Quickly I’ll mention the transparent plastic bumper that you can put over the case. As sort of a shtick, Victorinox Swiss Army includes a plastic bumper with all versions of the INOX. The Diver gets one that is transparent and that actually covers the dial with a magnifier. It does help protect the metal and crystal of the watch, and does zoom your view of the dial a bit. I would say that outside of some select instances, most users are going to wear the watch without the bumper, but it’s fun to have either way.
The INOX Professional Diver dial design is very handsome. The dial is both three-dimensional and set deep into the case for a very handsome presentation. Victorinox Swiss Army currently offers the dial in dark gray/black, blue, yellow, and red. In this review you see two versions of the INOX Diver including the reference 241735 in yellow on the matching yellow rubber strap, as well as the reference 241782 in blue on the steel bracelet. The color differences give each of the watches a very different personality depending on what you are looking for. The yellow model is ideal for summery outdoor trips to the beach, while on the bracelet with a darker dial, the INOX Diver has a more composed look, and can even serve as a youthfully-themed dress watch.
That’s really the power of the INOX collection, insofar that it is a sport watch with a really elegant design. More so, it is a design that follows the important legibility codes of traditional watchmaking. In part, that means the dial contrast is good, the hands are the right size, and the markers on the dial are logical and easy to understand. The presence of the date window will not please everyone, but it doesn’t bother me. Inside the watch is a Swiss Ronda quartz movement.
Over the dial is an AR-coated sapphire crystal, and next to it is the nicely done rotating bezel. Victorinox Swiss Army needed to skillfully redesign the angled contours of the INOX case design in order for it to include a rotating bezel. Turn it and you’ll hear a lot of visceral clicking noises, which add to the dive watch personality of this product.
As I said, the dressiest look for the INOX Diver is on the steel bracelet. This is a slightly revised version of the bracelet design which is available on the core INOX collection, but made for the INOX Professional Diver. Finishing and comfort is good for the money, but the deployant clasp seems a bit old-school. There is nothing inherently wrong with the locking deployant clasp, but it doesn’t feel as modern or interesting as the rest of the INOX watch. There are some holes to micro-adjust the bracelet, and there is a fold-out extension in order to wear the watch over something larger than your wrist such as a diving/wet suit.
The Victorinox Swiss Army INOX Professional Diver is the larger, slightly more purpose-driven activity variant of the standard INOX. Both have more or less the same durability, but the Diver is there for people who want a bigger watch and are drawn to the look of a diving instrument (as many people are). I feel that this is a fantastic watch for a younger guy who wants a practical daily watch that compliments his style as much as it proves versatile for a range of sport situations. Anyone wanting a quartz beater watch that they don’t need to worry about will also like this watch.
I would call the INOX collection “entry-level high-end quartz.” This means that the watch is not cheap looking or feeling, but is nevertheless not a mechanical product. At the price of about $600, it is the limit of what many watch enthusiasts will pay for a quartz watch, and might be the upper limit for what a lot of mainstream consumers (who don’t know about movements) will pay for a watch at all. Given the popularity of the Victorinox Swiss Army brand and its overall perception, I see the INOX Professional Diver being a popular gift for guys who don’t know much about watches, and for those who do, it will be among the sexier beater watches you’ll have in your collection. The Victorinox Swiss Army INOX Professional Diver has a retail price of $595 USD on the rubber strap and $695 USD on the steel bracelet. victorinox.com
Necessary Data
>Brand: Victorinox Swiss Army
>Model: INOX Professional Diver
>Price: $595 – $695 USD
>Size: 45mm wide
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Younger guy less interested in being a movement snob, and more interested in wanting a very handsome and versatile sport watch that can double as something a bit more formal (it cleans up well).
>Best characteristic of watch: Mixture of durability and style like this is very hard to find in other watches. Well-made watch with a lot of practicality. Might be expensive at first glance, but it is a good amount of watch for the money. Nice size alternative to the smaller standard INOX.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Price could make it hard for Victorinox Swiss Army to find the right customers since there is more mainstream appeal versus watch collector appeal. Still, the pricing is more than what most mainstream shoppers are used to for a watch. Ideally, the Diver and standard INOX would have more functional differences to help differentiate the collection better.
