Product: The I.N.O.X Paracord
Who tried it: Budding Horologist Mike Dojc
Retail Price: $625
Available: swissarmy.com
Victorionox Swiss Army’s I.N.O.X line are notoriously tough. During the brand’s 130th anniversary a couple years back they subjected the sporty steel quartz timepiece to an extensive battery of strength tests from getting frozen in a block of ice to getting run over by a 65-ton excavator. Now, teaming up with Naimakka, the band has become just as badass. Other than looking phenomenal, the braided strap has about the same utility as a fully loaded Swiss Army Knife.
If you’re not familiar with Naimakka, they’re a Swedish company named after the Nordic land’s most northernmost outpost where temps dive as low as -42,6 Celsius. Their woven paracord bracelets are made of the same super strong and versatile rope popularized by paratroopers in WWII and later adopted as a standard kit by multiple military service branches.
According to Naimakka’s website, when unraveled their bracelet cord has the tensile strength to suspend 550 lbs of dead weight. In a pinch you could unbraid your watch band to splint a broken limb, use as a bow drill to make a fire, fashion into a snare trap or even weave into a fishing net. Astronauts have even used paracord to make a repair to the Hubble Space Telescope.
