The Overflowing Legacy of Glory
The early 20th century was the golden age of Longines. It was recognized as one of the two leading Swiss watch companies alongside Omega. In 1970, Longines produced about 450, 000 watches, And even during the crisis of the Swiss watch industry, It maintained its status as a mega-manufacturer. Today, Longines is part of the Swatch Group, Positioned as a mass prestige brand, With Omega above and Rado, Mido, And Hamilton below. The brilliant legacy built in the past remains a key driving force for Longines today.
Longines Manufacture Headquarters and Museum in Saint-Imier, Switzerland
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Chronograph, Timekeeping, Aviation, And High Frequency
The technical history of Longines begins with the chronograph. The Caliber 20H, Introduced in 1878, Was Longines' first chronograph movement and gained fame through its use in horse racing and other sports timekeeping.
Starting as the official timekeeper at the 1896 Athens Olympics, Longines expanded its presence in sports, And in 1913, Introduced the 13.33Z chronograph movement for wristwatches. This movement is considered a masterpiece among hand-wound chronographs.
1929 Longines Caliber 13.33Z Two-Pusher Flyback Chronograph
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Aviation was the field that elevated Longines' technical prowess to the next level. In the 1920s, Longines developed aviation navigation watches with P.V.H. Weems, And in 1931, Completed the Hour Angle Watch inspired by Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight. In 1936, Longines obtained a flyback chronograph patent, Introducing technology that allowed pilots to quickly measure consecutive time intervals during flight.
Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch
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Longines also left significant achievements in the field of mechanical watch accuracy. In 1959, It developed the first 36, 000vph high-frequency Caliber 360 for wristwatches, And in 1961, It was recorded as the most accurate watch at the Neuchâtel Observatory Chronometer Competition. In 1967, Longines introduced the Ultra-Chron, Operating at 36, 000vph, And the following year expanded this to a diver’s watch. Today, Based on this historical legacy, Longines offers five collections: Conquest, Master Collection, Spirit, Heritage, And Elegance.
1968 Original Longines Ultra-Chron Diver (36, 000vph)
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Conquest
Launched in 1954, Conquest was the first Longines watch to have its collection name trademarked. It represented Longines’ sports watches at the time. Before the modern concept of sports watches was established, It combined classic design with practical features. Today, It is the most sports-oriented collection from Longines.
At the core of the collection, Conquest features a sleek case design and a simple dial layout. It offers a variety of dial color options, Including white, Black, Blue, Green, Brown, And gold. Case sizes of 41, 38, 34, And 30mm cater to both men and women. Overall, It evokes the sporty watches of the 1950s when the sports watch genre was just taking shape. With 100-meter water resistance and a see-through case back, It is an all-rounder lineup suitable for any occasion. There is also a separate chronograph lineup with a tachymeter scale.
Longines Conquest Automatic 38mm
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The HydroConquest, Which divides the Conquest collection, Is responsible for Longines’ modern diver’s watches. Based on the Conquest design, It increases water resistance to 300 meters and adds a ceramic rotating bezel, Embodying the typical diver’s watch configuration. Recently, A new model featuring ambassador Henry Cavill has been added. The oversized Arabic numerals at 6, 9, And 12 have been replaced with dot and bar indexes. A classic mesh bracelet option has been added to the three-row bracelet, And case sizes of 42 and 38mm follow the small size trend. Currently, Both new and old designs coexist, But only the new design is expected to remain in the future.
New Longines HydroConquest (HydroConquest 300m)
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Master Collection
Introduced in the early 2000s, The Master Collection is Longines’ dress watch collection. The barleycorn guilloché pattern dial and blue hands are classic details that prove this. Based on classic design, It offers a variety of functions such as chronograph, Moon phase, And GMT, Breaking the stereotype that dress watches are boring.
The chronograph representing the Master Collection will integrate existing models with the new release, Standardizing the case size at 41mm and refining the design details. The white barleycorn dial with blue applied Arabic numerals further enhances its signature freshness. At the same time, It retains rich functions such as chronograph, Full calendar, Moon phase, And 24-hour display, And the only drawback, The cam-type chronograph, Has been improved to a column wheel type, Eliminating its weakness.
Longines Master Collection Chronograph Moonphase
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The previously discontinued mono-pusher chronograph has returned to the collection, And the simple model with a date function actively highlights the light blue barleycorn dial. In addition to the existing white barleycorn dial, The light blue and deep blue dials offer a refreshing take on dress watches.
Spirit
Spirit is a collection that modernly reinterprets Longines’ history of aviation watches since the early 20th century. It is rooted in the history built with early aviation pioneers such as Lindbergh, And in the 2020s, It has become Longines’ representative pilot watch line. The current lineup includes Spirit Chronograph, Spirit Zulu Time, Spirit Flyback, And Spirit Pilot Flyback. The focus is on chronograph and GMT functions, And the most recently released Spirit Pilot Flyback features a 39.5mm case, Reflecting the trend toward smaller sizes and vintage pilot watch style. This collection most directly expresses Longines’ identity in aviation.
Longines Spirit Zulu Time (39mm)
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Heritage
Heritage is a collection that restores Longines’ vast archive as modern watches. It includes the Ultra-Chron, Which revives the high-frequency technology of the 1960s and operates at the same 36, 000vph as then, The Legend Diver, Which continues the history of diver’s watches, The Avigation and Pilot Majetek, Which faithfully reproduce the history of aviation watches, And the Heritage Classic, Which allows you to enjoy vintage details. The reproduction of details such as sector dials and tuxedo dials is outstanding, And the prices are not burdensome. The Conquest Heritage, A reinterpretation of the 1950s Conquest, Is also part of the collection, And the new model with a unique central power reserve indicator is also noteworthy.
Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve
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Elegance
Elegance is a collection that showcases the classic watchmaking tradition Longines has built over many years rather than focusing on a specific era. It includes DolceVita, PrimaLuna, Flagship Classic, And La Grande Classique, With a strong emphasis on women’s models. It demonstrates that Longines has developed elegance as a brand value in addition to its sporty and technical image. This is the core collection of Longines’ current catchphrase, ‘Home of Elegance’.
Longines Mini DolceVita
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Felix
Writer
Watch Columnist
