Everything has its time – this year the time was ripe for a new “Made in Switzerland” design icon.
On Point: The I.N.O.X. Mechanical
On Point: The I.N.O.X. Mechanical
Everything has its time – this year the time was ripe for a new “Made in Switzerland” design icon: the I.N.O.X. Mechanical, eagerly awaited by fans and connoisseurs in the industry, designed with painstakingly detailed work and technically realized by the Victorinox watch experts in Delémont in the Swiss Jura.
We met Basile Maeder, product manager at the center of excellence in Delémont, to learn a little more about the creative process and the special features of the I.N.O.X. Mechanical.
Basile Maeder, you are the product manager at the Victorinox center of excellence in Delémont; what precisely is your role?
As the product manager, I assist in the development of each new watch model from A to Z; I lead the design teams from the creative concept to the final design, before the design file goes to the technical office. This is my specialization, and now and then I also create special watch dial designs.
From the initial concept to readiness for the market? What does the development process look like in practice and how long does it take on average?
The development of a new product takes an average of 18 months; for the quartz model of the I.N.O.X. it took us more than three years. The process follows a clear, bindingly defined structure, and the entire process is broken down into seven steps: concept, design, technical study, prototyping, approval, delivery, and release.
The first I.N.O.X. was introduced in 2014 and very quickly there were calls for a mechanical version. Can you explain to us why that was?
In fact, that question cropped up as soon as we had presented the I.N.O.X. to the public for the first time at Baselworld 2014. Connoisseurs of the industry are always excited about mechanical models because they are more prestigious. It was therefore not at all surprising and is completely normal that a question like that should come up immediately when presenting a new watch.
The development took some time; what were the challenges and how were they resolved?
We went through several stages of reflection in the development of the mechanical version. First of all, it was intended to be clearly distinguishable visually from the quartz version so that customers could see at first glance that it is a mechanical model. Because the design of the case had already been defined by the quartz version, we concentrated on the design of the watch dial, but this also had to conform to the DNA of the original template. That’s why we chose an “Alox” structure with a more metallic surface, similar to the Swiss Army Officer’s Knife. Other points were the strap and the demand to make the watch as durable in everyday use as possible.
The strap is made from wood; what distinguishes it from alternatives in steel, rubber, or paracord?
Wood is a natural material and what’s special about the wooden strap is that each one is unique. Every strap ends up slightly different in color due to the natural origin of the material and takes on an individual patina with wear. Design and sustainability – both are qualities on which we place a great deal of importance.
A quartz movement and a mechanical movement – can you explain once more in detail for the layperson: What is the difference exactly? And what makes the automatic movement so sensitive?
The most notable difference lies in the fact that the quartz movement is driven by a battery, whereas the mechanical movement is fitted with a spring. In other words: what works electronically with a quartz movement must be performed by over a hundred small parts working together for a mechanical movement. This explains the greater sensitivity of the mechanical movement.
La face arrière du boîtier de l’I.N.O.X. Mechanical est transparente et permet de voir clairement le mécanisme qui s’y cache ; quelle était votre intention ?
En général, nos clients apprécient vraiment de pouvoir voir la technologie d’un mouvement mécanique à travers le fond du boîtier. C’est pourquoi toutes nos montres automatiques sont pourvues de ce type de fond de boîtier.
Quelles valeurs ou quelles perceptions associez-vous personnellement au label « Swiss made » ?
Je pense que c’est quelque chose qui restera très important pour les puristes ; cela sera probablement un peu différent pour les futures générations de clients. Pour une entreprise comme la nôtre qui affiche un drapeau suisse dans sa marque déposée, il s’agit essentiellement d’une question d’engagement volontaire d’offrir des produits de grande qualité qui sont fabriqués en Suisse, et il en sera toujours ainsi à l’avenir. C’est pourquoi nous avons investi dans un centre d’excellence à Delémont, dans le canton du Jura suisse, où sont concentrés nos travaux de recherche interne et de développement, et que nous possédons notre propre usine de production et de montage.
Portez-vous aussi une montre Victorinox dans votre vie quotidienne ? Et si oui, laquelle ?
Oui, bien sûr. D’ailleurs j’en porte même deux ; une à chaque poignet. Et toutes les deux sont des modèles I.N.O.X. : une mécanique au poignet gauche et une quartz à droite, chacune légèrement personnalisée.