Longines

Longines has a history stretching back over 180 years and is one of the most successful Swiss luxury watchmakers of all time. The business is known for its high-quality timepieces. Longines chronographs, with their winged hourglass logo, have been timing horse races since the late 19th century. Today, Longines watches can still be found at horse races, as well as at tennis matches and ski competitions. This manufacturer's timepieces feature technological innovations in the world of professional timekeeping, including chronographs that are accurate to within one-hundredth of a second.

The Longines catalog contains traditionally elegant men's and women's watches divided into five main collections: Elegance, Watchmaking Tradition, Diving, Avigation, and Performance. Next to their stunning designs, these timepieces offer fantastic value for money. Some of the brand's most iconic models include the Legend Diver and Lindbergh Hour Angle. They also regularly revisit and reinterpret historical classics in the DolceVita and Spirit lines.

5 Reasons to Buy a Longines Watch

• Exceptional value for money
• A wide array of designs, from retro to modern
• Master Collection: exclusively mechanical watches
• V.H.P. Chronograph: accurate to within one-hundredth of a second
• Oldest registered watch brand name in the world

Prices for Longines watches on Chrono24 start at roughly 120 USD and top out at around 58,000 USD. The most affordable models tend to be quartz watches from the 1980s and 90s. On the other end, you'll generally find vintage chronographs from the 1940s to 1960s.

More recent Longines models sell for as little as 1,200 USD. For that price, you can get a classically elegant dress watch like the Presence or a three-hand model from the quartz-powered Conquest V.H.P. series. Diving watches from the popular HydroConquest and Legend Diver lines demand anywhere from 1,500 to 2,200 USD. The timepieces in the Heritage Classic series occupy a similar price range. The Spirit collection debuted in 2020. Its watches change hands for between 2,500 and 3,000 USD.

You can find models with more sophisticated complications in the Master Collection and Heritage Avigation series. These timepieces will set you back roughly 3,200 to 3,900 USD.

The diving watches in the HydroConquest collection have been part of Longines' portfolio since 2007. The HydroConquest is water-resistant to 300 m (30 bar, 984 ft) and has a unidirectional bezel and screw-down crown. A generous coating of SuperLuminova on the hands and numerals makes telling the time in the dark a breeze. Longines also offers the HydroConquest as a chronograph. What's more, there are two-tone editions in steel with gold-plated bracelet middle links. No matter which version you choose, it will get its power from either an automatic caliber or a highly precise quartz movement.

In 2018, Longines launched reworked versions of the 41 and 43-mm three-hand editions, as well as a new take on the chronograph. These models feature ceramic bezels and overhauled dials. The company simultaneously released 39 and 44-mm quartz editions of the 41-mm original automatic model (ref. L3.742.4.56.6). Finally, a solid black ceramic version with a 43-mm case joined the HydroConquest family in 2019.

You can purchase a pre-owned three-hand quartz Longines HydroConquest on Chrono24 for around 870 USD. If you'd prefer an automatic caliber, you should plan on spending between 1,100 and 1,500 USD. The collection included quartz chronographs until 2020. These timepieces generally cost about 1,200 USD. Finally, prices for automatic chronographs begin around 1,600 USD.

The Original HydroConquest

The original three-hand version of the HydroConquest, the ref. L3.742.4.56.6 , has been a cornerstone of this massive collection since its introduction in 2017. Nothing about this 41-mm stainless steel watch has changed in that time. You can easily recognize the model by its two sets of glow-in-the-dark indices: one round, one bar-shaped. Its dial and bezel are black. Like the collection's other automatic three-hand watches, the Longines caliber L888 powers this timepiece. This movement is a modified version of the proven Swiss ETA caliber 2824-2. Longines refines the base movement and lowers its balance frequency from 28,800 vibrations per hour (vph) to 25,200 vph. As a result, these watches have an improved power reserve of 64 hours compared to the standard version's 42 hours.

Be sure to have roughly 1,100 USD on hand for one of these original HydroConquest models.

The comprehensive Conquest collection consists of chronographs, three-hand watches, and even models with moon-phase displays. You can choose from automatic and quartz-powered editions. Some special editions like the Horse Racing, Alpine Skiing, and Roland Garros models are dedicated to horse racing, skiing, and tennis, respectively. All three have a chronograph function, and some boast precision to within one-hundredth of a second.

Prices depend on whether you choose a quartz or automatic edition and range from 690 to 1,200 USD.

Conquest V.H.P.: Especially Precise

Longines was one of the first Swiss watch manufacturers to experiment with quartz watch technology. They developed their first quartz watch back in 1954, and this timepiece went on to break many timekeeping records. In the late 1960s, the company introduced the Ultra-Quartz line of electronic watches. Released in 2017, the Conquest V.H.P. is the direct descendant of these models. The abbreviation "V.H.P." stands for "very high precision," a fitting name since this watch deviates by only five seconds per year.

