Victorinox presents its new watch I.N.O.X. Chrono. Arianna Frésard, Head of Category Watches at Victorinox, answers all the questions about the new model in an interview.

Thanks to Victorinox, we are equipped for any eventuality – not only with its pocket knife, but also with the new I.N.O.X. Chrono. The razor-sharp shape and the material mix of steel, titanium, carbon or full carbon make this model an eye-catcher on the wrist that is guaranteed not to let us down in everyday life, both indoors and outdoors. Arianna Frésard, Head of Category Watches at Victorinox, knows all about the special features of the new addition and answers all the questions we have about it.

FACES: To what extent does the new I.N.O.X. Chrono pay tribute to the Victorinox pocket knife?
Arianna Frésard: The new watch design reflects the iconic characteristics of the Swiss Army Knife with various design elements: the geometric shape of the bezel, for example, looks as if it had been carved with a pocket knife. There are also details such as the counterweight of the second hand in the shape of a pocket knife, the material code for stainless steel (Inox) engraved on the case or the brushed details on the case, which are reminiscent of the scissor blades of the pocket knife. With the new watch collection, we want to reflect even more strongly on our roots and express the Victorinox values of quality, innovation, functionality and design.

F: What is special about this watch?
AF: The I.N.O.X. watch collection, which has been around since 2014, is the iconic Victorinox watch par excellence with its unmistakably striking design. It is durable, functional and adapts to any style. What is new is that we are offering a watch from this historic collection with a chronograph for the first time. To make the watch lighter and more comfortable on the wrist, we have revised the design and focused more on optimal ergonomics. The watches in the collection now also have anti-magnetic protection, are ISO-certified for shock resistance and boast a more elegant design.

F: How can the I.N.O.X. Chrono personalized?
AF: The tool-free interchangeable straps offer endless possibilities for styling the watch. This means that it can not only be adapted to your own taste, but also provides pleasure for a long time. For us, watches are an extension of our personal style. And since personal style evolves over time, the watch can always be changed accordingly.

F: How many steps does it take for this watch to see the light of day, and how many hands does it pass through?
AF: The path from conception to delivery of a watch is indeed very complex. From the idea to the finished product, a watch goes through nine essential production steps and requires seamless and precise collaboration between at least 15 different functions: from product management and the supply chain to planning, production and quality control. To illustrate the complexity of the process, let’s take a look at the watch case of the I.N.O.X. Chrono, which we manufacture ourselves. The housing alone goes through 44 steps, from the raw material to the finished housing. This does not even take into account the additional components such as movement and hands that will be added later. So we can only speculate about how many hands a watch actually passes through. But there are certainly hundreds of them.

Q: To what extent does Victorinox also use its expertise in metals in the manufacture of its watches?
AF: We design, develop, manufacture, assemble and test all our watches at our Watch Competence Center in Delémont. This level of in-house watchmaking requires not only knowledge of materials, but also very specific technical expertise. Steel is the most widely used material in watchmaking, and Victorinox, as the developer and manufacturer of the legendary Swiss Army Knife, has almost 140 years of experience in steel processing. In addition to the stainless steel housings and components produced in-house, we now also manufacture elements made of titanium, a new and challenging material for us. We also source elements made of the high-tech material carbon from a neighboring town.