Longines, a prestigious Swiss watchmaker, dominated the watchmaking industry in the 1900’s with its cutting-edge manufacturing techniques. Today, the brand is once again attracting attention with its ” Heritage Collection ” that reissues antique models from that era. In this issue, we will introduce the charms of Longines, a leading watchmaker in the watch industry!
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What is Longines?
Longines means ” a field full of flowers and flowing streams ” in the old French language. As a long-established Swiss watch brand, Longines has developed many masterpiece collections. In the 1970s, Longines was driven into a corner by the quartz shock, but in 1983 it joined SMH, the predecessor of the Swatch Group, and gradually regained the brilliance of its heyday. Today, the brand has established a solid position as a watch brand with a rich lineup of products, including the “Heritage Series,” which reissues antique models that were once extremely popular, and the “Master Collection,” which pursues elegance and classicism.
The roots of the long-established brand ” Longines
Longines was founded in 1832. It is one of the oldest watch brands in Switzerland. The founder, Auguste Agassiz, is the brother of Louis Agassiz, a famous American scientist who made great achievements in oceanography and geology.
Mr. Louis Agassiz (1807 – 1873)
In 1832, Auguste Agassiz, a watch dealer, founded Agassiz & compagni, the company that would become Longines. Through his relatives in the United States, Agassiz succeeded in expanding his sales network to other continents. In the mid-1850s, his nephew, Ernest Francillon, took over the management of the company after its international success, especially in the United States.
Mr. Auguste Agassiz (left) and Mr. Ernest Francillon (right)
While taking on the responsibilities of the company, Francillon was also looking for ways to improve watchmaking methods in the region. He came up with the idea of combining several watchmaking processes, which at the time were carried out in different workshops and homes, into one place. All the work involved in the assembly and finishing of a watch, from the internal construction to the case, is done in one place, using mechanical methods. He decided to build a factory that would become the prototype of what we now call a manufacture. In 1866, he purchased a plot of land on the right bank of the River Suze, in a place called ” Les Longines. The following year, in 1867, he created the Longines manufacturing plant and named it after the land.
The symbol of Longines, the ” winged hourglass ” logo
The distinctive Longines logo was adopted for models made after 1867, when the full-scale manufacturing plant was built. Longines, which had achieved manufacturing excellence through integrated production, adopted this symbol in order to combat the proliferation of counterfeiters who sought to take advantage of its reputation. The ” winged hourglass ” logo was registered as a trademark in 1889, along with the Longines brand name. The Longines logo, which has remained unchanged to the present day, is the oldest registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Takamori Saigou, Einstein and other historical figures have used Longines watches
When Longines was founded in 1832, it was still the Edo period in Japan. This was 20 years before the fleet of black ships led by Commodore Perry arrived in Uraga Harbor. With such a long history, many great people, known only through biographies, have used Longines pocket watches. In Japan, Saigo Takamori, one of the leading figures of the Meiji Restoration, used a Longines pocket watch. This pocket watch is said to have been presented to him in 1869, the year after the bloodless opening of Edo Castle, by Tadayoshi Shimazu, the 12th lord of the Satsuma clan. The pocket watch manufactured during the early days of Longines is said to have been a gilded model with a white dial, Roman numerals, and small seconds.
For a long time, it was believed that the first Longines in Japan was owned by Saigo Takamori in 1869, but in 2010, the ” Longines Old Watch Contest ” recognized the existence of an even older watch from 1867 in Japan.
The oldest model in Japan, engraved with the serial number “300”, was equipped with an early movement called ” AA4 ” ( AA4 movement of another model is shown in the photo ).
Dr. Albert Einstein also owned a Longines watch, which was sold at auction in New York in 2008. It was a Longines wristwatch manufactured in 1929. The watch, which belonged to Dr. Einstein, who was greatly involved in the Theory of Relativity and the concept of “time,” sold for the astonishing sum of $596,000 (about 60 million yen). Dr. Einstein is also known to have owned another Longines watch, a pocket watch from 1943, which is in the collection of the Historical Museum in Bern.
Longines wristwatch used by Dr. Einstein, exhibited in 2008
Longines watches have received the most awards
In 1867, soon after the second generation, Ernest Francillon, started the company’s own integrated production, Longines watches won a bronze medal at the Paris Exposition. Then, in 1900, Longines again won the Grand Prix at the Universal Exposition in Paris with its masterpiece “la Renommée” equipped with the chronometer “Calibre 21.59”. In 1911, Longines had already grown into a watch manufacturer with over 1,100 workers. Longines has won 10 Grand Prix and 28 gold medals at successive Expositions, and is known as the “most awarded brand. It became known as ” the brand with the most awards.”
