Tag: Commando Watch
Owning a Wenger Watch
by on Aug.03, 2010, under Military Watches, Sport and Dive Watches
Wenger Men’s 70891 Swiss Raid Commando Chrono Series Watch $223.53 |
Wenger Men’s 70893 Swiss Raid Commando Chrono Series Watch $227.89 |
Wenger Swiss Military Battalion Mens Watch 72458 $65.00 |
Wenger is the legendary manufacturer of Swiss Army knives. It all started at the Paul Boechat and Cie cutlery plant in Delemont, Switzerland, and Theodore Wenger was the man behind the knife. With the huge success of the Swiss Army knife, Wenger watches were introduced.
Today, the company is owned by Victorinox of Ibach, Switzerland and has been branded Wenger & Co. S.A. They are most-notably known as Wenger Swiss watches, due to their long and storied history manufacturing and selling Swiss Army knives. Wenger is hugely-known to produce some of the most beautiful, durable and precise watches in the world—thanks to their prestigious Swiss-Made legacy.
Models of Wenger Watches
When you own a Wenger Watch, you are literally wearing over a 100 years of watch-making and knife-making on your wrist. Take for example Wenger’s GST line: they’re truly, stunningly beautiful in their precise construction, as well as hand-crafted in the highest-quality stainless steels. They are also the same type use by Swiss Elite Forces and come as simple watches, watch-chronographs or watch-chronometers.
The TerraGraph line is another one of Wenger’s creations. Many of them sport brown or black leather straps, white or silver dials/bezel, and come standard with the Swiss Made insignia as well as the benchmark Swiss Quartz Movement technology (of which almost all authentic Swiss watches have).
The Battalion Diver series is a very attractive line of Wenger watches. The different Battalion watches have dark blue dials and metal bezels, stainless steel bands; others have black faces and bezels, with ornate white or gold dials and either stainless steel bands or leather straps.
Finally, the Aerograph collection has—in the opinion of many—some of the most beautiful watches ever designed and manufactured. Take, for example, the AeroGraph Chrono; it has a very distinctive bright yellow dial and black, stainless steel encasing and leather strap. Or the AeroGraph Cockpit Chrono: this features an elegant brown dial, with a brown leather strap and a 12-hour chronograph function. The Wenger chronograph mechanism is durable and reliable.
The range also includes some really beautiful watches for women and it is hard to beat a Wenger ladies watch if you are looking for an especially special gift for an extra special woman.
Benchmarks of Wenger Swiss quality
Those are just a few examples of quality Wenger watches. When you own a Wenger watch, you can be sure of the following, though:
• It has the benchmark Swiss quartz movement
• It uses, most-likely, the industry-standard “screw-on” casing
• It is made from the highest-quality mineral crystal
• It is back by Wenger’s industry-leading 3-year limited warranty
• Most are submersible up to an individually-specified depth
• And most benefit from the Wenger external unidirectional bezel
Extraordinary quality
Wenger’s watches are easily comparable to the likes of Rolex, Tag Heuer or even Cartier. How? They meet or exceed all of all the former’s levels of sophistication, technology, elegance and durability. Plus, they are made in Switzerland—the very country which invented the prestigious Quartz Movement and Swiss Movement. This is what makes Wenger watches certified as Swiss-Made, label that is highly-protected by international trade organizations and the Swiss government itself.
If you go online to find a Wenger Swiss, you’ll find tons of fine examples. Beware though, as there are plenty of counterfeiters out there; one of the easiest ways to spot a counterfeiter is to notice the price. Does it seem far too-low for such a sophisticated timepiece? Does the product description not specifically say either “Made in Switzerland” or “Swiss Made”? In the end, though, you will know a real Wenger Swiss when you see it, and if you are still not sure about it—call the company and make sure.
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The Wide Range of Swiss Military Style Watches
by on Jul.05, 2010, under Mechanical Watch, Military Watches, Sport and Dive Watches, Watches of the World
Among Switzerland’s most famous brands is the wide range of military style watches that are produced. These draw on both Switzerland’s heritage of watch making and fine craftsmanship as well as on its tradition of independence and neutrality. Switzerland’s military has long been revered across Europe and the rest of the world and it has long been the country’s guarantee against invasion by its bigger neighbors. As such Switzerland has always ensured that its citizen soldiers have been well trained in marksmanship and tactics and equipped with the finest equipment. And Switzerland’s gift to the world has been the innovation and attention to detail that goes into items such as Swiss Army knives and Swiss Army Watches.
