The military-themed Victorinox Swiss Army Night Vision (ref. 241569) is basically an update of the well-known model that has been here for years. Powered by the same quartz movement, the 2012 model comes in a more attractive, vintage-style stainless steel case that looks more suitable for a “tactical” timekeeper.
Like the previous iterations, the refreshed Victorinox Swiss Army Night Vision comes equipped with a pair of LED lights.
One, integrated between the lugs at 12 o’clock, serves both as a flashlight and a dial illuminator, and the other, at 6 o’clock, right below the small date aperture, works as an emergency signal.
The latter may become handy in an emergency situation where its owner will not be able to walk or crawl and his only chance of survival will depend on the slowly blinking emergency light that may attract the attention of a search party.
Like many “tactical” watches, the refreshed Night Vision sports a medium-sized stainless steel body around 42 millimeters in diameter and is also thin.
It also looks like the piece is going to be available not only in satin-finished steel but also in PVD-treated steel which will make the piece look extremely sexy. I also dig the signature crown guards, as well as the two-tone dial with anthracite grey central part nicely accented with a silver-grey minute track.
Although the watch has a dial illumination system (as far as I understand, it was not designed to be compatible with military-issue night-vision goggles,) its hands, hour markers, as well as the three prominent Arabic numerals are covered with some luminous substance that will allow you to check the time during the night without wasting the battery.
The watch was presented at Baselworld 2012 and is expected to go on sale in the second half of the year with a suggested price of $700.
Although the price tag looks rather steep, don’t be afraid: the Swiss-based brand usually tends to overprice their timekeepers only to offer you significant discounts as soon as the watch reaches the nearest multibrand store near you. The same goes with online stores where discounts can be as high as fifty percent from the MSRP, so, if you are ready to wait for a little, you will soon be able to find one of these laconic beauties well below the $400 mark
By the way, below is a short video of an earlier model that gives you an idea of how the watch actually works. Have fun.
See also: Victorinox Alpnach Black Ice Chronograph
Photos: Victorinox Swiss Army
Victorinox Swiss Army Night Vision 241569 specification
Price: $700 (MSRP)
Movement: Quartz, caliber Ronda 705, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 5
Movement decoration: Gold-plated
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, dial illumination, flashlight, emergency signal, battery EOL indicator
Power reserve: 60 months
Case: Stainless steel
Shape: Round
Size: 42.00 mm
Case height: 11.00 mm
Lug width: 21 mm
Dial: Anthracite grey with silver-grey ring
Numerals: Arabic, luminous
Hour markers: Luminous
Hands: Luminous
Water resistance: 50 meters
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet with butterfly folding clasp (also a version on a vintage brown strap)
Crystal: Sapphire, triple anti-reflective coating
Back: Screw-down