Skip to main content

The Manual Wind: Victorinox Swiss Army INOX

Victorinox Swiss Army INOX, victorinox, swiss army, precision timepiece, analog watch, sport watch
TIM_241682_Inox__duo_PR91 redoneMilestones are often the motivation behind great designs.  Inspired by a long history of quality and durability, the maker of the famous Swiss Army Knife, Victorinox, has turned this anniversary into opportunity.  130 years after the inception of the Swiss Army Knife and 25 years after its first watch release, Victorinox has come out with a timepiece designed to stand the test of time; the Victorinox Swiss Army Inox.

The Inox endured an arsenal of testing to ensure durability in all situations.  The Inox made it through: Victorinox_Swiss_Army_Inox_green_560a ten meter drop onto concrete, being run over by a 64-ton tank, two hours in a washing machine, a simulated sandstorm, being left in gasoline, insecticides, oil and other corrosive agents, twelve G’s of acceleration and deceleration, and last but not least a 130 degree temperature change.  After all, Inox is the French word for “Stainless Steel”.

Related Videos

At 43mm in diameter, Inox’s stainless steel case is the right size for a versatile sport watch.  A raised bezel protects the sapphire crystal and acts as a mount for the ultra sporty removable bezel Victorinox_Swiss_Army_Inox_blue_560guard made of silicon and nylon.  The mono-block case with screwed in case back resistant to 200m withholds a tried and true Quartz movement.

Offered in black, blue and green with matching rubber strap, even the dial is designed to take a beating having no loose or applied markers.

After 130 years of offering well made durable sport items, Victorinox has certainly turned this anniversary into a milestone with the Inox.  Practically indestructible, Inox has proven its got the potential to be every outdoorsmen’s analog watch of choice.  At a hard to beat price of $525, Inox makes a strong case for your consideration.

Editors' Recommendations

The Manual Wind: Bulgari’s World Traveling Hora Domus Time Zone
Bulgari Hora Dumas Dual Timezone

Complication can look, well complicated.  Some watch aficionados like the cluttered, over the top look of a complicated watch; it looks more interesting on the wrist perhaps (and is certainly a conversation starter).  But the real challenge when designing a complicated watch is to make it legible and clean.  Bulgari is not known for over designed watches, but since acquiring two brands, Gerald Genta and Daniel Roth, they have delved into this realm head first.  It has been a while since we saw a new piece in the classic Daniel Roth squared-off circle case.  Their latest, the Bulgari Hora Dumas Dual Timezone, is both simple and complicated.

Related: Bulgari Octo Ultranero Finissimo Tourbillon

Read more
The Manual Wind: The IWC Spitfire Chronograph British Film Festival Limited Edition
IWC Spitfire, blue steel, british film institute limited edition

Limited edition timepieces are starting to rub people the wrong way. Brands are pumping out limited editions with the only difference being a subtle change in the coloration of the dial for some of their most popular pieces. Consensus among collectors is resoundingly negative, since each limited edition quickly trumps the previous and devalues others. This holds true until a well-designed limited edition timepiece that can be celebrated hits the market.

IWC is a brand guilty of this limited edition production practice, though not as flagrantly as some, like Hublot or Audemars Piguet. It’s latest limited edition, the IWC Pilot Spitfire Chronograph BFI (British Film Institute), takes the ever popular blue steel accents and makes it the piece’s focal point.

Read more
The Manual Wind: The Piaget Polo S
Piaget Polo s, watches, swiss watches, the manual wind, watch review

In the watch world, it is a challenge to create something unique.  Watches have to fit on the wrist and can only take so many shapes.  It can be common for designs to overlap across brands.  This overlapping occurs more so when low end brands take on high end timepiece design.  It is not too common to see high end brands have such similar products.  Some might argue The Hublot Big Bang looks like the Audemars Royal Oak (they are right).  The latest overlapping between high end brands is that of the Piaget Polo S collection.  Its recent debut might have shocked some, including myself, and most of all Patek Philippe.

The Piaget Polo S is no doubt a classic timepiece; just as both the Nautilus and Aquanaut by Patek Philippe.  The Polo S seems to be a blend of the two.  At 42mm in diameter, the Polo S is slightly larger than the Patek but has nearly the same brushed flat top T.V. screen shaped bezel.  A textured dial is also similar to that of the Patek.  The stainless bracelet the Polo S comes on bears some resemblance to Patek’s as well.  The movements are quite different though.  Inside lies a Piaget in-house automatic movement.  The Polo S is offered in an automatic time and date as well as an automatic chronograph.  Blue, white, and grey dials make for three watches with slightly different personalities.

Read more