There’s something to be said for knowing which way the wind is blowing. The watch world is no exception, and the newest release from Victorinox is doing exactly that: twenty years after the brand launched the Maverick collection, they’re modernizing one of their longest-running lines to meet people where they (and their wrists) are at.
The Swiss brand has dropped the case size, set up 14 total references — 10 quartz on Ronda 715 movements, four automatic on Sellita SW200s — swapped some movements, and adjusted pricing. I’ve been wearing the automatic in blue, priced around $1,200, for the past few days to see how that move plays out on the wrist — and the results are all business.
First, the case. It keeps the brushed-and-polished stainless steel mix and unidirectional bezel from the outgoing Maverick, now with a choice of high-polish mineral or ceramic bezel inserts depending on model.
The dial’s got a metallic finish with dual-textured indexes — polished and sandblasted — plus enough lume on the hands and markers to actually register in a dim room, not just in marketing copy. All models get a tool-free interchangeable strap system, and Victorinox backs the whole lineup with a 5+ year warranty, a longer runway than most brands bother with at this price point.
Smaller by design, not by accident
On the wrist, 39mm still reads as a real watch, not a delicate dress piece — but it’s the biggest case I could see myself wearing every day without thinking about it, which tracks with the market logic driving this relaunch in the first place.
Victorinox spent two decades building the Maverick’s reputation as a chunky tool watch, but preferences on “how chunky is too chunky” have definitely gone down — see recent moves from brands as wide as Seiko to Blancpain’s new Bathyscaphe reissue, both leaning into smaller, more wearable dive-watch sizing.
Next, the bezel: unremarkable in the best way. Smooth, no grit, no wobble, it just works. Swapping the strap through the tool-free system was exactly as advertised; I popped it off and back on without hunting for a spring bar tool or squinting at pins.
And the automatic’s seconds sweep is genuinely satisfying to watch, which makes sense — the Sellita SW200 is about as tried-and-true a movement as exists in this segment, the same family powering plenty of watches well above the Maverick’s price bracket.
None of this is reinventing anything, and Victorinox isn’t trying to. What they’ve done is take a watch with real name recognition in the outdoor/tool-watch space and resize it for people who want that DNA without the wrist-boat-anchor commitment.
Where to buy it
The Maverick automatic lineup starts at $1,100, with my blue tester (ref. 242106) landing at $1,200; the quartz lineup starts at $650. The full collection is available now on Victorinox’s official site.
