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Victorinox Swiss Army history
Victorinox Swiss Army company history timeline
Carl Elsener was born in 1860 to Balthasar Elsener-Ott, one of a long line of haberdashers in Zug, Switzerland.
After Forschner’s death in 1877 his son Richard changed the company name to RH Forschner and moved it to New York.
Originating from inside a cutler's workshop in 1884, Victorinox stands for quality, functionality, innovation and iconic design, and has done for more than 130 years.
In 1884, a certain Karl Elsener opened his own cutler’s business in Ibach-Schwyz in Switzerland.
Elsener began making them for the Swiss Army in 1891, after organizing the Swiss Cutlery Guild of 37 craftsmen in order to ease the district's severe employment deficit, which was forcing its agricultural labor base to seek greener pastures in foreign lands.
In 1896, Elsener created a design in which tools were attached on both sides of the handle using a spring mechanism.
In 1897 this knife featuring a second smaller cutting blade, corkscrew, and wood fiber grips was originally registered with the patent office as The Officer's and Sports Knife, though it was never part of a military contract.
The company began using a Swiss White Cross to identify its wares in 1909.
When Karl Elsner’s mother died in 1909, Elsener renamed his company "Victoria" in her memory.
The -inox suffix was attached in 1921, a designation for the stainless steel newly introduced into the knives' production.
In 1921 the company started using newly invented stainless steel to make the Swiss Army Knife.
The company began offering imported German cutlery to its butcher customers in 1921.
In 1937, the Forschner Butcher Scale Company of New Britain, Connecticut, began importing Victorinox butcher knives.
1945 US soldiers stationed in Europe after World War Two buy it in large quantities and it is a popular souvenir to take home.
So compact were the knives that appendages often served more than one function. For example, in 1951 Victorinox received a patent for its new can opener, which was said to work easily and not leave ragged edges.
Swiss Army knives replaced butcher scales in its product lineup after it was sold in 1957.
Forschner ceased to be a family company in 1957.
In 1960, the KGB and Soviet press mulled over a Swiss Army knife, among the ingenious Western spy equipment found on Francis Gary Powers when his U2 was downed over Russia.
The solution was to outsource production to a Swiss company, Xantia SA. Xantia SA had been founded in 1962 as a private label watchmaker, i.e. none of their watches were marketed under their own name.
In 1972 the two companies signed an agreement giving Forschner exclusive rights to market Victorinox knives in the USA.
In 1976, Victorinox began supplying the Germany army with pocket knives--sporting a German eagle rather than the Swiss cross.
1977 The Original Swiss Army Knife becomes an exhibit for design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
1979 Transformation of sole proprietorship “Messerfabrik Carl Elsener” into the family-owned company “Victorinox AG.”
Leatherman had begun making innovative multi-tools in 1983, long before Swiss Army Brands entered the category.
1984 The company doubles its manufacturing and office space.
In 1989, Forschner sold nearly $10 million worth of them this way.
In 1989 it introduced the Swiss Army Brand Watch.
In 1989 Michel Thievent, a long-term employee of Xantia SA, acquired the share capital and management of the company.
Meeks, Fleming, "Blade Runner," Forbes, October 15, 1990.
Norman, Geoffrey, "Making the Blade," Forbes, November 25, 1991.
Wenger made an agreement with Buck in 1991 to market knives under the well-known American brand name.
The deal prompted a lawsuit from Precise Imports Corp., United States and Canadian importer of Wenger knives, which was settled in 1992.
Bourjaily, Philip, "The Swiss Army Knife," Sports Afield, July 1, 1994.
Tagliabue, John, "Red-Hot Battle Over Red-Handled Knives: Distributor of Famous Swiss Army Gadget Sues to Stop Sales of Chinese Knockoffs," Charlotte Observer, September 11, 1994.
1994 Establishment of Carl and Elise Elsener Gut Foundation with the mission to support national and international charitable projects.
In 1995 Swiss Army Brands watches accounted for 43 percent of Forschner’s $126.7 million sales.
Its sales were $130.01 million in 1996.
In 1996 the firm changed its name to Swiss Army Brands, Inc., and began marketing Swiss Army brand sunglasses and writing instruments imported from Switzerland.
Andreae, Christopher, "Definitely Officer Material," Christian Science Monitor, June 25, 1997.
Victorinox AG celebrated the 100th anniversary of its "Offiziersmesser" in 1997.
In the fall of 1997 Mullen Advertising was hired to create a strong, sharp brand image that would harmonize all the company's marketing efforts.
In September 1998 the "Swiss Army Equipped" campaign won 24 awards, including best of show honors, at the thirty-eighth annual Francis W. Hatch Awards, sponsored by the Ad Club of Greater Boston.
Kauffman, Matthew. "Business Rivals Take Stab at Market for Swiss Army Knife." Hartford Courant, November 13, 1998.
By December 1998 the Swiss Army brand of watches, sunglasses, and writing instruments accounted for about 50 percent of the company's sales.
Swiss Army products were placed conspicuously throughout Armageddon, a blockbuster science fiction film released in the summer of 1998.
In April 1999 Swiss Army Brands acquired the assets of Bear MGC Cutlery, Inc., an Alabama company that made knives and multi-tools.
In May 1999 at One Show, a gathering to recognize excellence in advertising, Mullen won a print advertising award for the "Swiss Army Equipped" campaign.
New sunglasses that the company introduced in 1999 had names such as Hurricane, Squall, Windstorm, and Tornado.
According to one company analysis, Victorinox opened its own watch-making factory in 1999.
The new VSA commenced operations on 1 November 2001, headed by Susanne Rechner, formerly of Movado and Seiko.
The terrorist attacks in 2001, which led to strict travel restrictions and a slowdown in consumer spending, cut into company sales of Swiss Army knives.
2001 Launch of a clothing line in the United States and opening of the first Victorinox store in Soho, New York.
Strandberg, Keith W., "Victorinox Buys Back Shares of Swiss Army Brands," National Jeweler, October 1, 2002.
George, Rose, "The Swiss Army Knife: Survival of the Sharpest," Irish Independent, May 10 2005.
Harding, Luke, "G2: Cut Down: A Blade, a Bottle Opener, and a File," Guardian, July 5, 2005.
Victorinox's next big move came in 2005 when it added competitor Wenger S.A. to its arsenal.
2007 Carl Elsener IV takes over the company management and further expands Victorinox as a global multi-product brand.
2008 Opening of the first European Victorinox flagship store in London.
2011 Opening of the Swiss Knife Valley Visitor Center in Brunnen, Switzerland.
2013 Integration of the Wenger knife business into the Victorinox brand.
Luckily, somebody else made my quest easier and wrote: “The Unofficial History of Victorinox Swiss Army Watches”. The author posted it on WatchUSeek on November 13, 2014, as a guide to other forum members.
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Victorinox Swiss Army may also be known as or be related to SWISS ARMY BRANDS INC, Victorinox Swiss Army and Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc.