PEAKLIFE

As Victorinox—maker of the iconic Swiss Army Knife—launches its first brand store in India at the Phoenix Palladium Mall in Mumbai, we catch up with Colonel Chandhoke, Managing Director, Victorinox India to discuss the brand’s incredible legacy, the diverse offerings in store for Indian consumers, and his personal favourites from the collection!

With the launch of the first Victorinox store in India, what can brand loyalists and people who will now be introduced to the brand look forward to?

They will have a lot to look forward to! Firstly, the entire Victorinox product category will be available under one roof—watches, travel gear, Swiss Army Knives, professional and kitchen knives, and fragrances. Customers will now enjoy the unique brand experience that Victorinox Stores worldwide have to offer, in India. Swiss Army Knives can be personalized with regard to configuration and an engravement of choice. We also have an exclusive element of personalisation in our watches and travel gear. This is something that customers need to visit the store to find out!

Indians have had access to Victorinox products at foreign retail outlets, airport duty-free stores, and shop-in-shops. How is the experience of walking into an exclusive brand store different?

The comfort of walking into a Victorinox Brand Store in the familiarity of your own city with the Swiss Experience to look forward to, as well as the availability of all product categories under one roof is something that will be immensely enjoyed by brand loyalists and new customers too. Essentially, it is the world of Victorinox under one roof.

Victorinox products are utilitarian but maintain a sleek design. How would you define the aesthetic of the brand?

Premium—with the solid Swiss heritage that comes with it, and the Victorinox promise of quality, functionality, innovation, and iconic design. These are exceptional, well-designed products that will be loyal companions on your everyday adventures!

Victorinox has achieved iconic status across the world, especially among adventurers and adrenaline-junkies. Who do you see as the ideal consumer for the brand’s offerings in India?

Victorinox loyalists top the list; they are a large number, globally. With our product categories ranging from pocket knives, kitchen knives and watches to travel gear and fragrances, we serve a very wide premium consumer base, be it business travellers, adventure sports lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, home chefs as well as Professional chefs, the list goes on . . . every customer who is willing to pay for comfort, quality and style can find a product to suit their needs.

We also have products designed for the strong, independent, and on-the-go woman who needs a practical, classy, and elegant companion she can rely on in any situation, day or night. Be it on the way to the office for an important meeting, a fitness class, out for a drink or picking up her kids after work, our watches and handbags perfectly align with each situation as well as any outfit she decides to wear on a particular day.

The brand is perhaps most famous as the maker of the Swiss Army Knife, but the product portfolio is incredibly diverse. Would you like to recommend some of your personal favourite products?

All product categories have an incredible collection of products and I love them all but if you ask my favourites then among the Swiss Army Knives, my all-time favourite is the Soldier. For over 100 years, Swiss soldiers have carried Victorinox pocket knives and the latest iteration is even stronger, lighter, and more functional than it was earlier. With 10 functions that include a large lock blade for one hand, this 111-millimetre pocket knife will easily stand up to whatever you throw at it.

My partner in all my business travels is the new Spectra 3.0 travel gear—it is yet another piece of art that I adore, and I love to pair it with my red I.N.O.X Professional Diver watch. Finally, when I don the chef’s hat, which I do on weekends, my true friend is the 17-inch Santoku knife from the Swiss Modern collection, a true all-rounder for all my culinary requirements.

Finally, are there plans to launch stores in more Indian cities? Which cities are on your ‘to be present’ list?

Delhi and Bangalore. And multiple stores in Mumbai and Delhi. The plan is to open 6 brand stores in India over the next 3 years.

The Victorinox Brand Store at the Phoenix Palladium Mall, Mumbai, is now open to visitors.