First Look: The Victorinox I.N.O.X. Mechanical

We’ve been eagerly waiting for a mechanical version, and now it’s here. For Baselworld 2018, Victorinox unveiled the I.N.O.X. Mechanical, which takes the brand’s robust tool watch—first introduced in 2014—and pops in a mechanical and ever-reliable ETA 2824-2 in place of a quartz movement.

At first glance, the design appears to be nearly identical to that of many past I.N.O.X. watches. The biggest aesthetic departure is evident on the dial, which is now adorned with an intricate guilloche pattern meant to mimic the handle of a Swiss officer’s knife.The case features some small changes, too. The bezel now has a clear DLC coating to make it more resistant to abrasion. The case back also has a viewing aperture for the movement within. Ironically, despite my wanting a mechanical version of this watch, I think I would have preferred a solid case back here. The 2824 can be a good looking movement with some decoration, but when it lacks that adornment (which is the case here) it’s a bit of an ugly duckling. A solid back with a thematic design may have been a better option.

Furthermore, the mechanical movement raises another issue worth noting (it’s not really an issue, but rather it’s more of a conceptual head-scratcher). Mechanical movements are far more fragile than quartz ones. Victorinox takes pride in their I.N.O.X. watches being nearly indestructible, and that’s a claim they can stand behind because they put their test samples through the ringer. Unfortunately, a Mechanical I.N.O.X. simply cannot survive the same battery of tests, and that’s something that the Victorinox team readily acknowledged in our meeting. Nevertheless, I don’t think many people will spend their free time flinging their watches out of 20-story windows or throwing them underneath roving tanks, so it’s not really an issue, practically speaking.

Let’s have a quick overview of the specs. The case measures 43 millimeters in diameter and is water-resistant to 200 meters. The crown screws in, and the sapphire crystal is triple-coated in anti-reflective film. The dial—available in both black and blue—features Super-LumiNova on the hands and indexes, and there’s a deep-set date window at 4:30. The watch is available on either a matching brushed and polished stainless steel bracelet or on a very unique wood strap. Yep, wood.The I.N.O.X. Mechanical will retail for somewhere around $800 and is expected for Fall, 2018. Victorinox