The watch one wears speaks volumes of the kind of person that they are, the things they like and the choices they are likely to make in general. They really reveal a tonne of information about the person, even before he/she has had a chance to open their mouth.

Me – the last time I bought a watch was back in 2001, a stainless-steel one with a white dial. Wore it everywhere until the road-tripping bug bit me a few years back and the strap began to scratch the precious paint off my old motorbike. So when the call came in that a #Victorinox watch was headed my way, the heart did a double-beat. Questions & replies flew back and forth for a bit, before the heart steadied itself again. The courier came knocking at the door days later and I was quickly unboxing the Swiss made beauty.

Taking the packaging away, revealed a watch that’s a welcome lesson in simplicity. No fussy flourishes, ungainly lines or details that are just for the heck of it, there’s none of it here. Instead, what it reveals is a brushed stainless-steel case, a matte-blue dial and a rubber-strap in matching blue.

On the whole, there’s this understated European influence everywhere. Thoughtful touches like notches in the strap to keep the loops in place, subtle logo imprints and the brushed finish to the steel case and the hexagonal cut dial. Even the colour-scheme and the hues used are a lesson in minimalism and simplicity. The seconds hand is finished in bright red, which contrasts beautifully with the matte-blue face and the chrome-white hour & minute hands. All this is off-set by ‘seconds’ and ‘minutes’ notches along the face in white and red. The way each element is colour-matched to the others lets the wearer know just how much thought has gone into the design.

The watch does feel heavy in the hand at the first few instances, but strap it on-to the wrist and the feeling fades away after a while. I personally tend to give oversized watches the cold shoulder, but the #INOX is sized just right. On the wrist, the watch feels like it would almost be the perfect size for me (I would prefer it to be a few mm smaller, but that’s me nit-picking).

The INOX has been my constant companion since the past few weeks, and if there’s one thing I’d like to vouch for, is that it lives up to its claim of being among the toughest watch out there. I’ve take the watch on rides, dropped it off the tank when wearing my kit, dunked it in a bucket of water and bumped it off and on during the daily commute. Sadly there was no snow or sandy desert around me to take it to those extremes. That aside, the INOX has come out trumps with not a single scratch or mark on it. The watch still looks the same, feeling none the worse for the wear.

I tend to dismiss most product claims, given how they are laced with hyperbole. But here was a watch that looked elegant and understated. It didn’t scream for attention, preferring to adorn the wrist with supreme confidence instead. Yet, it proved to be one heck of a toughie, swallowing everything that got thrown its way (or, rather, the watch was the one that got thrown about) and still looking as classy as ever. All it needs is a warm-soapy water wipe & dry routine from time-to-time, and that’s that.

Which brings us to the all-important question, who would I recommend it for? Well, the Victorinox INOX is for that guy who’s not always in the limelight. He prefers the understated styling route to in-your-face, flashy designs. He knows what he’s worth and understands that there are others who’d appreciate his classy ways. An elegant side-kick that’s more than prepared for the rough and tumble, even as he goes about his daily life.

So if you’re THAT guy and have about thirty thousand rupees to spare for a watch, then you just might find true happiness in the Victorinox INOX. After all, it’s been #ForgedToResist every difficult situation and come out triumphant on the other side.