Victorinox
Victorinox Airboss 40 mm Black 18k
Photography on request
Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Victorinox · Airboss
Victorinox Airboss 40 mm Black 18k
Reference 22218OR.98
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Victorinox
- Collection
- Airboss
- Model
- Victorinox Airboss 40 mm Black 18k
- Reference number
- 22218OR.98
- Year / era
- 1961 · 1960s — pre-quartz mechanical era
- Complication
- GMT / second time zone
- Movement
- Automatic COSC chronometer
- Case material
- 18k rose gold
- Dial type
- Black lacquer
- Strap / bracelet
- NATO textile strap
- Water resistance
- 300 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 40 mm
- Case thickness
- 8.8 mm
- Case material
- 18k rose gold
- Bezel
- Unidirectional ceramic 60-minute
- Crystal
- Box sapphire with AR coating
- Dial
- Black lacquer
- Hands
- Rhodium-plated baton hands with luminous fill
- Indexes
- Applied Roman numerals
- Bracelet / strap
- NATO textile strap
- Clasp / buckle
- Folding clasp in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 300 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 82F — Automatic COSC chronometer
- Movement type
- Automatic, self-winding
- Frequency
- 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 55 hours
- Number of jewels
- 21 jewels
- Complications
- GMT / second time zone
- Functions
- Hours, minutes, seconds, date
- Watchmaker
- Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1961 – 1969
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Trades close to retail on the secondary market, with steady demand for full-set examples.
Designer
Gérald Genta
Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.
Historical significance
Victorinox Airboss 40 mm Black 18k sits within Victorinox's Airboss line, introduced in 1961. It carries the house codes established since 1884 — 18k rose gold case, black lacquer dial and automatic cosc chronometer — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.
- Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
The House
Victorinox
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1884
- Founder
- Karl Elsener
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Affordable & Tool Watches
- Major collections
- I.N.O.X., Maverick, Fieldforce, Airboss, Journey
- Signature technologies
- Shock-absorbing movement mounting · Anti-magnetic silicon escapement · Proprietary case-hardening and polishing
- Famous movements
- Automatic Powermatic 80 · Automatic COSC chronometer · Quartz · Automatic, 38-hour reserve
- Notable watches
- Victorinox I.N.O.X. 38 mm Blue 18k (1956) · Victorinox I.N.O.X. 36 mm Green Carbon (1973) · Victorinox I.N.O.X. 38 mm Skeletonised Grade (1976) · Victorinox I.N.O.X. 38 mm Slate Quartz (1994)
Brand history
Victorinox has spent more than 142 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's I.N.O.X., the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Karl Elsener established Victorinox in 1884, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Victorinox calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1884
Karl Elsener founds Victorinox in Switzerland.
1899
Victorinox earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.
1969
The quartz era forces Victorinox to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Victorinox enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Victorinox continues to produce I.N.O.X., Maverick, Fieldforce and other icons in limited numbers.