RARE Victorinox Swiss Army Seaplane XL Watch Air Force Limited Edition 25076 SS

  

Yamaha MT-01 Motorcycle Limited Edition Mechanical Watch Victorinox SwissArmy 25076 Discontinued many years ago and exceedingly rare find. #399 / 400 ever produced worldwide. In outstanding condition and maintained superbly by a VSAsuper-collector. Recently replaced the crystal, had the watch serviced, and had the case and bracelet re-brushed. I have never seen another for sale, period.

Please see my other items for sale. Im liquidating one of the largest, rarest and highest end Victorinox / Swiss Army collection anywhere! It took me many years to collect all these watches, but its time to move them onto new homes as I have enjoyed them. It was a naked bikewithout plastic fairings and was powered by Yamahas largest V-twin engine.

Tomost eyes, it looked like many of the standard upright Japanese motorcycles ofthe 1980s, except it had a twin cylinder engine instead of an inline four. As part of thepromotion for this motorcycle, Victorinox Swiss Army created 400limited-edition MT-01 watches. Instead of starting from a clean slate, Victorinox modified one of their existing watch models, the SeaPlane XLMechanical, which was released in 2003. There are a total of 8 variations onthe front and 3 on the back of the MT-01 from the original, and that does not includethe box. The basiclayout of the dial is similar without a date window and a sub-dial at the 6:00position.

The Swiss Army Shield is still present, but a branding changerequired the addition of the word Victorinox in the logo. You can see thedistinctive guilloche pattern on the dial that looks like a spider web. Onhigh-end watches, this pattern is etched by hand using 100-year-old machines.

There is also a sloped chapter ring with metal appliedand printed indices. In a way, it mimics the outer slope of the watch. Showinga thin edge of metal on the bezel helps reduce visual bulk here. The neon greenskeleton hands of the original SeaPlane XL were replaced with polishedstainless steel versions. This one modification had the biggest effect on thepersonality of the watch taking it from fun to serious.

On the sub-dial, theyellow seconds hand was replaced with a red one, and the word SEAPLANE wasremoved from the sub-dial. In its place, a Transformers-like logo was added atthe 60 mark. Victorinox usedthe same 45 mm lugless case as the original Swiss Army SeaPlane XL Mechanical. Lugless is a literal description as you can see that the watch looks like aperfect circle from above. The case does not have the normal protrusions thathold the watch bands in place.

Instead, there are lug-like structures builtinto the bracelet that keep it and watch case aligned while making a smoothvisual transition between the parts. All SeaPlanewatches, including the Yamaha MT-01 Limited Edition, were designed for toolswatch band changes. Most regular watches require tools to attach or remove awatch band, but the SeaPlanes quick change system did not. You can see how thepieces would fit together with the ring working as a locking bottom. Aclockwise turn of the ring on the back would lock the wristband to the case. The parts are precision-engineered and crafted with great skill.

There arelikely many hours of machining to make this seemingly simple system work. The YamahaMT-01 watch came with a very special 9-link metal bracelet. This was anexpensive accessory available for the Swiss Army SeaPlane XL so it is nice thatit was included in this limited edition. This increases the appeal of the watchin both value proposition, aesthetic and practical terms.

The Swiss ArmySeaPlane came with a plastic watch band that was susceptible to rip over time. Themetal bracelet is considered bullet-proof and should never rip. Notice how thinthe bracelet is and that the bulk of the deployment clasp is hidden with thebracelet. I love the way the clasp is just two end links with buttons on theside to operate the latch. Rendering the Yamaha MT-01 watch parts in stainlesssteel and removing the neon colors of the original SeaPlane XL Mechanical gavethis limited edition version a no-nonsense industrial personality.

Where theoriginal colorful SeaPlanes were more trendy in the mid-2000s, the YamahaMT-01 stainless steel version seems a better fit for a sweet marauder of amotorcycle. Looking at thecrown side of the watch shows additional evidence of Victorinox designersmuting the colorful playfulness of the original SeaPlane, which had the wordsADJUST in a circular arrow graphic. The screw-down crown is plastic so greatcare should be taken not to stress it because replacing it might be impossible.

The back of theYamaha MT-01 Limited Edition mechanical watch has a display window showing thehand-winding Unitas 6498-1 (maybe 6498-2) pocket watch movement. The YamahaMT-01 triangular logo appears to be etched onto the glass. The function of thelocking ring should be clearer from this view and the words OPEN and CLOSEinform the user which direction to turn the ring to lock and unlock thewatchband. In closing, thepartnership between Victorinox Swiss Army and Yamaha Motorcycles produced amemorable and highly collectible limited edition watch series of only 400units. This makes the MT-01 watch very rare.

While care was given to cater tothe owners of the Yamaha MT-01 motorcycles, the appeal of the watch goes beyondthat small demographic. Even if you dont know what an MT-01 is or even ride amotorcycle, you can still appreciate the watchs design. The MT-01 watchfeels like it is from some alternate future, but also tied to an industrialpast.

The design simultaneously lives between both eras. The neon colors of theoriginal SeaPlane watches were replaced with polished surfaces that reflectwhat is around it instead of projecting its own color save for the single redseconds hand that reminds me of a tachometer needle. If I ever got hold of oneof these, I might be tempted to bead blast it to a satin finish for acustomized tool watch. Overall, I think Victorinox delivered a stylishcommemorative watch for a beast of a motorcycle. ANSWERS: Differences between theoriginal Swiss Army SeaPlane XL Mechanical and the Yamaha MT-01 Limited EditionWatches: 1.

SWISS ARMY logo replaced byVictorinox Swiss Army 2. Neon green skeleton hands replacedwith polished stainless steel skeleton hands 3. MT letters added to 3:00 spot (3removed) 4. SEAPLANE word removed from sub-dial 5. Logo added to sub-dial removing 60 6.

Yellow hand in sub-dial replacedwith red hand 7. Crown does not have words ADJUST 8.

A 9-link stainless steel braceletreplaced the plastic watch band 9. An MT logo appears on the glassdisplay back 10.

Thelimited edition number is engraved in the case 11. Themodel number has been changed to v. The item "RARE Victorinox Swiss Army Seaplane XL Watch Air Force Limited Edition 25076 SS" is in sale since Friday, November 30, 2018.

This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Watches, Parts & Accessories\Wristwatches". The seller is "78cayenne" and is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This item can be shipped to United States.

1. Band Material: Stainless Steel
2. Brand: Victorinox
3. Year of Manufacture: 2000-2009
4. Model: Seaplane
5. Water Resistance Rating: 100 m (10 ATM)
6. Case Size: 45mm
7. Face Color: Black
8. Display: Analog
9. Lug Width: 22mm
10. Style: Casual
11. Case Finish: Brushed
12. Case Material: Stainless Steel
13. Movement: Mechanical (Hand-winding)
14. Water Resistance: 100 Metres / 10 ATM
15. Features: 12-Hour Dial
16. Case Color: Silver
17. Age Group: Adult
18. Band Color: Black
19. Gender: Men's
20. Watch Shape: Round
21. MPN: 25076
22. Band Type: Interchangeable