Victorinox has announced a new model in their Chrono Classic line up which builds on the well-loved platform by adding a scratch resistant ceramic bezel. The new 41 mm Chrono Classic Ceramic can be had with either a standard stainless steel case (black or white dial) or with a gold-tone case and white dial. These nicely sized and attractive quartz-powered chronographs even feature anti-reflective sapphire crystals, which is great to see at this price point. Victorinox has been making tough but wrist-friendly quartz chronographs for a long time and the Chrono Classic range has always been a great option for those looking to upgrade their Timex to something a bit classier but at a price that isn’t too dear.
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While Watch Report has covered a series of
Victorinox watches we have yet to review any of their mechanical chronographs and this is an omission we were excited to remedy when Victorinox announced new additions to the Infantry Vintage line. Fortunately, Victorinox was willing to loan us one of their newest models, the Infantry Vintage Mechanical Chronograph. With the exception of a date function, the chronograph is likely one of the most popular complications and after spending some time with the Infantry Vintage, we can certainly understand why. Chronographs are both fun and functional, part mechanical marvel, part practical tool. Has Victorinox succeeded in porting that analog enjoyment directly to our wrists with this new addition to the Infantry Vintage line? In a word, yes.
For those of you that are frequent readers you’ll know we have a soft spot for military styling and a firm belief that some of the best value in the watch market is found well under $1000. We have reviewed a few Victorinox watches in the past so when their hot new Original line started to hit shelves we knew just who to call to get one in for review. The Original is part of the “Active” line from Victorinox and is a good example of the brands varied styling and understanding of their core audience. Victorinox sent us the all black model which comes mounted to a simple black nato strap that really completes its military aesthetic.
The truly special thing about watches is that there is a watch for every wrist and each individual has slightly different tastes, needs, and expectations when it comes to what they expect to get from their watch. Some buyers, myself included, prefer to wear a dive watch regardless of the fact that it will likely never see more than twenty feet of water. Others prefer something more elegant and simple, a jewel of engineering to strap to their person and appreciate its craftsmanship, value and and lineage. In the past, many buyers who wanted features like alarms, lapping chronographs, world time, or countdown timers would need to relegate themselves to a digital multifunction that generally crams its multitude of features into a dizzying array of buttons. Luckily, manufactures like Tissot, Breitling and even Victorinox have come to the rescue by offering more intuitive user interfaces and less complicated styling. We previewed the Victorinox Chrono Classic XLS MT back in 2008 and even three years later we were thrilled when Victorinox said they would send us one to play with.
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Victorinox Swiss Army, I have known this brand since I was very young. My Grandmother brought my brothers and I personalized swiss army knives from Victorinox after spending some time in central europe and while I eventually lost that beautiful knife I have another today that is taken out of my desk daily to help with odd jobs. I suppose if I’m honest, I always saw Victorinox as a knife company that made department store quality watches as they look good in a package with a utility knife. After spending some time with the titanium Dive Master 500 I have come to the conclusion that I was very much misinformed and have overlooked some quality timepieces from a well known and trusted brand. The Dive Master 500m has stats that would place in firmly in the field of my attention but after getting some wrist time is it worthy to carry the same name as the knives?
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As a former pilot, there are two watches that represent the absolute finest gear for flying: the Omega X-33, and Breitling Aerospace. Both are quartz and analog/digital, and have very different looks. Today's post is about a very similar watch that has a much more reasonable price tag to the Aerospace, the Victorinox Swiss Army Classic XLS MT. I've not yet confirmed this, but I strongly suspect that it has the exact same movement as the Aerospace, the ETA 988.432, making it one heck of a deal. Specifications of the Victorinox are:
- Swiss made, Swiss quartz movement.
- Anti-reflective-coated sapphire crystal.
- Stainless steel case, PVD-coated 'gunmetal'.
- Luminous hands and hour markers.
- Crown guard.
- Countdown timer, alarm clock, stopwatch, dual time zone, multiple languages.
- Water resistant to 100m.
- 45mm by 12m, quite large.
List price is shown as $1,095USD, but I would expect a discount from that. Let's compare to the Breitling Aerospace:
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Victorinox has announced a new model in their Chrono Classic line up which builds on the well-loved platform by adding a scratch resistant ceramic bezel. The new 41 mm Chrono Classic Ceramic can be had with either a standard stainless steel case (black or white dial) or with a gold-tone case and white dial. These nicely sized and attractive quartz-powered chronographs even feature anti-reflective sapphire crystals, which is great to see at this price point. Victorinox has been making tough but wrist-friendly quartz chronographs for a long time and the Chrono Classic range has always been a great option for those looking to upgrade their Timex to something a bit classier but at a price that isn’t too dear.
