Countdown for Night Vision watch launch

Victorinox Swiss Army has started the clock running, literally, on the international launch of its latest Night Vision model. A website went “live” two weeks ago and began counting down to the official global release date of 9 October.

 

As part of the campaign a micro-website, nightvision.victorinox.com, will begin operating next Tuesday allowing visitors to see the watch’s features on the various sections of the website which will have a detailed and interactive description of the collection.

 

The worldwide marketing campaign includes an eye-catching, 30-second video demonstrating the watch’s attributes and shows the powerful, push button torch incorporated in the watchband. 

 

The launch of Night Vision is not only an innovative, globally co-ordinated campaign, Ken Abbott, managing director of Timesupply, the Australian distributor of Victorinox Swiss Army (VSA) says it’s one of the most important launches the Swiss company has undertaken since entering the watch market in 2002. 

 

“The watch is receiving enormous focus from the company. I’ve just returned from a Victorinox international sales conference in Portugal and it became apparent that the Night Vision launch is of major significance to the company. It has received the most funding of any model in Victorinox’s history of worldwide marketing,” Abbott said. 

 

 

“There’s a focus on this particular model for the rest of this year because it’s a very iconic design in the same way as the [Swiss Army] knife is an iconic design,” he added. 

 

Australia will play a large part in the launch because international time zones dictate that local jewellery retailers will be some of the first to receive delivery of the product.  

 

The website will also allow people to follow the various Victorinox events organised around the world which include travelling exhibitions demonstrating Night Vision’s numerous lighting features and giving enthusiasts a chance to test them in variable light conditions.

 

Abbott said, “Website visitors will also have the chance to participate in a monthly competition to win a Night Vision watch from November 2012 to March 2013, as well be entered into a prize draw to win a trip to Switzerland.”

 

Founded in 1884 by Karl Elsener, VSA originally started business as a cutlery factory in Ibach, a village in Northern Switzerland. Elsener created the first Swiss Army Knife in 1897 to be distributed to the Swiss Armed Forces. The historic brand has since become an iconic symbol for Swiss ingenuity. 

 

VSA expanded into the watch market in 2002 and Timesupply secured the Australian distribution rights in April 2011 after the watch range was first introduced to Australia by Sheldon & Hammond, a distributor of homewares products.

 

Abbott says the Night Vision model was first released in 2003 but the new model is the latest evolution being available in three models rather than two, including a new rubber band. “The torch is very, very good. It’s not a gimmick, it’s actually a very useful and it amazing how bight the light is,” he said. 

 

The company’s media release explains the feature, “The Night Vision watch owes its name to an ingenious illumination system made up of low-energy-consumption light-emitting diodes (LEDs). One press activates a blue LED that lights up the dial for optimum legibility of the time display. 

 

“Two presses actuate a white LED, which creates a continuous beam of light visible up to one kilometre away and three presses starts the stroboscopic mode, a flashing signal with long autonomy – 7 days and 7 nights – that constitutes a valuable emergency resource that can be converted into a high-intensity signal by pressing and holding down the pushbutton. A red pilot light makes it easier to find the watch in the dark.”