LIKE THIS? BUY THAT: Swiss Army Night Vision 2 Compared to the Tudor North Flag

Long before I owned a Tudor North Flag, I had a second generation Victorinox Swiss Army Night Vision. I loved this watch’s bold case design with an integrated bracelet. It was like nothing I had seen before, until several years later when I acquired the excellent Tudor North Flag. I was stunned to see how many visual similarities these two models shared. If these watches had been guests on the Jerry Springer Show, surely their DNA tests would suggest that they might be related. Shocking indeed! I wonder who could have been the father?! Hmmm?

DNA test is probably. Photos: Tudor & Victorinox

Original Night Vision

In the Watch Hunter series, “LIKE THIS? BUY THAT”, budget-friendly watches are compared to more expensive models from well-known manufacturers. It’s like saying “if you cannot own THIS watch right now, then THAT watch might work as an alternative”. Many watch lovers must make responsible choices based on their budgets so finding an inexpensive doppelganger can be good for their bottom line. You might be surprised how similar some of the watches in the series appear, especially the Tudor North Flag and the second generation Victorinox Swiss Army Night Vision.

The original Victorinox Swiss Army Night Vision (right) was designed as a nifty gadget watch that included a flashlight, lighted dial, and even a red beacon light so you could locate it in a completely dark room. At the time of its introduction in 2003, smartphones with built-in flashlights were not widespread (or maybe not even invented yet). It would be years before a phone flashlight would become a norm.

The first-generation Night Vision was sci-fi spacey and would look perfect on episodes of Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica. It had an integrated rubber strap that the watch head would pop into. It looked nothing like the second-generation Swiss Army Night Vision, which is the focus of this comparison. For more information about the Night Vision family of watches, including later iterations, check out the Night Vision backstory here.

The Dials…

The Swiss Army Night Vision 2 and the Tudor North Flag look the most similar from above. Both have a thick, stationary bezel that surrounds a modern matte black dial. While the graphics include numerals and the other both tick marks and numerals, they look related. Notice the “2” is a similar font style.

Both watches have a chapter ring with tick marks in two weights. The North Flag adds a dash of yellow on the 5-minute points for added interest.

The Hands…

Photo: ancienne.es

The minute hands are similar in shape, but the Tudor’s hand reaches all the way to the chapter ring. I think that many of Swiss Army’s hands are a little stubby by comparison. It’s something you cannot unsee, and it is not bad on the Night Vision. There is a major difference in the shape of the hour hands. Swiss Army did not replicate this likely due to copyright reasons.

That arrowhead shape is part of Tudor’s rich watch heritage, and it was used on the Tudor Ranger. The North Flag is linked to that model which you can read about here in Watch Lounge’s excellent North Flag article. The Tudor Ranger 2 (seen here) from the 1970s is likely the “Daddy” watch from which both of these watches borrowed DNA inspiration.

Dial Light

Both watches use an accent color on the second’s hand. The color relates to the logo on the Night Vision and the North Flag has yellow accents throughout. The North Flag has a lumed pip for viewing in the dark. This is not needed on the Night Vision because it has a dial light.

There are other obvious dial deviations in the design language for each brand. The dates are in different spots and the North Flag has a power gauge indicator for its spring-powered movement, but the visual similarities between them are clear.

The Cases…

The case proportions are different, but the concept is similar. From above, both cases are distinctive for their sharp edges at 12:00 and 6:00 that blends into an integrated bracelet. The North Flag’s edge is slightly more rounded and refined.

The Night Vision lug link sticks out from the case (male) and the North Flag’s has a lug recess (female). The bracelets are connected with a center lug link, which is echoed throughout the length of the tapering bracelets. The crowns stick out in a similar proportion. The Tudor’s is more refined because it is tapered, which matches other angles seen from the side of the watch. The Night Vision has an extra button to control its lights.

Tudor North Flag side, ceramic bezel, and signed crown. Photo: Tudor

From the side view, the watch cases look less similar. The Tudor shows more refinement here with downward curving lugs and more detail in the lug area. Instead of a simple vertical slab side like the Night Vision, the North Flag’s case tapers slightly from a wide base seamlessly to the sloping black ceramic bezel.

One of Swiss Army’s Night Vision 2 watches (v.241131) has a black plastic bezel that looks similar to the ceramic bezel from the side. The Tudor height appears to be shorter, especially in the main case and case back. Both have a signed crown, but of different qualities… etched for Swiss Army versus 3-dimensional embossed for Tudor.

A plastic black bezel instead of ceramic

The Bracelets & Clasps…

The bracelets have a similar vibe, but the quality is miles apart. The Tudor has H-links that are polished on the edges of the center links. The Night Vision has Y-links that are simply brushed. Both designs do a great job of mimicking the lug shape, just in different ways.

One can easily see why the Tudor costs more in the clasps. The Night Vision has a simple fold-over clasp of stamped metal. The Tudor’s design incorporates a smaller refined buckle with ceramic ball bearing parts (check!). Both require micro-adjustments with a toothpick so there is room for improvement for both here.

Acquiring a Victorinox Swiss Army Night Vision 2

Surprisingly, the Victorinox Swiss Army Night Vision 2 delivers a similar look as the premium Tudor North Flag. Night Visions are available small fraction of the Tudor, but they might take some effort and patience to track down. I have bought Night Visions before for a couple of hundred dollars or less. I loved it until I broke something during the battery change. There are 2 different batteries in the Night Vision and the components are layered. Be careful messing around inside.

Models…

Night Visions are quartz watches that were first released around 2003. Some of the “fragile” internal components may not last forever if you make a hamfisted battery change. It is unknown if this model would still be serviced by Swiss Army. Do not expect to find replacement models for the internals, which seem to be made specifically for these watches. I have not seen another brand with three illumination gizmos in one watch. Night Visions feels like tech that a certain British spy might wear. He has a license to kill, so I better not mention his name.

There were two standard versions of the Swiss Army Night Vision 2 with a black dial. The v.241130 had a bracelet and a steel bezel. That model most looks like the Tudor North Flag from the top. The v.241131 had a rubber strap and a plastic black bezel that looks like the North Flag’s ceramic bezel from the side. There was a red dial limited edition v.249012 for the Japanese market that looks absolutely stunning. That JDM model might be tough to acquire in the states. It may also be possible to cobble together a custom Night Vision 2 by adding a bracelet to the red or black bezel versions.

Conclusion

Victorinox Swiss Army later updated the style of the Night Vision to look like a traditional watch. Personally, I wonder if that was a step backward if you like the Tudor North Flag vibes of the Night Vision 2. Those that prefer a stealthier flashlight watch might enjoy Swiss Army’s later models. So, there are three models in Victoriox’s history that act like “a poor man’s Tudor North Flag”. Now all you have to do is find one. Happy hunting!

Photos: Tudor Watch Company