The three-hand edition of the Conquest V.H.P. also boasts a perpetual calendar and Longines' proprietary Gear Position Detection system. The latter automatically resets the hands to the correct position if they desynchronize due to a heavy impact or strong magnetic field. With a battery life of five years, these watches can keep ticking without outside intervention for 24 months longer than conventional quartz watches. You can call a Conquest V.H.P. your own for between 920 and 1,300 USD.

In 2017, Longines also launched a line of V.H.P. chronographs alongside the three-hand versions. In addition to the functions listed above, these timepieces can double as a stopwatch. The counters for the minutes and hours sit at 3 and 9 o'clock, respectively. A small seconds at 6 and a date window between 4 and 5 o'clock complete the dial. A Conquest V.H.P. Chronograph will set you back around 1,500 USD.

Longines announced the Conquest V.H.P. GMT in 2019. Wearers can set this extraordinarily innovative timepiece using the Longines V.H.P. app. A sensor at 12 o'clock on the dial picks up light signals from the user's smartphone, which are then used to calibrate the movement. You can also set the local and GMT time with a single push of the crown. If you're not particularly interested in all this new technology, you can still perform all these functions in the conventional manner. This model sells for roughly 1,200 USD on Chrono24.

Features of the Conquest V.H.P.

• Precise quartz movement with a deviation of 5 seconds a year
• Perpetual calendar
• Gear Position Detection system
• 5-year battery life
• The V.H.P. GMT with an automatic time zone mechanism

The Master Collection pays homage to Longines' watchmaking tradition and exclusively consists of mechanical watches. These timepieces put a sporty and modern twist on classic, elegant designs.

One of this collection's top models features four retrograde displays: There's a day display at 12 o'clock, a small seconds at 6, and a 24-hour scale for the second time zone on the dial's left edge. The date display stretches from 1:30 to 4:30, and the moon phase display occupies the lower half of the dial. A day/night indicator below the day display rounds off the dial. The caliber L707 ticks away inside this timepiece. Swiss ébauche movement manufacturer ETA produces this caliber exclusively for Longines. Fully wound, this movement has a power reserve of 48 hours. Longines offers this stainless steel watch in two sizes: 41 and 44 mm. You can choose from versions on a leather strap or steel bracelet. This watch requires an investment of roughly 3,500 USD on a steel bracelet and 3,200 USD on a leather strap.

The Master Collection also contains one of Longines' most intricate watches. This timepiece boasts a chronograph function, calendar, moon phase display, and 24-hour display. An additional central hand with a half-moon tip points to the date around the dial's outer edge. The day and month displays both sit within the 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock, while the subdial at 9 o'clock serves as a dual small seconds and 24-hour display. A third subdial at 6 o'clock displays the elapsed hours and current moon phase. The caliber L678, based on the ETA/Valjoux 7751, powers this complex watch.

Again, Longins offers this model in two sizes (40 and 42 mm) and on your choice of a steel or leather band. Prices vary based on the exact edition and range from 2,400 to 3,100 USD.

The Heritage collection contains many of Longines' retro timepieces with historical inspiration. For example, the manufacturer groups their black-tie-worthy dress watches in the Heritage Classic series. Select models include the Heritage Classic Tuxedo, Conquest Heritage, and Flagship Heritage. There's also the Heritage Silver Arrow. This timepiece debuted in 2021 and is modeled after a watch from 1955.

While the Tuxedo demands about 1,800 USD on Chrono24, you can purchase a Flagship Heritage for as little as 1,400 USD. The 35-mm Conquest Heritage is even more affordable at roughly 1,000 USD. The same watch with a larger, 40-mm case will set you back just under 2,000 USD. Finally, the Silver Arrow changes hands for approximately 1,900 USD.

Heritage Avigation and Military

As their names imply, the Heritage Avigation and Heritage Military take their inspiration from historical pilot's and military watches. For example, a Longines chronograph from the 1930s served as the template for the 2017 Avigation Heritage BigEye. Its name comes from its distinctive oversized subdial at 3 o'clock. This 41-mm stainless steel watch has been available with a black or blue dial since 2021 and costs between 2,300 and 3,100 USD.

Other classic Avigation watches include the Weems Second-Setting Watch, Lindbergh Hour Angle, and Avigation Watch Type A-7 1935 with its dial rotated by 45°. Prices for these iconic pilot's watches range from 3,100 to 4,100 USD.

