Victorinox
Victorinox Fieldforce 43 mm Silvered Sapphire
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 · Fieldforce
Victorinox Fieldforce 43 mm Silvered Sapphire
Reference 29741OR.73
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Victorinox
- Collection
- Fieldforce
- Model
- Victorinox Fieldforce 43 mm Silvered Sapphire
- Reference number
- 29741OR.73
- Year / era
- 1997 · 1990s — mechanical revival
- Complication
- Minute repeater
- Movement
- Automatic COSC chronometer
- Case material
- Sapphire crystal case
- Dial type
- Silvered opaline
- Strap / bracelet
- White rubber velcro strap
- Water resistance
- 300 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 43 mm
- Case thickness
- 8.8 mm
- Case material
- Sapphire crystal case
- Bezel
- Bidirectional 24-hour Cerachrom
- Crystal
- Flat sapphire with Cyclops lens
- Dial
- Silvered opaline
- Hands
- Mercedes hour hand with Chromalight display
- Indexes
- Applied Arabic numerals with luminous coating
- Bracelet / strap
- White rubber velcro strap
- Clasp / buckle
- Titanium deployant clasp
- Water resistance
- 300 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 78F — Automatic COSC chronometer
- Movement type
- High-frequency automatic
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 10 days
- Number of jewels
- 27 jewels
- Complications
- Minute repeater
- Functions
- Hours, minutes, seconds, date
- Watchmaker
- The calibre is built in-house and adjusted in five positions before delivery.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1997 – 2003
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Consistently trades above retail; waiting lists at authorised dealers remain long.
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 Fieldforce 43 mm Silvered Sapphire sits within Victorinox's Fieldforce line, introduced in 1997. It carries the house codes established since 1884 — sapphire crystal case case, silvered opaline dial and automatic cosc chronometer — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
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.