Victorinox has recently released a few new models, one of which is the Victorinox Swiss Army Automatic. Additionally, they offer quartz and chronograph versions. These new models are 42mm in diameter. For the automatic version, you can choose from a blue or black dial, paired with a black leather strap, or this blue model, as shown, featuring a mesh bracelet. Currently priced at $1,075, they use a Sellita SW200-1 movement, have a fixed bezel with an aluminum insert, and lightly textured dials with applied numerals. The mesh bracelet features quick-release pins and a double safety latch. These models walk the line of true field watch and sport watch, but they are attractive and a little dressier than your standard field watch.
At first glance, the Victorinox Swiss Army Automatic does look like your basic field watch, but there are a few things that make me lean more towards a sports watch when describing this new model. I like the overall design, and this model is using a very similar case to the Victorinox Inox and Pro Diver, but this one is slimmed down a bit, with a thickness of only 11mm. The engraving on the case is present as well, like the aforementioned models, and the finishing with the vertical brushing and the highly polished fixed bezel looks fantastic.
While the Victorinox Swiss Army is water resistant to 100m, it does utilize a push/pull crown instead of a screw down crown, which I feel is a big mistake, especially on what looks like a field watch and a watch that costs over $1000 as well. I just can’t imagine it would cost that much more to produce it with a screw down crown. If this were a $200 Fossil watch, I could easily overlook it, but at $1,075, it’s much harder to swallow. The same goes for the aluminum bezel insert. It looks good, it has a nice finish, and the color is great as well, but again, over $1000 and not DLC or matte ceramic? And I still have not figured out what is with the triangle or arrow in place of the 15 on the bezel.
The dial is probably the star here, at least for me, as it’s uncuttered, easy to read, and I love the applied thick numerals. The hands are made of lightly polished steel, making them easy to read against the lightly textured dial. I also love the framed date cutout at the 6 o’clock position. Yet, there’s another pesky arrow or triangle three, this time pointing to the date. These are the only two of these arrows on the watch. So what is the significance? Is there any? Something missing that would make this more of a true field watch, like many that Victorinox has produced in the past, would be 24-hour time, either beside the numerals or in the center of the dial. I have been told, though, that many British field watches lack 24-hour time, so maybe VSA followed suit for a cleaner look, but then there’s something very strange going on with the outer minute track, and that’s the number of hash marks. I counted 9 in between the numbers, and last time I checked, there should be 4.
Powered by the Sellita SW200-1, which is pretty standard fare these days when it comes to movements, but you can see it displayed through the case back, though it’s somewhat obstructed by that image of the VSA knife. Not sure why you would produce an exhibition case back, only to cover most of the glass with an etching of something. Nonetheless, there is a rubber retainer ring between the dial and the movement, giving it some level of shock and vibration protection, so at the very least, it should withstand some bike riding and accidental drops.
The black dial of the Victorinox Swiss Army Automatic comes with a black leather strap, but this blue one comes on a 21mm mesh bracelet. I initially thought this was the first VSA to have mesh, but upon further research, I did find an older Infantry model equipped with what looks to be the same bracelet. Its not one that will flow or drape around your wrist, its all soldered together, but it does have quick release pins for easy removal and the clasp is easy to adjust to the wrist as the base of the clasp can be opened up and it slides up and down, and it closes with a claw type old style buckle, with a safety latch. I will state that the more I wore this watch and took it on and off, I did find the prong that goes into the clasp to be finicky, and it’s a cheaper pressed steel, so you want to be ginger, especially when putting this one on.
And on my 7 1/2 inch (19.05cm) wrist, I do like how it wears. The mesh bracelet dresses this Victorinox Swiss Army Automatic up a bit, though I really have to admit that mesh bracelets just are not my favorite, or at least this one is not my favorite. I think a good leather or even a canvas strap would be a better choice for this watch, or even a solid link bracelet. I do love that they went with 42mm, though; it’s a great size on my wrist, while still being very thin at 11mm.
There are a lot of good elements to this Victorinox Swiss Army Automatic, but there are a lot of mistakes as well, and in the end, this watch just confuses me. It’s a fairly attractive piece, a great size and thickness, and it wears comfortably on my wrist. The lack of a screw down crown, the weird bezel and dial markings, 21mm lugs (something VSA needs to stop doing), and. a mesh bracelet that doesn’t match the build quality of the case, and that this is all happening on a watch that is almost $1100.
The bracelet is on the short side, I doubt it could fit on a wrist much larger than mine, and unfortnly the lume is weak as well, and in my opinion, for almost half the price the quartz version is the way to go for almost half the price at $625. It has a day/date complication, and you can get either the black dial or blue dial with either the bracelet or strap, ย a choice not offered on the automatic versions. If you like the look, that’s probably the way to go, unless you just absolutely have to have an automatic movement.
I've been an avid watch lover since the age of 7. Watches are not only my hobby but a passion. My favorite style used to be dive watches, but field or non bezel watches have been growing on me. When I'm not reviewing watches I am either cooking or with family and friends.
