Victorinox

Who are Victorinox?

Victorinox is the Swiss company that makes the Swiss Army Knife, founded by Karl Elsener in Ibach-Schwyz in 1884, and it has made watches since 1989 (Victorinox). Its watches are designed, made and tested at its Watch Competence Centre in Delémont, in the Swiss Jura (Victorinox). This page covers the watches only: their history, the collections and who owns the company, then what to check when buying a Victorinox watch second-hand in the UK.

The company is family-run and owned by two foundations (Victorinox). Watches made up about 15% of its turnover in 2019, according to Europa Star.

The history of Victorinox watches

Victorinox’s watch business runs from licensed Swiss Army watches in North America in 1989 to its own watch factory in Delémont. The key dates are 1989 (first watches), 2005 (Wenger), 2014 (the I.N.O.X.) and 2016 (the Delémont centre).

Swiss Army watches. Victorinox entered the watch market in North America in 1989, under the Swiss Army brand and with its US sales partner (Victorinox). Wikipedia says that partner, the Forschner Group, was renamed Swiss Army Brands, Inc. in the mid-1990s and sold Swiss Army watches in North America, and Victorinox-branded watches elsewhere under licence. In 2001 Victorinox and Swiss Army Brands formed an international watch company, and in August 2002 Victorinox bought the remaining shares, gaining control of the Swiss Army trademark (Wikipedia).

AirBoss. The AirBoss collection was introduced in 2003, named after the flight-deck boss on an aircraft carrier (Europa Star, 2008).

Wenger and Delémont. In 2005 Victorinox bought Wenger SA, a watch and cutlery maker in Delémont (Victorinox). Wenger stopped making knives and concentrated on travel goods and entry-level watches (Europa Star, 2020), and Victorinox still uses the Wenger brand mainly for watches and travel gear (Victorinox).

The I.N.O.X. In 2014, for its 130th anniversary, Victorinox launched the I.N.O.X., which was put through 130 tests, one for each year of the company, including being run over by a 64-tonne tank and dropped 10 metres onto concrete (Sharp Magazine). A new I.N.O.X. collection followed in 2024, with a 41 mm case instead of 43 mm and, Sharp Magazine says, mostly in-house components; the Sellita SW 200-1 movement is the main part bought in.

The Watch Competence Centre. Victorinox brought its watchmaking together in Delémont, Wenger’s historic base (Europa Star, 2020). Sources differ slightly on the date: Victorinox says the 17,800-square-metre site opened in 2016, and its history page lists the centre’s construction under 2016, while Europa Star (2020) puts the move at about 2015.

Recent models. The Journey 1884 collection debuted in about late 2022; Professional Watches, reporting new models in October 2023, says it launched “this time last year”. In April 2026 the Dive Pro, a range of ISO 6425-certified diver’s watches, replaced the I.N.O.X. Professional Diver (Europa Star, 2026).

What is Victorinox known for?

For watches, Victorinox is known for the I.N.O.X. and its toughness tests, for Swiss Army branding, and for designing and making cases and other parts in its own Delémont factory.

Toughness. The I.N.O.X. was built around its 130 tests (Sharp Magazine), and Wikipedia notes the claim that it can survive being run over by a tank. That toughness-first approach puts it in similar territory to other affordable, test-driven sports watches such as Casio’s G-Shock range, though the two brands are unrelated.

Delémont. More than 200 specialists at the Delémont centre design, prototype and make components such as bezels, middle cases and case backs; design, engineering and assembly happen on one site, and every watch goes through more than 100 quality checks (Victorinox).

Movements. Victorinox says it uses Swiss movements from manufacturers such as Ronda and Sellita, which are cased and tested in Delémont (Victorinox). Its range includes both quartz and automatic watches (Europa Star, 2026; Professional Watches). Our guide to mechanical and quartz watches explains the difference.

Which Victorinox collections are there?

