Swiss Army Takes Road Trip

Victorinox Swiss Army is celebrating its 125th anniversary with an adventure-themed North American road trip in an Airstream trailer that made its final major-event pit stop in New York City's Union Square Thursday.

The purpose of the trip has been to promote the brand, which is known not only for its iconic knives but also for its entirely Swiss-made watches.

Setting up shop in a trailer in public spaces throughout the United States gives the company a chance to tell the story of its humble beginnings. The company was founded in 1884, when the cutler Karl Elsener opened a workshop in Ibach, a small village in Switzerland. But it really took off seven years later, after someone in the military wondered why the heck Swiss soldiers were carrying knives made in Germany rather than Switzerland.  

Enter Elsener's legendary "Soldier's Knife," which became known worldwide as the "Swiss Army knife" said Krista Woltersdorf, manager of events and sponsorships for Victorinox Swiss Army. The company, currently owned by third- and fourth-generation Elseners, now manufactures pocketknives, watches, apparel, cutlery, luggage and more.

In the watch sector, the company has in recent years expanded its options for women to include diamond-studded watches and even a pink watch that benefits breast cancer research through Susan G. Komen for the Cure. But given the growing interest among women for larger-sized watches, the company considers its various watch models to be unisex.

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