Victorinox's New Journey 1884 Watches Are Rugged and Ready for Everyday Adventures
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For many watch buffs, a Victorinox watch is a valued first foray into Swiss watchmaking. Accessible in price yet pleasingly rugged, Victorinox has a long history that dates back to 1884 and its origins as the maker of that most tooliest of tools, the Swiss Army Knife. The watchmaking division only launched in the late 1980s, but has become well known in its price bracket, priding itself on rigorous testing using a battery of trials and tribulations to which it subjects its new watches. In a similar vein and launching this week is a totally new range of watch designs called Journey 1884, inspired by the rugged landscape of Switzerland and the ubiquitous knife itself.
This may sound like familiar territory for Victorinox—making useful tools that can stand up to rough treatment—but it’s also something of a departure. The 43mm Journey 1884 comes with a significant proportion of recycled material, varying from 50 to 90 percent recycled 316L stainless steel, depending on the part (if it’s not 100 percent yet, it’s still a surprisingly novel move in Swiss watchmaking). In an unusual move, the 1884 collection comes with five versions driven by a quartz movement (the Swiss-made Ronda 715) and two mechanical versions using Selitta’s SW200-1 movement. While outwardly there is little to distinguish the watches, by offering both quartz and mechanical versions, Victorinox have ensured a pocket-friendly spread of prices that start at a mere $525. The tough-looking steel cases have either aluminum or ceramic bezels, and all the watches come with ISO ratings for water and shock-resistance, with added anti-magnetism certification for the quartz versions. Any one of them is a perfect candidate for a no-nonsense daily beater.
Details in the Journey 1884’s display point to the alpine landscape that surrounds the brand’s HQ in Délémont. The dials are divided into a smooth-finish center portion marked with 24-hour time, while around it the dial has a noticeable granular surface that sits beneath Arabic numerals and batons. The unusual handsets that mark the hours and minutes are derived from the directional signs used on official mountain hiking trails in Switzerland. The counterbalance on the secondhand, meanwhile, echoes the profile (in a rather subtle way) of the Swiss Army Knife itself. At these prices—even the top-tier mechanical version on a steel bracelet is priced at an accessible $1,050—this new family of watches would make an ideal gift for someone about to embark on their next big adventure in life.
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