The best-known military style watches are clearly those associated with the Swiss Army knife, which made by two Swiss companies, Victorinox and Wenger. The two companies merged a few years back, yet still operate under different names in many parts of the market. That said, both offer unsurpassed quality and reliability. Victorinox and Wenger Swiss Army watches offer a really good blend of features and price. One of my favorites is the Wenger Commando Watch. This is a really rugged and tough watch. It also has a brilliantly lit up display that makes it easy to see at night. Two other favorites of mine are the Wenger Ranger Watch and Battalion Diver Watch, which is also made by the same company. The Victorinox Swiss Army Infantry vintage watch is also a really beautiful and classic timepiece with a real old-style look.
Both Wenger and Victorinox offer a really wide range of watches so that you can usually find something to fit almost any pocket with prices starting at under $100 and going up from there.
There are however quite a few other companies that you can look at when looking to buy a Swiss Military Watch. Most people overlook firms such as Hanowa, which makes a really high quality range of watches sold under the Swiss Military brand as well as the more exclusive Swiss Eagle watch brand.
Even tougher (and more expensive) is the range of watches produced under the CX Swiss Military brand. These are some of the world’s toughest watches and have stood up to all kinds of tests including being dropped out of airplanes, blown up with high explosives and shot at with a shotgun. They survived most of these tests whereas other watches just got smashed to pieces.
If you are looking for a cheap military-style watch then you could consider Invicta. These are Swiss-made watches but they have a bit of a mixed reputation when it comes to reliability. I don’t endorse them wholeheartedly but some people swear by them. That said, you can’t say they aren’t cheap. Some Invicta military watches can be bought for under $50. And although this blog is really all about Swiss Watches, there are also some other really popular manufacturers of military watches. Citizen has an eco-drive military watch that also has a really clear face with an easily-to-read dial. It also never needs its batteries changed,
Features of a Military-Style-Watch
Apart from the obvious point that most people buy Swiss military watches because they look good, some of the better ones also have some features that provide real tactical assistance. In this I’m thinking of a watch with a dial that is easy to read and a face that is not confusing. You also want something that is self illuminating, so you can see it even in the dark, and you almost certainly want a watch that will not beep and give away your position.
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Swiss Army Raid Commando Watch
by Watchguy on Mar.10, 2010, under Military Watches, Sport and Dive Watches
A lot of people who are active in the outdoors are looking for an analogue watch that is a step above the usual Swatch but that can also take a beating. (Just as a side note here, you would be surprised at just how tough the ordinary $30 Swatch with the plastic strap can be – When I first took up Scuba diving 20 years ago I was amazed to see that quite a few divers including a few divemasters used ordinary Swatch watches as a dive watch even though it is not certified to handle the pressure).
The second requirement that many people have is that they don’t pay the earth. In other words they are looking for a quality watch that is better in quality and durability than a cheap Swatch but that won’t cost as much as a Rolex or a Tag. The sweet spot for many people in terms of price is about $300 to $500 for a really functional watch that still looks good and will give a lifetime of service.
I can’t think of a better candidate for the outdoor enthusiast than Wenger’s Swiss Army Raid Commando Watch. This is made by the company that was made famous for making the Swiss Army knife – a brand that has been synonymous with quality for decades, and that has since built its reputation further building a really excellent Swiss Army Watch range.
The Swiss Raid Commando takes its name from the renowned military competition in which members of the Swiss military compete in teams of four in commando type exercises. The competition is a test of fitness, toughness and military skill and pushes participants to the limit in tests of shooting, obstacle courses and deep penetration into “enemy” territory during which time the patrols will advance as much as 120km. They then follow with a “raid” such as an ambush or simulated attack.
The watch that takes its name is every bit as tough as the soldiers who compete. The watch is solid-looking and comes in a variety of styles. The looks of the military-ones with a black rubber strap just shout no-nonsense and toughness and this really tops my list of favourite Swiss military watches.
The dial is very clear and well illuminated. It has a 12-hour chronometer function (stopwatch) and it also has a tachymeter, which allows its user to measure speed over a known distance. When used by a trained and experienced navigator it can also be a useful way of measuring distance – which is helpful for night navigation.
It is waterproof down to 100 meters (330 feet), which means it can be your backup candidate as a dive watch in an emergency (though you would be better off getting something like the Battalion III Diver which is water resistant down to 200 meters or the more expensive Wenger Aquagraph which is good down to 1000 meters). The Commando is covered with a tough scratch-resistant surface which means it should stand up well to the rigors of mountaineering, hunting and other demanding outdoor sports.
Wenger Men’s 70890 Commando Patagonian Expedition Race Chrono Watch . . . . Stainless Steel Case with Polished Black Finish . . Black Dial . . Swiss Quartz Movement . . Mineral Crystal . . Tachymeter . . Luminous Hands… $244.89 |
Wenger Men’s 70891 Swiss Raid Commando Chrono Series Watch Casual/Sport watch, Swiss quartz movement, Commando Swiss Raid, Black hands with green luminous accents, Luminous green markers, indices and tachymeter… $249.00 |







