Swiss Army Cavalry Watches

Reputation is everything in the world of collectible watches, and the brand name engraved into the timepiece makes a big difference in assessing its value. Few watch companies garner the esteemed recognition of making a high quality timepiece like the authentic Swiss Army watch. The company's commitment to quality over quantity means that there is no comparison between a real one and an imitation. Authentic Swiss Army watches on eBay come with the correct Swiss Army mark and proper documentation that proves the timepiece is the real deal.

Swiss Army Watch Brand

A brand's reputation lies closely aligned with its history. The humble beginnings of the Swiss Army brand started in 1887 in a small town in Switzerland. Karl Elsener, a knife-maker by trade, had an idea for a utilitarian knife made up of several different tools. The Swiss Army soon picked up his idea and American GI's serving in the World Wars quickly learned the benefits of having one of these knives in their pockets. Soon everyone had to have a Swiss Army knife, and the success of the knives led the company to branch out into watchmaking.

Victorinox Swiss Army Watches

In Europe, people know Swiss Army watches as Victorinox watches since Victorinox is the company who makes them. However, Americans are more familiar with the Swiss Army name and the red shield with the white cross symbol than they are with the name Victorinox. Nonetheless, Victorinox is the company behind authentic Swiss Army watches and only its products carry the Swiss Army or Victorinox Swiss Army label.

Swiss Army vs. Swiss Military

Success always breeds competition and soon enough other Swiss companies realized that the popularity of the Swiss Army brand name meant big bucks overseas. However, since Victorinox copyrighted the Swiss Army name, no other company could produce a watch with that particular label. Therefore, several brands began creating watches bearing the inscription Swiss Military that consumers overseas often took to mean the same thing as Swiss Army.

Neither the Wenger watches nor the Hanowa watches are authentic Swiss Army watches. Yet, the similarity in the inscriptions and logos for these companies means that many unsuspecting buyers purchase one at a low price and believe they got a great deal on an authentic Swiss Army watch.

Finding Swiss Army Watch Logos

Whether it is a classic watch or a modern timepiece like the Dive Master 500, the logo placement on Swiss watches did not change much with the years. The logo is always on the dial face of the watch. If the logo states the watch is Swiss Military, or lacks a logo altogether, then it is not a true Swiss Army watch.