Swiss Army Knife Maker Victorinox Bets on Biometric Data as the New Corkscrew
Modern multi-tools must collect and surface information.
For 126 years, the Swiss company Victorinox was able to sell Swiss Army Knives as the ultimate multi-functionality tools. Now, tiny pairs of scissors just aren’t enough to compete for modern consumers, which is why the company has announced a partnership with Acer, a leading Taiwanese personal computer company. The company will be introducing sensors into its Swiss Army I.N.O.X. watches, paving the way for Swiss Army Watches with tech components much more complicated that USB drives.
“Our first collaboration with Acer is a wearable device that makes your watch smart, giving it multi-functionality much like our iconic Swiss Army Knife,” said Alexander Bennouna, CEO of Victorinox Swiss Army SA, in a press release.
Details on the project are scarce, but there are tantalizing hints that this partnership may only be in its earliest stages, raising the prospect of a Swiss Army Knife with an array of digital features.
Victorinox has also released Swiss Army Knives with laser pointers, fingerprint scanners and a bluetooth module.
There are some fairly obvious additions to the Swiss Army Knife that Acer can help institute, including the addition of a Lightning charger and a micro-USB. These would certainly make the old knives seem more relevant to modern consumers. That said, data seems to be the ultimate goal. The Smart Swiss Army Knife wasn’t going to be manufactured entirely in Switzerland. Acer will allow for Victorinox to start thinking more creatively about how its knives can and should help more technologically literate consumers.
