a very reliable mechanical movement, the AirBoss is, as befits its name, a top-flight, no-nonsense precision instrument of the highest order.
Technical features - AirBoss
- Swiss made
- Mechanical self-winding movement
- See-through mineral crystal case back
- Swiss Air Force product
- Scratch-resistant triple-coated ati-reflective sapphire crystal
- Satin-brushed 316L stainless steel case (42mm) with exhibition case back
- Luminescent numerals, markers and hands
- Water resistant to 10 ATM (100m / 330 feet)
- Available with:
Silver or charcoal grey dials
5-link stainless steel bracelet or soft brown leather strap with contrasted stitching
- Prices:
3-hand, leather strap: CHF 832.-
3-hand, stainless steel bracelet: CHF 925.-
About Victorinox Swiss Army
Victorinox Swiss Army timepieces are inspired by one of the most well-known products in history, the Original Swiss Army Knife: a true icon of Swiss savoir-faire. The company was founded by Karl Elsener in the town of Ibach, Switzerland in 1884. Seven years later, the workshop began supplying Swiss soldiers with its first generation of multi-purpose knives.
Today, four generations later, great-grandson Carl Elsener IV is at the helm of the company and Victorinox Swiss Army Knives are standard issue for more than a dozen armies around the world — not to mention NASA astronauts. The knives have redefined what “multi-purpose” means, offering not just corkscrews, scissors, toothpicks and saws but laser pointers and flash memory drives.
In addition to the knives, which have been showcased in New York's Museum of Modern Art since the 1970s, the Victorinox line also includes cutlery, timepieces, travel gear, fashion and fragrances. Each line has its own identity and style yet they all share the “Practical Luxury” values — highest quality Swiss design, durability and craftsmanship at a sensible price — for which Victorinox Swiss Army is legendary.
