The History Of The Swiss Army Watch

The company now known as the original Swiss Army company, Victorinox, has actually been around for nearly 125 years. It is common knowledge that their Swiss Army knife is among the most recognized and respected tool of this past century. But the quality of their watches is less known. This report will explain why these affordable watches are one of the best bets in terms of quality.

Victorinox had been making Swiss Army knives for more than a hundred years when it felt the need to create other products to complement their original tool. After a study in the US, their largest market, showed them that people were looking for other products that matched their knives in quality, they started thinking of other options. Eventually, the company decided to create a line of Swiss Army watches because of the rich history of Swiss quality in that industry.

The only problem was that, in order to maintain the same level of quality consumers expected, they would have to control the assembly process and ensure they were of highest quality. To do this, Victorinox built a new factory in 2002 Switzerland that allowed them to oversee the creation process directly. This gave them total ability to examine every little detail about their watches before they hit the market.

Even with all the advances in modern technology and with new industrial practices, every watch high-quality Swiss Army watch has to be examined and tested by an army of technicians. This is no small task when you realize that Victorinox manufactures a little less than a million watches per year. Really, when you stop to think about it, it's truly amazing that the company has continued to make such a complex creation with the same level of quality as their knives.

Only the best materials go into each Swiss Army watch; they purchase their movements-the part of the watch that makes the hands rotate-from a Swiss company called ETA. ETA also supplies movements to Omega and Tag Heuer, two of the most respected luxury brands in Swiss watches.

The carefully cultivated reputation of Swiss-made watches is experiencing a new threat these days. Swiss-made watch companies have seen competition increase from unscrupulous foreign companies. That's because of the rule that the movement of each watch only has to be made with at least 50% Swiss-made parts.

A lot of foreign companies, mostly in Asia, have based their existence on this very lenient rule. What they do is they make watches that are lower in quality, but they claim that they are "Swiss-made" and so they can market them and sell them for a higher price. What they are really doing is enjoying the benefits of the Swiss name that these genuine watchmaking companies have created over time, as customers immediately think that because a watch is Swiss it is of the greatest quality.

Still, Swiss watchmaking companies continue to enjoy the success that they have rightfully created. Consider this shocking statistic: Swiss watch companies only make three percent of the entire global supply of watches, but yet they bring in about half of the US $40 billion spent across the globe on watches. That's because they are a respected and admired brand across the world. And right in the thick of that market, Victorinox and their Swiss Army watches stand as a beacon of both affordability and the high quality we have all come to expect from Swiss watches.

For more info on Swiss Watches and their accessories, check out Rob's watch site. Also, you can find info on selecting the right watch band for your Victorinox watch right here.