I had a meeting yesterday at the Victorinox booth in which I was introduced to the brand's history and mission. We talked to the Product Director François Nunez about future strategies, and I understood what drove this brand to start making watches 25 years ago and what is their product philosophy. Victorinox's watches product portfolio is made up of reliable timepieces, which support a sleek, neat design and a highly competitive quality to price ratio. Their guest star at Baselworld this year is a timepiece which celebrates their first 25 years in watch-making: the Victorinox Dive Master 500.

Here is a brief summary of its technical features: the Victorinox Dive Master 500 is a professional diver watch that is water resistant up to 500m, it’s made out of Grade 2 Titanium, and its case and bracelet have undergone a sandblasting process. It is powered by an ETA 2894–2 caliber, a movement that is synonymous with robustness and precision. When held, however, there are other factors which come into play: the Victorinox Dive Master 500 is definitely…a cool watch!

The sandblasting treatment gives this watch a very high-tech style, feel, and a strong personality, even though it looks like a classical three-counter chronograph. It supports a 43mm wide, very thick case, but it feels great on your wrist as it is very light. Then the watch’s trademark comes into play: a unidirectional rotating bezel that showcases a 20-minute scale which glows blue in the dark, and the inner rehaut treated with green superluminova material as are the counters placed at 6 and 9 o'clock. Blue is also the color used for the minute hand, as the minutes’ readability is crucial to a professional diver in the ocean's abyss. The Victorinox Dive Master 500 is a true diver's watch, and it will be produced in just 500 pieces. It comes with a three year warranty, and its retail price is 2,770€.

(Photo credit: Horbiter®'s proprietary photo-shooting)

Marco C. @Horbiter®