Suunto 70 years

06/02/2006 

 

From a developer of field compass to the leading diving and wristop computer manufacturer

Suunto was founded in 1936 by surveyor and active orienteer Tuomas Vohlonen who exasperated with the inaccurate field compasses then available, developed and patented a new production method for liquid-filled field compasses. The company was entered in the trade register on 4th February 1936. Its first product the Suunto M-311 field compass remains under production almost unchanged as the Suunto M-801. The compasses produced in 1936 and 2006 are clearly 'relatives'.

Production of what proved an indispensable piece of military equipment during the Winter War took off following orders from the Finnish Defence Forces. Other important wartime products were for example the bearing compass and clinometer (for measuring angles of elevation).

After the war orienteers and hikers began using field compasses, while exports gradually picked up. In 1952, Tuomas Vohlonen's widow, Elli, sold the firm to Paavo Kajanne, Aarne Mahnala and Veli-Jussi Hölso, who had already founded the Redox ski wax company. The 1950s saw the development of Suunto's first marine compasses as well as the first exports of its clinometers.

Suunto developed its first diving compasses based on its field compasses in the 1960s and began manufacturing dendrometers. Divers themselves supplied the initiative for diving compass design, an English recreational diver having tried the Suunto field compass underwater and, noticing that it worked, providing Suunto with feedback and suggestions for modifications. By the end of the 1960s, the firm's products were being exported to all continents and a total of 60 countries, earning it the President of Finland's Export Award in 1972.

The 1970s saw the expansion of the marine compass selection and the first competitive sailing tactical compass was introduced. The field compass range became the most comprehensive on the market. At the very end of the decade, the Niemistö family bought the firm.

During the 1980s Suunto became the world's leading diving instrument producer. The decade's most important achievement was the SME diving computer, the first mass-produced diving computer calculating a dive's safe duration and decompression time. The business continued to internationalize.

Sponsor Oy, an investment company, bought Suunto at the beginning of the 1990s. Suunto sought growth on dry land as well as underwater unveiling the first wristop computer for outdoor use, the Suunto Vector, in 1998. This success product measures air pressure and altitude, forecasts weather changes and gives bearings and the time. Following the firm's brief listing, Amer Sports acquired Suunto in 1999.

In the new millennium, Suunto continues to utilize new technologies. The Suunto t6 is the first heart rate monitor instrument that gives laboratory accurate data on an athlete's training session and its impact on fitness. The new technology used enables smooth data transfer between the wristop device and wireless Suunto PODs (peripheral observations devices). The Suunto X9i is the market's smallest GPS wristop computer, and is compatible with worldwide digital map services.

Suunto is now the leading manufacturer of diving and Outdoor computers, and the largest compass producer under the Suunto and Recta brands. Its wristop computers are used for example in fitness training, diving, alpine skiing, hiking, sailing and golf. They combine a watch's aesthetic and functional characteristics with a computer customised to the sport in question. The sports enthusiasts of all levels can analyse and improve their performances and improve their motivation. Suunto's headquarters are in Vantaa and it employs over 500 staff worldwide, selling products in over 70 countries.