#TeamSWIZA: Portrait of Pascal, at the heart of SWIZA’s R&D
At the heart of SWIZA’s R&D: innovation, tradition, and precision
At SWIZA, every Swiss knife tells a story. Pascal’s story, as a technical drafter and designer in the R&D office, is that of a micro-mechanics enthusiast turning ideas into tangible, innovative, and Swiss-made tools.
A profession combining technical drawing and functional innovation
Pascal plays a key role in product development. His daily tasks? Designing functional prototypes for new tools, testing their integration into the knife body, ensuring feasibility before production. “I don’t do design in the aesthetic sense, but I make sure everything works – the blade folds, the tool fits in properly.”
Formerly at Wenger, he joined SWIZA in2019, invited by a former colleague involved in the SWIZA adventure. “It was six months before COVID – great timing.”
Real projects: URBEX, LEGACIES, and future innovations
Pascal helped develop two major collections: URBEX, designed for modern urban and outdoor explorers, and LEGACIES, a showcase of Swiss craftsmanship blending watchmaking design with knife engineering.
Today, he works on future projects, collaborations, improvements, and the creation of new tools. “Sometimes ideas stay in prototype form, sometimes they come to life – step by step.”
Valuable synergy with the workshop and product team
Working at SWIZA also means close collaboration with local teams. The technical office – just two people – interacts closely with the workshop and partner companies’ R&D.
Cutting-edge materials and software
Pascal’s projects use state-of-the-art technologies such as BIOROC, a highly durable bio-based composite, and VULCARBONE, a high-tech rubber developed by BIWI. These materials allow SWIZA to innovate while staying rooted in the Jura region’s watchmaking and knife-making expertise.
An idea, a sketch, a prototype – the SWIZA recipe
“An idea can come from anywhere: the office, a client, an ambassador. We test, tweak, 3D print to verify, then move to steel.”
Some ideas break, others succeed – but each step brings progress.
Two jobs, one balance
Besides working at SWIZA, Pascal co-founded a sports shop specialized in running, cycling, and winter sports. “In the morning I’m at SWIZA focused on design; in the afternoon I move more and meet customers.”
This dual role is made possible by SWIZA’s flexible approach – “a real strength that gives me personal balance and keeps me motivated and focused.” Being in contact with customers also feeds his R&D work: “Lab tests are useful, but nothing beats real-world usage.”
The passion for solving the unsolvable
What drives Pascal? Technical challenges. “I hate boredom. Finding solutions is what motivates me. Sometimes I go home stuck on a problem – and the solution hits me over a beer.” A very personal way of combining Swiss precision with creativity.
A human-scale company in the Jura region
For Pascal, working at SWIZA is more than a job. It’s about preserving unique Swiss craftsmanship, inherited from the Wenger era, in a people-centered company. “There are only two manufacturers of Swiss pocketknives in the world. Being part of one is a real source of pride.”
His favorite finish? Allblack or matte, with wooden scales for their authentic and eco-friendly feel. His wild knife idea? “An integrated lighter that works anywhere – without gas.”
Ongoing innovation – the SWIZA DNA
Pascal sums it up well: “We don’t invent radically new things – we improve, adapt, and make them feasible. Like with the tick remover – an existing tool we integrated smartly.”
Three words that define SWIZA for Pascal
Human. Local. Innovative.
Values embodied every day by passionate people like him.
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