Discover the history, prestige, and appeal of Longines, Saint-Imier brand, as we explore the question: Are Longines watches good?
There is no shortage of major players in the Swiss watch industry. Switzerland is, after all, the world center of fine watchmaking and home to various centuries-old techniques. Some Swiss brands can lay claim to revolutionary firsts, like the first chronograph movement, tourbillon, or perpetual calendar. Others hold the title of the world’s thinnest watch or the most accurate mechanical movement.
Longines has been around for over 192 years. Within that time, it has been responsible for more watchmaking milestones than you can probably imagine. You can’t Google search the term “Swiss watches” without seeing the Longines name appear on your list. It’s part of the industry’s backbone, offering a vast catalog of men’s and women’s watches in every style possible. But are Longines good watches?
If you’re wondering whether Longines is worth the investment, this guide will help you decide. We’ll examine the brand’s history, some of its popular designs, prices, sizes, and features.
Table of Contents
The Story of the Longines Dive Watch
Instead of the Longines story starting like most, with a tiny independent workshop, this one began differently. In 1832, the company went by the name of Raiguel Jeune et Cie and comprised various watchmaking disciplines. It wasn’t until one of its two founders introduced his nephew to the business that things began taking shape. Ernest Françillon consolidated the company’s many independent workshops called “établisseurs,” bringing them under one roof. Francillon set up one factory and registered the famous winged hourglass logo.
Today, that logo remains unchanged. Longines features its iconic logo on each of its watches, a symbol of authenticity and exquisite craftsmanship. Among the company’s many milestones is the Calibre 20A—its first chronograph movement. This revelation helped Longines establish and nurture a long-lasting relationship with sports. The brand became the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games in 1896.
As pocket watches gave way to wristwatches during the 20th century, Longines remained at the forefront of this transition. Its first wristwatch arrived in 1913, followed by the first flyback chronograph in 1925. The brand also produced the first watch with a dial indicating a second-time zone. The modern Spirit Zulu Time pays homage to this milestone today.
From the 1920s through the 1960s, Longines became an influential figure in early aviation instruments for the military. The Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch, Avigation BigEye Chronograph, and Weems Second-Setting watch are all worthy mentions of the brand’s work. In the 1940s, Longines perfected its distinctive mushroom-shaped pushers and released one of the first water-resistant chronographs. Out came the sporty Hydroconquest and the Flagship collection.
Longines survived the quartz era, spearheaded by Japanese watch brands like Seiko and Citizen. It became part of the Swatch Group in 1983. Today, its most modern releases are the Master and Spirit collections – both offering very different qualities.
Longines Collections and Styles
You may not be entirely familiar with Longines’s many collections and styles. Maybe you’re just beginning to dip your toe into luxury watch collecting. But you may know about the brand’s expertise in pioneering sports and aeronautical watches.
For nearly two centuries, it has been timing horse races, ski competitions, and tennis matches. Among its many horological feats are chronographs that promise 1/100th of a second.
We can divide the brand’s portfolio into Elegance, Avigation, Watchmaking Tradition, Diving, and Performance sub-categories. Within these sections are further sub-divisions. Here’s a rundown of some of the key ones.
The Hydroconquest
The Hydroconquest watch collection has existed since 2007. The line offers a variety of robust dive watches with unidirectional rotating bezels and 300M water-resistant ratings. Luminous dial markings, screw-down crowns, and metal bracelets form the recognizable Hydroconquest look. The brand offers two-tone models within this collection and ceramic bezel options that arrived in 2018. Case sizes within this collection span from 41mm to 44mm.
The Conquest
The Conquest watch collection sports some of Longines’ most significant horological accomplishments, including 1/100th of a second chronograph. The line features moon phase complications, too. The Conquest V.H.P models hold an exceptionally accurate quartz movement at their center. Other examples include Longines’ Gear Position Detection system, which resets desynchronized hands caused by magnetic fields. GMT watches are also available. But if you’re not particularly interested in Longines’ latest technologies, three-handed models are also available.
