Vixa Type XX Flyback Chronograph

Amongst collectors of military watches, the Type XX is certainly one of the most sought after

A pilot’s chronograph, the Type XX was designed according to a standard that the French Aéronautique Militaire issued in the 1950s. Aesthetically, the watch — with its stark black dial, bold Arabic numerals, and stainless steel case — resembled other military chronographs of the era. But the Type XX had to have a flyback function — or, in French, retour en vol — that enabled the pilot to stop, reset and start the chronograph again by depressing the bottom pusher just once.

Several manufactures produced watches to the Type XX specification including Breguet, Auricoste, Airain, Dodane, and Vixa.

Founded in the 1930s in the small town of Pforzheim nestled along the northern edge of the Black Forest in Germany, Vixa produced approximately 4000 to 5000 examples of the Type XX chronograph in a single run at the hands of their German horological compatriots, Hanhart.

Dating to the 1960s, this Vixa Type XX features a 38mm stainless steel case with a domed acrylic crystal, a rotating ‘coin edge’ bezel, ‘holey’ lugs, barrel chronograph pushers, an unsigned crown and a screw caseback that bears its incredible service history with 10, count’em, 10 service engravings.

Absolutely fantastic.

Inside and out, this piece has all the hallmarks of a classic Type XX. It features a matte black dial with large Arabic numerals, a 30 minute sub-register at 3 o’clock, a constant seconds sub-register at 9 o’clock, a matching handset and a center-mounted, feuille chronograph seconds hand.

Powered by a hand-cranking Hanhart Calibre 4054, this piece is outfitted with an Analog:Shift Hollis Brown Montone Strap with contrast stitching and a matching stainless steel pin buckle.

When it comes to vintage military chronographs — our type is the Type XX.

This one happens to be a battle-tested chrono with the service caseback stamps to back it up — and at an incredible value to boot!

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.