Launched in 1989, Victorinox Swiss Army's first watch is also among its most successful. A perennial favorite among young customers looking for substance and style, it authentically reflects both the brand's Original Swiss Army Knife heritage and the classic values of Swiss watchmaking. Easy to read, simple and direct in design and shape, solidly built according to the most rigorous quality standards yet accessibly priced, it has, in just over twenty years, become a Victorinox Swiss Army icon.
Victorinox Swiss Army is now proudly launching a totally revamped Original — freshly updated with very contemporary aesthetics, yet instantly recognizable as the authentic descendent of the line. The basic elements and attitude of the original are respected: nylon fiber middle round case, three hands, and date window offset at 4 o'clock. The dial, however, has been completely reworked, re-injected with modernity and subtly graced with design codes. Now enclosed in a solid bezel in circular-brushed aluminum, the dial shows military time in a central circle on the vertically brushed dial face.
The oversized indexes and markers are stencil-cut and inset into the top plate, revealing the second plate below. The Arabic numerals at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock are middle-barred, giving character and personality. The color schemes — navy grey, commando black, desert beige or khaki green — are purely monochromatic while giving a certain edge to this collection. Finally the NATO style straps, like those worn by the British Army in the 1930s, are still in wide professional service today.
Urban and boldly contemporary, the new Original builds on the iconic status of its bestselling predecessors.
Technical features - Original
- Swiss Made
- Quartz movement
- 40 mm case diameter
- Nylon fiber middle case with an aluminum bezel
- Protected crown
- Screw-in caseback
- Water resistant to 10 ATM (100 m / 330 feet)
- Luminescent hands
- Date calendar
- NATO style strap
- Four color combinations available: navy grey, commando black, desert beige or khaki green
- Availability: Fall 2011
- Price (without VAT): CHF 273.-
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.
