Longines celebrates each year for a variety of purposes. They’ve started down the perfectionist road of retro reissues with their Heritage series, while also expanding their other enthusiast-favorite families including the HydroConquest and Record.
The release of the Spirit range, however, was the greatest story from Longines, an occurrence that does not happen every year at the Saint-Imier-based manufacturer. Longines’ Spirit series reflects the first comprehensive and substantive convergence of past and future for the company, combining their significant background as instrument suppliers to aerospace founders with more recent design elements and new watchmaking innovation. Listed in this article are some of the best watches you can add to your collection of luxury timepieces.
1.HydroConquest Green
The commitment of Longines to a no-nonsense, rigorously designed, and reasonably priced dive watch is represented by the HydroConquest range. We’ve seen it in a variety of contexts, from a steel bracelet to a complete black ceramic case, but this year got the same personable beauty and function in khaki green. This subtle shimmer of muted, almost military green has attracted increasing attention in recent years, providing a refreshing counterpoint to the never-ending parade of blue and black dive watches.
It’s a good size for most wrists at 41mm, and it’s protected with a convenient rubber strap in the same color as the ceramic bezel and dial. It is motivated by the in-house caliber L888, an established workhorse inside the Longines stable, and has a battery capacity of 64 hours. It’s a tempting choice for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere who are entering summers.
2.Heritage Marine Nationale
Longines was a major manufacturer of wristwatches for the world’s militaries over the years, which should come as a shock to Time+Tide readers. The company continues to explore this highly collectible aspect of their history, launching the Heritage Military COSD in 2015 and the Heritage Military in 2018. Although both of those watches were fascinating pressings from the company, it isn’t a stretch to say that the 2020 Heritage Marine Nationale is the most intriguing of the bunch.
Longines has effectively implemented so many specifics in this new military-inspired timepiece, from the historically accurate 38.5 mm case size to the oversized crown well beyond. The case has an etched caseback and drilled lugs and is stylishly stepped, progressing to the domed sapphire crystal and highly legible dial. It’s just excellent work all around.
3.Spirit 40mm
When it comes to the crème de la crème of Longines launches this year, who could overlook the brand new Spirit catalog? Although the Spirit range is interesting to explore in-depth, the Spirit 40 mm with blue leather strap and blue dial stands out as a flagship family member.
This comparison provides a new collection well, thoroughly conveying the collection’s ethos as it blends the visual cues of classic pilot’s watches with a couple of contemporary harmonies. The dial has legible Arabic numerals loaded with Super-LumiNova, the five stars that Longines has traditionally kept for their exceptional timepieces, and the term “CHRONOMETER,” which captures the essence of the COSC-certified movement inside.
4.Record Australian Limited Edition
The Record set was the most recent to be released before the new Spirit series, and the modern design is instantly noticeable. Longines has planned to introduce an Australian limited edition of this series this year, giving rise to the Record Australian Limited Edition of Longines. With a diameter of 38.5 mm, it is suitable for both genders and includes a dial constructed from a specific item of beautiful white mother-of-pearl.
13 diamond hour markers decorate the dial, which softly compliments the 52 diamonds embedded around the bezel and affirm this as an exquisite experiment in controlled luxury. If you or a wonderful friend want to add a little shimmer to your existence, this might be the solution.
5.Heritage Classic Chronograph “Tuxedo” Dial
If you require some more proof that the Longines Heritage range is one to watch, the Longines Heritage Classic Chronograph with a “tuxedo” dial would do the trick. With this appealing two-register timepiece, the Swiss watchmaker once again demonstrates how important the breadth of their archives is. The 40 mm steel case is a good size for contemporary standards, and it has a silvered dial with a black ring around the hour track in stark comparison. A blue tachymeter scale for the chronograph is etched along the outside of the dial, adding to the impression of true care and precision that was provided to this watch.
The minute hands and leaf-shaped hour have been left in their usual steel tone to be physically inconspicuous, whereas the running second’s hand and two chronograph hands have been skillfully blued to fit the tachymeter scale.
6.Master Collection Moonphase
The 42 mm stainless steel case with a translucent caseback is covered by a sapphire crystal for optimum scratch resistance on the Master Collection Moonphase Automatic timepiece ref L29194783. Furthermore, the silver dial features a lovely moonphase subdial at 6 o’clock and painted Arabic numerals and blue hands. This watch’s automatic movement has a powerful 64-hour battery capacity, and the elegant layout is completed by a brown alligator leather strap with a push-piece opening mechanism and triple safety folding clasp, and this watch is 30-meter water-resistant.
7. Master Collection GMT
The elegant Longines Master Collection ref L28024703 is brimming with innovations such as date functions and GMT. The stainless steel case measures 42 mm in diameter and houses a silver ‘barleycorn’ dial with blued steel hands and painted Arabic numerals. There is also a window at 3 o’clock that shows the date. This watch also has a ring with various time zones and an inner 24-hour disk.
The automatic self-winding mechanical movement provides the watch with a battery pack of 38 hours. At the same time, this GMT watch features a translucent caseback with 30-meter water resistance and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. This extremely specific and stunning wristwatch is finished with a brown alligator and calf leather strap with a push-piece opening mechanism and triple safety folding clasp.
In A Nutshell
Longines, based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, is an entry-level luxury watch brand that offers affordable watches with Swiss accuracy and a watchmaking experience. Longines, known for its winged hourglass motif etched on the ground of its watches, has revolutionized modern Swiss luxury craftsmanship. So make sure to check out the brand now!