The Master Collection
Master Collection watches from Longines are elegant timepieces with a modern, sporty twist. Within the collection are some incredibly intricate innovations. Some examples of features include chronographs, moon phase displays, and 24-hour indicators. The brand offers these watches in several sizes and equips them with Ébauche movements for reliability. Some of the models in this collection sit at the top end of the price spectrum, costing between $2-3k.
The Heritage Collection
As you may already guess, the Heritage watch collection contains designs that Longines pays homage to from its historical catalog. Some timepieces boast a retro flair, while others are classic enough to pair with a black tie ensemble. Important designs from the collection include the Conquest Heritage, the Flagship Heritage, and the Heritage Classic Tuxedo.
What I like about the collection is the true-to-form case sizes of yesteryear. Some models measure a compact 35mm, making them perfect for small-wristed males. The Heritage line also runs into Longines’ Avigation and Military watches. Take, for example, the 2017 Avigation Heritage BigEye, which takes inspiration from a 1930s collectible. A highlight from the Heritage Military line is the Military Marine Nationale. It arrived in 2020 as a remake of a 1947 tool for the French Navy.
The Legend Diver
If retro dive watches are your thing, the Longines Legend Diver will hit your sweet spot. The designs from this collection infuse yesteryear aesthetics with modern-day functionality. As of 2022, you could get the Legend Diver in a case as small as 35mm and as large as 42mm. Within this line is the ever-popular Skin Dive model. The company launched this as a direct descendant of its 1959 Longines dive watch.
The Spirit
The Longines Spirit is the brand’s most recent aviation watch collection. Although not a quintessential pilot watch, it does celebrate the pioneering spirit of all those watches that came before it. Spirit watches honor the legendary experts of the sky with a robust steel or titanium design.
Strong, legible, and precise, these tools are also perfect for ground operations too. Longines equips these with a COSC-certified movement. Clues of this appear on the dial in the form of five stars printed above 6 o’clock. Spirit watches come on a range of colored leather straps or a metal bracelet for added sophistication.
Longines watches are also relatively affordable. They sit in the mid-range bracket and constitute a neat alternative to Rolex Subs or AP Royal Oaks. The watchmaker can offer competitive prices as well. To keep manufacturing costs down, it uses mass-produced movements. The brand also uses super-accurate quartz movements.
On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $700 to $4000 for a Longines watch. Lower-end models include simple quartz-powered Conquest watches. In the middle of the pricing ladder are watches like the Longines Spirit, which costs around $2000. Higher-end models include the Spirit Chronograph and the Weems Second-Setting watch, which costs $4,800.
The Best Longines Watches for Men With Small Wrists
If you’re a guy with wrists that measure a little smaller than average, Longines is your friend. Unlike many other luxury watch brands, it offers a superb selection of watches for small wrists. Here are just a few of the best Longines watches for men.
1. Longines Heritage Central Power Reserve
If you like more complex watches, you might enjoy the self-winding Longines Heritage Central Power Reserve. This 38mm watch serves up the movement’s power reserve on a central rotating disc. A champaign dial proves ideal for an hour track featuring gold-colored stick markers. The syringe-style hands feature the same luxurious tones.
Tracking the remaining power of the movement through the dial in this way is niche. I also love the unusual location of the date window at 12 o’clock. This steel model marks the Conquest collection’s 70th anniversary with a classic black alligator leather strap. Additional features include a see-through case back, enabling you to admire the L896 Calibre at work, and 100M water resistance.
2. LaGrande Classique de Longines
The LaGrande Classique de Longines watch ticks many boxes. It’s a classic, simple, timeless design with a minimalist dial featuring elegant Roman numeral hour markers. The black dial is incredibly universal, allowing it to pair with most attire.
This 38mm model costs a little under $1200 and features traditional bar lugs paired with a black alligator leather strap. The lug-to-lug dimensions of this watch measure 43mm, enabling it to wear small on the wrist. Even better, Longines equips the watch with the Calibre L59, which sits inside an incredibly slim case of 8.10mm.
3. Longines Sector Dial
I love sector dials. If you want to discover their appeal for yourself, look at this review on the Baltic Roulette MR Sector. But the Longines Sector dial wins me over with its simplicity and clarity. Many of Longines’ smaller offerings are elegant and dressy, perfect for formal occasions like this reference.
