Victorinox Swiss Army Chrono Classic 1 100th Review

At a Glance:

Model # 241151

Brand/Model: Victorinox Swiss Army Chrono Archetype

Movement: Swiss quartz

Material: stainless steel example, leather strap

Complications: date brandish, chronograph timing to 30 minutes in tenths of seconds increments

Price: MSRP $450 USD

Plenty of photos follow the review! Click on the pictures to enlarge.

This is the second Victorinox chronograph I have in my collection and when a deal on this Chrono Archetype came along that I could non reject, I pulled the trigger and lo and behold, I couldn't be happier.

The Chrono Classic series is a tastefully designed, slightly dressier chronograph that is available on a leather strap or a stainless steel bracelet with several different dial colors to choose from. It fifty-fifty comes in a ii-tone version. I purchased the brown punch/dark-brown bezel combination; more on this beautiful color in just a flake.

This watch is Swiss Fabricated and features a reliable Swiss ETA quartz movement. It's just about the perfect size and should appeal to the "I won't wear anything larger than a 42mm watch" crowd.

The Chrono Classic has an all stainless steel case measuring 41mm without the crown, 45mm crown inclusive. The case is brushed on the sides and polished on the top, with the inside of the curvaceous lugs being brushed. I love the lug item and information technology'southward one of those little things that can really aid brand a watch stand up out. Case thickness is 11.9mm. The crown is nicely sized, with prominent knurls and a nifty etched Victorinox logo. The crown does not spiral down. The chrono pushers are polished and sport a swell looking oval shape.

Lugs are the odd and frustrating 21mm size, which makes it hard to go a replacement strap, if needed. I detest gaps between a strap and a lug, so a 20mm strap would be out of the question, and selections of 21mm straps are very limited. The best solution would be to buy a 22mm strap and jam it into the 21mm lugs, which works pretty well in most cases. Just be forewarned of the Chrono Classic lug size if yous're looking to purchase a model from this series, as Victorinox wants a pricey $60 for a replacement strap.

The caseback is brushed and screws downwards. The watch is manufacturing plant rated for 100 meters of water resistance.

The bezel is a tachymeter style with polished edges and on this model, has a dark-brown insert to match the dial. I commonly avoid watches that have a tachy bezel on them, but alas, I'm lightening up a bit and will consider select styles with this sort of bezel. I recall it depends on how the lettering looks to me and while the lettering on the Chrono Classic's tachy bezel is a bit large and patently, it has a purposeful advent and works well overall.

The crystal is a apartment sapphire with a three-layer anti-cogitating coating on it. The crystal is free of distortion and the AR coating does non add a weird dark-green or purplish hue every bit on some AR coated crystals.

The punch on this watch is a stunner and in the shade of brown on my watch, resplendent in its bronze-similar tones with a subtle sunburst blueprint. At times, this punch will look dark-brown, bronze and even display hints of gold; it's ane of those colors that changes depending on the light and it always looks brilliant. You really take to run into it in person to capeesh it.

The easily are tasteful shaped silvertone with luminous insets. There are likewise lume dots on the chapter ring, at each five minute mark. Lume quality is bright and reasonably long lasting. The silvertone markers are practical, with the '2', 'six' and '10' Arabics being hacked off due to the chrono subdials. Hacked off Arabics tend to hack me off, but again, I requite them a laissez passer on this sentinel because I like the overall design so much. Perchance I'g getting soft in my old age as my hair gets grayer.

The main spotter seconds paw is in the subdial @ vi, with the chrono tenths of seconds registered in the subdial @ 2 and the chrono's 30-infinitesimal totalizer occupying the subdial @ 10. And so therefore, the chronograph registers in tenths of seconds up to xxx minutes, with no lap timing capacity. The subdials are slightly inset into the dial and have the now mutual circular 'record' patterning to them, with simple white screened press.

The somewhat larger size of the subdials is as well a nice blueprint element, every bit they are easier to read without readers, and then kudos to Victorinox for making a chrono that functions for the older fix.

The paw in the tenths of seconds subdial remains at the zero position while the chrono is running, only when the chrono is stopped does this hand display the tenths of a second fourth dimension. This pattern saves battery power and eliminates what at times can be a cool yet distracting abiding spinning of a split up-2nd subdial display.

The chrono pushers have a firm experience and an audible click when pushed, giving the watch an air of quality construction. All the chronograph easily are simple silvertone diplomacy with no lume and a straightforward design, zilch fancy here. Chrono stop, starting time and reset to zero function perfectly.

A quickset date resides at the 4 o'clock position. The Victorinox logo is displayed @ 12, with the 'Victorinox' proper noun and 'Swiss Army' printed beneath the logo. The but other printing on the punch is a 'Swiss Fabricated' flanking the 'six' marker.

The Swiss quartz movement is an ETA, from their 'FashionLine' serial. The caliber is G10.211/D4 (indicating the engagement brandish at the 4 o'clock position). This is a half dozen-precious stone quartz move that Frei sells for $36.95. I would consider it a mid-priced Swiss quartz movement.

So far, after calibration to my diminutive clock, it has gained almost ii seconds in a week, and so information technology's well inside specification, just not as accurate as some of my other quartz movements, both Swiss and Japanese.

Fit and terminate on this watch is what one would look from the firm of Victorinox. A beautifully finished instance, articulate crystal, and perfect assembly on the punch. Engagement alignment is centered properly in the window and quickset date action is well-baked and responsive. No defects or abnormalities were detected nether an 8X loupe test of the dial, instance and strap.

The leather strap is simple and harmonizes well with the shade of brown on the dial and bezel. I too appreciate the matching color stitching on the strap, equally sometimes companies over utilise contrast stitching on watches that really don't benefit from this way. The strap on the Chrono Classic is a chocolate brown, smooth matte finish with moderate thickness and no padding. The strap is curiously not signed 'Victorinox' but rest assured, this is the stock strap that is supposed to be on this lookout man.

The strap measures 21mm at the lugs and tapers only slightly to 19.8mm at the brushed and signed heavy stainless steel buckle. At that place are ii broad keepers, 1 fixed and 1 floating. The keepers are almost as well wide for this watch design, as they await a bit too bulky on the strap. They could easily be ii-thirds their width and still function fine.

Comfort on the wrist is very expert with no wearability problems to note. Legibility is practiced under nearly circumstances.

Presentation is standard Swiss Army, a blackness outer cardboard box with lid and a flip top rounded inner box with pillow. MSRP on this sentinel is $450, street prices vary, simply expect to pay from $350 on the high cease to maybe $175 - $200 on 'the bay.'

Overall the Victorinox Chrono Classic series is a capable, functional and cute quartz chronograph in a slightly smaller 41mm example that will notice wide appeal to those wanting Swiss Made adroitness, good looks, accuracy and a bit of panache in a watch that won't interruption the bank. This watch is highly recommended.

Pros: bachelor in a diverseness of punch colors (the brown is stunning), Swiss Made quality, somewhat smaller size volition find wide appeal, sapphire crystal, great looks

Cons: not much to wish for here, college water resistance could do good some would-be owners, strap keepers could be narrower, maybe a bit more than lume on the dial?

Verdict: Victorinox scores another hit with the Chrono Classic series, a watch with quality, value and performance worthy of its Swiss heritage

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pics.

Excelsior!

-Marc