The highlight of the Heritage Military series is the Military Marine Nationale from 2020. It is a remake of a watch Longines created for the French navy in 1947. The new timepiece has a 38.5-mm case, a tidy dial with Arabic numerals, and glow-in-the-dark bar indices. Its power comes from the ETA caliber A31.L11 – a movement produced exclusively for Longines. It also boasts an anti-magnetic hairspring and a 72-hour power reserve. Prices for this faithful re-creation sit around 1,900 USD.

The Legend Diver Watch bears a striking resemblance to a Longines diving watch from the 1960s. Unlike most other diving watches, the bezel used to keep track of the dive time is under the watch crystal and controlled by an additional crown at 2 o'clock. As of 2021, you can choose between a 42-mm men's version or a 36-mm unisex model. The former is available in stainless steel with a black, blue, or brown dial. There's also a bronze edition with a green dial. The smaller, unisex edition only comes in stainless steel and with a black or silver dial.

The men's stainless steel watches cost an average of 2,200 USD, while the bronze version will set you back about 2,700 USD. The women's Legend Diver can be yours for as little as 1,900 USD.

The Skin Diver debuted in 2018 and is the direct descendant of a Longines diving watch from 1959. At 42 mm in diameter, the new version is quite a bit larger than its historical inspiration; however, it still has the same retro charm. A mint-condition Skin Diver costs around 2,300 USD.

In fall 2020, Longines introduced a new line of retro pilot's watches under the name Spirit. The collection is home to three-hand watches and chronographs. Each version has a stainless steel case and the kind of uncluttered dial you'd expect from a pilot's watch. Applied Arabic numerals, a finely graded seconds scale around the dial's edge, and narrow baton hands guarantee optimal readability. Other shared features across the various Spirit models include two large onion crowns and five stars on the dial, the latter of which stand for watchmaking of the highest quality.

Inside the case, you'll find chronometer-certified automatic calibers from ETA. Three-hand Spirit models get their power from the L888.4, which is based on the ETA A31 L11 and provides the watch with a date display at 3 o'clock. Longines outfits Spirit chronographs with the caliber L688.4 (ETA A08 L01). This movement boasts a column-wheel chronograph and displays the elapsed minutes and hours on subdials at 3 and 6 o'clock, respectively. A small seconds at 9 and a date between 4 and 5 o'clock complete the dial.

Longines offers the Spirit with a black, blue, or white dial. The three-hand variants are available with a 40 or 42-mm case and demand between 1,900 and 2,700 USD. The chronographs all measure 42 mm in diameter and cost roughly 2,800 USD.

Longines also offers many women's watches, mainly in the Elegance Collection. Models in the DolceVita series are especially eye-catching and feature rectangular cases made of materials like stainless steel or 18-karat rose gold. Longines also offers two-tone DolceVita watches. For the dial, you can choose from simple designs with applied bar indices and versions with Art Deco-style Roman numerals. The latter editions bear a remarkably close resemblance to the Cartier Tank.

Longines launched a line of men's DolceVita watches in spring 2021. These timepieces feature "sector" dials like the ones found on models from the 1920s. Unlike the women's watches, Longines equips these versions with automatic mechanical movements. Depending on the material, a women's DolceVita watch can cost between 1,100 and 6,200 USD. The men's versions are currently hard to come by on Chrono24 but have a list price of 1,575 USD.

Models from the PrimaLuna collection have round cases and metal bracelets. Two-tone stainless steel and gold versions with diamonds have an especially feminine look. Prices for these timepieces start at 1,000 USD.

With their elliptical cases, Symphonette watches bridge the gap between tradition and modernity. This series is also home to diamond-studded timepieces. You can purchase a stainless steel Symphonette for as little as 1,200 USD.

Finally, the Equestrian collection is a nod to Longines' long history with horse racing. These women's watches stand out with their unique lugs that resemble a horseshoe or stirrup. Equestrian watches sell for upwards of 1,000 USD.

Longines' history goes back to the summer of 1832, when the 23-year-old businessman Auguste Agassiz established himself as an active partner in the watch business Comptoir Raiguel Jeune in the Swiss town of Saint-Imier. Comptoir purchased ébauche movements and passed them on to watchmakers. Agassiz was so successful that he took complete control of the workshop in 1846. However, health problems forced him to find a suitable successor. He chose his nephew Ernest Francillon, who joined the company in 1852 and took over a short while later.

Francillon quickly realized that the Comptoir business didn't have sustainable production methods. Thus, he began considering mass production. When a piece of land on the banks of the Suze river went up for sale in 1866, Francillon took advantage of the opportunity and purchased it. Francillon's land was in a spot known as "Les Longines" ("the long meadows") and was perfect for establishing a factory. Francillon inaugurated the workshop in 1867. In the same year, they produced their first in-house movement, called 20A, which won a prize at the World Exhibition in Paris. Over the years, Longines industrialized their production methods more and more, making them a trailblazer in the mechanization of watch production.