News 
The place where Switzerland was born is also the birthplace of Victorinox! A few kilometres as the crow flies from the Grütli meadow where the Old Swiss Confederacy was formed lies Ibach, a small, bucolic village in the heart of which, in 1884, Karl Elsener founded a cutlery works which he named Victorinox (a contraction of Victoria, his mother’s first name, and «inox», from the French «acier inoxydable», meaning stainless steel).
At a time when Switzerland was one of the poorest nations in Europe, Karl Elsener showed courage and foresight in setting up the business and providing work for the region’s inhabitants. Delivery of the first military knives to the Swiss Army in 1891 marked a turning point in the destiny of the firm. A pioneer and a visionary, the founder even succeeded in placing his product with the American Army, a majestic marketing coup which brought worldwide renown to this small utilitarian object.
Around 950 people are occupied in the production of knives, manufacturing a total of 120,000 each day, of which 60,000 are penknives and an equal number are utensils for the kitchen. The extent of this seldom mentioned diversity allows the firm to propose a wide range of products for the home, as well as for the kitchens of top chefs.
Throughout its history the company has succeeded in adapting to the needs of the market or to events that have punctuated its existence. From knives supplied to the Swiss Army to those intended for the US armed forces, from simple penknives to pocket knives equipped with 80 different functions. There is diversity, too, in the look of the knives: thanks to pad printing, the resin handles on every knife can be personalised (colour of resins, logos, etc). Many of the firm’s clients opt for this service.
The business has been in family hands since it was first established. Since 2000, 90% of shares have been owned by the company foundation. The company’s long-term sustainability is therefore optimally assured, especially since 90% of profits are retained in the form of a reserve for the company. The remaining 10% are deposited in a foundation created to promote the public good, which supports charity projects in Switzerland and abroad.
While products have changed over the years, the values of the founders have remained the same, particularly as regards efforts to protect the environment. By way of example, a sophisticated concept of ventilation and cooling uses thermal capacity generated by machines and equipment to heat production workshops and more than 120 nearby homes. All waste materials are also scrupulously recycled.
Gold partnership
Closely involved in the life of Ibach, Karl Elsener, the current CEO, served for more than 25 years as a volunteer fireman in the village. Since 1979, a fire station has also been established inside the company perimeter, called the «Betriebs Feuerwehr Victorinox». The partnership which grew out of this longstanding collaboration saw Victorinox develop a knife intended for fire fighters called the Rescue Tool. This development of the Swiss Army Knife is specially adapted for a range of interventions and features a blade that can be deployed single-handedly, a hammer to break car windscreens or a purpose-built safety belt cutter, for example.
Because they share the same values, but also because they are the ultimate expression of fire-fighting prowess, New York’s firemen were also singled out by the firm to sign a professional partnership. La FDNY Foundation (Fire Department City of New York), responsible for protecting more than eight million inhabitants, imprinted its heroic image on the minds of the entire planet following the events of 11 September 2001. Today, the fire fighters of New York and those of many fire stations around the world are equipped with the Rescue Tool.
25 years of watchmaking
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of its watchmaking department, Victorinox launched the I.N.O.X. watch. This new, ultra-robust timepiece corresponds closely to the time-honoured values on which the company’s reputation has been built: authenticity, robustness, quality, expertise and Swiss design. Such are the ingredients of the unique I.N.O.X. Its name pays tribute to the company’s history and know-how, and is also a clear reference to stainless steel, a solid, durable and corrosion-resistant material adopted by Victorinox more than fifty years before it became the standard in the Swiss watch industry. Forming a link between cutlery and watchmaking, the I.N.O.X., like the Swiss Army Knife, is a distillation of the brand’s DNA.
Victorinox wanted this new timepiece to be exceptional in every respect. Designed to break new ground in terms of strength and tenacity, it passed a battery of 130 merciless tests intended to prove its robustness. As well as approval procedures normally applicable to the Swiss watch industry, a series of original tests were developed specifically for the I.N.O.X. They reflect the determination of Victorinox Swiss Army to push back boundaries and set a new benchmark in terms of resistance. In the event, no fewer than 421 prototypes were sacrificed over a six month period to ensure that this watch attained the desired objectives. Of these 130 tests, some go well beyond the call of duty. For example, the I.N.O.X. can withstand:
- being run over several times by tanks weighing up to 64 tonnes,
- variations in temperature ranging from -57° to +71° (this corresponds to the standard used by the US Army for the manufacture of missiles). To date, nothing comparable exists in the industry,
- corrosion by salt water or chemical attack from all kinds of petrol, oil, solvents, cleaning products, insecticides, etc, including a solution of sulphuric and nitric acid. Here, too, the standard - unknown in the watch industry - is used by the military (US Army),
- being dropped from a height of ten metres onto a smooth concrete surface (equivalent to falling from three floors up with an impact velocity of 50km/h),
- exposure over a flame for more than a minute at a distance of 5 mm (corresponds to a temperature of 1,200°),
- polar temperatures, under which it continues to operate even when frozen in a cube of ice for 168 hours,
- the extreme conditions of an altitude of 21,300 metres (65,000 feet, in the realm of the stratosphere).
Such extraordinary performance criteria can also prove very useful in the ups and downs of daily life. For example, the I.N.O.X. can emerge unscathed from a two-hour stint in a washing machine, the equivalent of a white linen cycle at 90°, spin-drying included.
Nor does such robustness come at the expense of aesthetic qualities. Despite its formidable strength and endurance, this timepiece boasts an elegant design. Its 43 mm stainless-steel case is enhanced by a beautifully polished hexagonal bezel. Available in three colours (black, khaki and navy blue), the watch can be personalised by means of a bumper, a removable protection manufactured from silicone and nylon which offers exceptional versatility. It should be noted that the 130 tests were passed without this bumper fitted to the watch. Like the Swiss Army Knife, this timepiece will be the «companion for life» of its owner.
September 03, 2014