Longines pocket watch that won the Grand Prix
The Arctic expedition of the Duke of Abruzzi, a testimony to the performance of Longines watches
Longines watches are also known to have supported many adventures in the history of mankind. The first of these was in 1899. The first step was taken in 1899, when Louis-Amédée de Savoie, known as the Duke of Abruzzi, sailed to the North Pole in a sailing ship.
Charles Lindbergh, a friend of Longines
In 1927, Charles Lindbergh, an American pilot, made the unprecedented feat of a non-stop solo transatlantic flight. Longines watches supported Mr. Lindbergh in this feat, as Longines had been the official watch of the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) and AAA (American Aeronautical Association) since 1923.
Mr. Charles Lindbergh and his favorite plane, the ” Spirit of St. Louis
Longines and Mr. Lindbergh had long had a strong relationship. Mr. Lindbergh foresaw the advent of an era in which long-distance flights would be the norm, and he proposed the idea of an instrument that could accommodate such flights. In 1931, Lindbergh and Longines jointly developed the ” Hour Angle Watch. On long-distance flights, it was imperative to know one’s current position. The Hour Angle Watch, with scales on the bezel and dial for calculating hour angles, was a revolutionary pilot’s watch that could determine latitude and longitude, and was extremely popular.
Longines’ original watches that have led the times
The Longines industry has been a leader in the development of radical products among watchmakers, and in 1916, the company was one of the first to begin developing non-round movements, commercializing oval and rectangular movements for wristwatches.
In 1954, the company developed its first quartz watch. It quickly set a new record for accuracy in a competition at the Neuchâtel Observatory. Chronocinégines,” a quartz watch equipped with a 16mm camera, enabled the company to capture images to the nearest 1/100th of a second. It was used to determine when the goal line had been crossed in track and field events. Longines was one of many Swiss watch brands hit hard by the quartz shock, but it is ironic that it was developing quartz watches 15 years before Seiko launched its quartz watches.
” Chronocinégines”, a quartz watch with a camera
In 1972, Seiko introduced a model named “Longines LCD,” featuring a digital display on a liquid crystal display (LCD). This watch won the prestigious IR100 (Annual Industrial Research Conference and Awards).
In 1975, the “Cléopâtra” wristwatch with an oriental design on a bangle-type bracelet caused a sensation. This model won the “Golden Rose Award” of Baden-Baden. Much of its DNA has been carried over to the current elegant collection.
The ” Heritage Series “, a reissue of Longines’ antique watches
The Heritage Series is a reissue of past models using current manufacturing techniques. Many watch brands are involved in reissuing models, but none of them are as popular as Longines’ reissue series. The long history of Longines watches has maximized their value as antiques. It is no exaggeration to say that this series is now the mainstay of Longines watches. The ” Hour Angle Watch “, which was developed in collaboration with Mr. Lindbergh, has been brought back to the present day almost exactly as it was in the past.
The classic appearance has never faded. The design, which does not ask for much, may be seen as something that shines precisely because it is modern.
Introducing Longines’ classic models
Longines “Heritage 1940 (L2.767.4.53.2)
This popular series pays homage to Longines’ long history by reissuing a model first introduced in 1940, but the 28,800 vibrations per hour and 42-hour power reserve are the result of modern technology, and the small second at 6 o’clock is a subtle accent.
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Longines Flagship Heritage (L4.795.4.78.2)
The ” Flagship Heritage ” is a reissue of the 1957 original. The gold hands and indexes on the classic dial give the watch a luxurious feel. It beautifully recreates the essence of the watches that adorned the arms of gentlemen in the 1950s, which can be said to be the roots of modern watches.
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Longines “Master Collection (L2.673.4.78.6)
The Longines “Master Collection” series was launched in 2005 with the concept of combining classicism and elegance. This luxurious model packs as many functions as possible into its 40-millimeter case, including a chronograph, date display, day and month window, moon phase, and 24-hour display. The elegant design of this multi-functional watch is also a thing of beauty.
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Longines “Master Collection (L2.629.4.78.3)
The L651, with its 42-hour power reserve, features a small seconds at 3 o’clock and a chronograph at 9 o’clock, both of which are symbolic of the watch’s second design. The alligator leather belt adds an elegant touch.
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Longines “Grande Classique (L4.720.2.11.2)
The ” Grande Classique ” series is Longines’ most popular quartz model. The gold case and Roman numeral indexes create a gentlemanly atmosphere. This is an excellent product with excellent cost performance in spite of its high-class specifications.
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