Victorinox Swiss Army officially launched a new watch collection called I.N.O.X., to celebrate the 130th Army has pulled off a tour de force: a watch of sharp, versatile design that is so strong it defies the anniversary of its parent company in style.
Victorinox Swiss Army has pulled off a tour de force: a watch of sharp, versatile design that is so strong it defies the imagination.
The I.N.O.X. was launched by Mr. Francois Nunez, Product Director of Victorinox Swiss Army Watch and Ms. Kuang Ming Woon, General Manager of FJ Benjamin.
To mark the occasion, Victorinox Swiss Army has created I.N.O.X., a new watch that pays tribute to the history and industrial know-how of the brand by showcasing the values that have made it famous: authenticity, strength, quality, expertise and Swiss design.
The name I.N.O.X. comes from the French word for stainless steel, the solid, durable and corrosion-resistant material that Victorinox adopted more than 50 years before it became the norm in the Swiss watch industry.
Marking a shared link between cutlery and watches, I.N.O.X. is as iconic as the Original Swiss Army Knife. A concentrate of Victorinox’s DNA, it represents nothing less than the very quintessence of the brand.
In its quest to achieve ultimate strength, the brand’s testing team sacrificed no fewer than 421 I.N.O.X. prototypes over a period of six months. Driving the research was a single philosophical question: what does it take for a Swiss-Made watch to become a Victorinox Swiss Army watch?
Some of the I.N.O.X. tests were some so insanely extreme they merit special mention. For example, an I.N.O.X. is tested to be capable of resisting:
- 8 tons compression under a hydraulic press; I.N.O.X. can also resist of being driven over by a truck of 25 tons or a military tank weighing up to 64 tons
- Temperatures ranging from -57 ° to +71 ° Celsius. This corresponds to the standard set by the US Army for the manufacture of missiles. Nothing comparable exists in the world of watchmaking;
- Salt spray corrosion or chemical attacks of all kinds of fuels, oils, solvents, cleaning products, insecticides… including a sulfuric and nitric acid solution. Again, a standard not for watches but for the military, borrowed from the US Army;
- A fall of 10 meters onto a smooth concrete surface. This is the equivalent of a drop from a 3-floor building, with an impact speed of 50 km / hour;
- Exposure to a flame at a distance of 5mm for more than one minute, which corresponds to a temperature of +1,200 degrees Celsius;
- Glacial cold. The watch will function non-stop and without complaint, even when frozen in ice for 168 hours;
- Extreme conditions at a stratospheric altitude of 21,300 meters, which is twice the height at which the airliners fly;
These crazy performances also prove useful in everyday life: I.N.O.X., for example, will emerge unscathed after two hours in a washing machine at 90° C and with full spin cycle.
Given I.N.O.X.’s extraordinary robustness, one would expect it to look like a bunker. Its elegance, however, is apparent at first glance. The refined design of the 43 mm stainless steel case is enhanced by a skillfully polished hexagonal bezel.
Available in three colors (black dial and bracelet, khaki green dial and bracelet, navy blue dial and bracelet), it can be further personalized with a bumper.
A totally new accessory in the watchmaking world, this removable protector in silicone and nylon lets you change the watch’s look to match your mood. Office, mountain, leisure and evening, nothing beats the I.N.O.X. for versatility: it can be worn anywhere, anytime.
Special note: the 130 watch tests were run without the bumper. No cheating: I.N.O.X. has nothing to hide and nothing to fear. Unique and different, it is the opening salvo of a new collection that will be developed next year.
I.N.O.X. will change your perception of quality and functionality. Its primary functions are telling the time and the date, yet its robustness, craftsmanship and style, make it the rightful heir of the famous Swiss Army Knife, and thus your perfect “companion for life.”
Each purchase of the I.N.O.X. comes with a protective bumper and a Free Strap kit containing a Nato strap and a special tool to change the rubber strap. To locate an authorised dealer store of I.N.O.X., please visit http://www.victorinox.com/ch/content/store_finder