Victorinox’s current watch collections include Concept One, Air Pro, Swiss Army, I.N.O.X., Dive Pro, Fieldforce, Journey 1884, AirBoss, Alliance and Maverick, with smaller I.N.O.X. models for women (Victorinox Australia). The collections table on this page covers the lines whose history we could source.

When reading listings:

• Branding. Older watches may be signed “Swiss Army” or “Victorinox Swiss Army”, from the years when Swiss Army was the brand name (Victorinox; Europa Star, 2008). Check the reference rather than the dial name alone.
• Wenger. A Wenger watch is a separate brand owned by Victorinox, not a Victorinox model (Victorinox).
• Dive watches. The Dive Pro is rated to 300 metres (Europa Star, 2026). Water resistance on a second-hand watch depends on its seals; read our guide to water resistance.

Who owns Victorinox?

Victorinox AG is owned by two foundations: the Victorinox Foundation, set up in 2000, holds 90% of its share capital, and the Carl and Elise Elsener-Gut Foundation, set up in 1994 for charitable projects, holds the remaining 10% (Victorinox). The company is not listed. That foundation-owned, family-run structure is unusual among affordable Swiss watchmakers; by contrast a brand such as Swatch sits inside a large listed group.

The Elsener family still runs it. Carl Elsener, the fourth generation, took over management in 2007 (Victorinox), and Europa Star (2020) describes him as chief executive.

Buying a Victorinox watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check whether the watch is quartz or automatic, whether its warranty applies to you, that the model and serial match any papers, and, for a dive watch, when the water resistance was last tested.

1. Warranty. Victorinox’s 5-Year Warranty + covers manufacturing and material defects for five years from purchase, for watches bought from an authorised retailer from 1 January 2019, and needs the stamped warranty card or receipt (Victorinox). It is granted to “the first purchaser or the person receiving the product as a present” (Victorinox), so a second-hand buyer may not be covered. See watch warranties explained.

2. Papers. Ask for the stamped warranty card or original receipt, because Victorinox handles claims against them (Victorinox). Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

3. Servicing and battery. Warranty repairs must be done by an approved Victorinox service centre (Victorinox). For a quartz watch, ask when the battery was last changed and by whom.

4. Wear. The warranty excludes scratches to the crystal and strap discolouration as normal wear (Victorinox), so judge those from photos before you buy.

5. Authenticity and theft. Buy from a seller who accepts returns and will put authenticity in writing. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at, and our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

When did Victorinox start making watches?

In 1989, when it entered the North American watch market under the Swiss Army brand (Victorinox).

Where are Victorinox watches made?

At the Watch Competence Centre in Delémont, Switzerland (Victorinox).

Who owns Victorinox?

The Victorinox Foundation (90%) and the Carl and Elise Elsener-Gut Foundation (10%) (Victorinox).

Does Victorinox make its own movements?

Victorinox says its watches use Swiss movements from manufacturers such as Ronda and Sellita, cased and tested in Delémont (Victorinox).

What does I.N.O.X. stand for?

Inox is short for the French term for stainless steel, and is part of the Victorinox name (Victorinox). The I.N.O.X. watch was launched in 2014 for the company’s 130th anniversary (Sharp Magazine).

Is Wenger the same as Victorinox?

Wenger is owned by Victorinox, which bought it in 2005 and still uses the brand mainly for watches and travel gear (Victorinox).

Are Swiss Army watches made by Victorinox?

Yes. Victorinox sold its first watches under the Swiss Army brand in 1989 and took control of the Swiss Army trademark in 2002 (Victorinox; Wikipedia).

What is the Victorinox Dive Pro?

A range of ISO 6425-certified diver’s watches with 300 metres’ water resistance, introduced in 2026 in automatic and quartz versions, replacing the I.N.O.X. Professional Diver (Europa Star).

Does Victorinox make watches for women?

Yes. Its current range includes smaller I.N.O.X. models for women, alongside the men’s collections (Victorinox Australia).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Victorinox.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.