This 38.5mm watch creates an almost three-dimensional effect. Arabic numeral hour markers sit at the cardinal points of the dial, and a small seconds function overlaps the 6. Longines finishes this watch with a tan-colored leather band that looks striking with a bomber jacket. The brand stamps the motif onto a classic pin buckle, illustrating authentic craftsmanship through and through.
4. Longines Heritage Military
For a truly throwback-inspired design, check out the Longines Heritage Marine Nationale. This watch has military provenance in spades. It’s a reimagined version of the watch supplied to the French Navy during World War 2. The modern version, however, is a bit larger.
The Marine Nationale has a case width of 38.5 millimeters and a thickness of 12.5 millimeters, which helps it stand out a bit on the wrist. Like most other Longines 38.5-millimeter cases, it has a 19-millimeter strap.
The Marine Nationale retains its original military heritage with its cognac leather strap and beige dial. This watch also has blue hands, though they have a bit of a faux patina. It’s also worth noting that Longines paints them on the dial — a nice touch for a watch at this price point. The L888 (a Longines-modified ETA A31.L02) automatic movement powers the Marine Nationale. It offers up to 64 hours of power reserve. With this design, Longines aimed to stay as close to the original watch as possible. This version is the only one available for the Marine Nationale.
5. The HydroConquest GMT 41mm
For a bulkier, traditional-style dive watch from an entry-level luxury brand, the HydroConquest is worth a look. This timeless diver is an excellent choice for anyone struggling to cough up the cash for a Submariner.
Unlike the other watches, the HydroConquest is entirely modern. It has a larger 41-millimeter case width, though it’s only just under 13 millimeters thick. The HydroConquest case has a screw-in crown, a ceramic unidirectional bezel, and a piece of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. This legitimate diver with 300M water resistance looks excellent and plays with the light in the room. It also doubles up as a handy travel tool. Its captivating chocolate-brown dial is undoubtedly the star of the show with latte-like golden appliques.
6. The Longines Master Collection Moonphase
If you’re looking for an automatic Swiss-made moon phase watch that won’t break the bank, consider the Longines Master Collection. This exciting mix of dress and sports watches makes it very aesthetically flexible, versatile, and intriguing. The Master Collection measures 40mm across the stainless steel case and is 11.2 thick. It’s the perfect tool for slipping under an office shirt.
The Master Collection also features a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and a transparent display case back. However, it only offers 30 meters of water resistance. The dial, in a blue sunburst effect, has striking silver hands and applied markers. There is a small second sub-dial at 6 o’clock and a beautifully decorated moon phase function. The sophistication of this moon phase watch is all thanks to a solid, reliable movement that Longines sources from Ebauche.
FAQs
Take a look at these FAQs about Longines watches if you’re still figuring out whether they’re suitable for you.
Is Longines Considered a Luxury Watch?
Longines is a Swiss luxury watch brand that produces some of the most elegant timepieces in the world. The brand focuses on creating attainable and affordable luxury, hence its competitive prices.
Is Longines Owned by Rolex?
No, Rolex does not own Longines. Rolex is an independently owned brand, whereas Swatch Group owns the Saint Imier brand, Longines.
Are Longines Watches Worth Money?
Watch connoisseurs love the quality and affordability of Longines watches, but they won’t retain their value as a Rolex does. Like most watches, luxury timepieces from Longines will depreciate unless they’re rare, vintage models.
The Takeaway – Are Longines Watches Really Worth It?
So, what’s the conclusion? Are Longines watches good?
Longines is an exemplary brand with so much to offer. From its complex chronographs, calendars, and moon phase complications to its classic dress watches, there is something for everyone. The brand has been around for two centuries. This alone is a testament to the quality of its workmanship and its prestigious reputation as a horological leader.
Longines watches are accurate, reliable, functional, and stylish. They may cost more than your average Casio, but they are worth every dollar. The brand sits in the middle of the price spectrum. You can pay as little as a few hundred dollars up to a few thousand. However, its quality-to-price ratio is well-justified and transparent. The more you pay for it, the more you get!
If you own a Longines watch or two, why not share your favorite designs with us? We’d love to know what you like to wear and why. Pop your comments below and share your love for Longines watches with us here at The Slender Wrist today!
