The Longines Heritage has a fascinating history that dates back almost two centuries, since the birth of the Swiss watch company in Saint-Imier. The Longines Heritage collection is a reminiscent celebration of the time gone by. This is evident by their success through the decades and the company can look back on an extraordinary story, full of notable achievements in the watchmaking industry. This collection blends the original historic designs with contemporary wristwatch science.
Many of the Longines timepieces have been designed for and worn by iconic individuals in the geographical and aviation survey field. It is no wonder many of the timepieces feature nautical details. Each timepiece in the Heritage collection has an exciting story behind it. We will be reviewing this great watch and in particular, looking at a few of the notable models deserving of pioneering accomplishments. The Twenty-Four-Hours Single Push-Piece Chrono (Ref. L2.797.4.73.0 and Ref. L2.797.4.53.0), is a remake of the 1950s watches that were designed for Swissair Pilots.
Another watch is the Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch (Ref. L2.678.4.11.0), one of the most acclaimed wristwatches existing in the Heritage line. It pays homage to a special watch from 1931 that was mainly made for the American pilot Charles Lindbergh – the first pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean on his own. The Longines Heritage Military 1938 is another member of the Heritage line with a recognisable ambience of the military in the 1930s. Other models that have proved very popular include:
- The Longines Weems Second-Setting Watch
- The Longines Skin Diver Watch
- The Longines Legend Diver Watch
- The Longines Conquest Heritage
Dial
The Twenty-Four-Hours Single Push-Piece Chronograph is a self-descriptive watch offering a 24-hour capacity and substantial aviation characteristics. The timepiece features a silver dial with a black ring and blue hands or black dial with a white minute ring with rhodium-plated hands. The hour and minute markers are printed neatly on the sunburst surface. The timepiece stays true to its aviation inspiration; the hours’ scale of the watch is set in the centre of the dial while the scale of the minute is placed on the outer edge of the dial.
Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch (Ref. L2.678.4.11.0) is a distinct timepiece that has a full history behind it. The timepiece is almost a total copy of a classical flying watch from 1931. It has a white lacquered polished dial (also available in silver and black), accompanied with blued steel hands. The hour markers are painted Roman numerals.
The Longines Heritage Military 1938 is different from two timepieces aforementioned; it has a black-matt coloured dial, painted Arabic numerals and polished silvered hands. A massive seconds sub-dial sits at 6 o’clock and has a smaller diameter than its original model.
Other models follow a similar pattern with round polished dials and either the use of applied indexes or painted Arabic numerals and indexes. The premium Longines Weems Second-setting model which makes a tribute to the navigation system devised by Captain Philip van Horn Weems is a great example of the classically crafted dial settings Longines have perfected through the decades. A common theme across all the watches also seems to be the use of the Swiss Super-LumiNova® which promises strong, longer use performance.
Case
The Twenty-Four-Hours Single Push-Piece Chronograph has a sapphire crystal, steel case. Its size is 47.5mm, similar to the original model that had a massive case too, though fitted with a pocket watch movement. This reinvented model has a solid case back that has the iconic Longines hourglass logo designed on it.
At 47.5 mm in diameter, the Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch (Ref. L2.678.4.11.0) is large but cute. It has a round titanium case and steel bezel, layered with black PVD that calls attention to the wearer’s wrist. The calibrated bezel rotates in a bi-directional manner; it registers the equation of time when deciding the Greenwich Hour Angle. The case back is transparent with back covers.
Although it possesses a large automatic rotor, the sparkling polish finish, movement and case back is superb. Longines executes these features at its best, making the wearer feel part of its history. On the inside section of the joined steel door is a script that reminds you the timepiece is automatic and that it was “designed by Col. Charles A Lindbergh” and also points out to you that it is the Hour Angle timepiece.
When it comes to size, The Longines Heritage Military 1938 is different from even its original model. Its modern version is 43mm wide and 12.6mm thick, unlike the original 32 to 36mm watches of the World War 2 era. The case of the timepiece is round stainless steel. It has a thin polished bezel that gives the dial space. The Conquest Heritage and Heritage Classic models are the smaller watches in this great collection ranging from 35mm to 37.5mm for those requiring something a little more subtle, yet refined on the wrist.
Wearability
The strap attached to Twenty-Four-Hours Single Push-Piece Chronograph is either black or brown alligator depending on the dial colour with buckle and aviators extension. Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch (Ref. L2.678.4.11.0) comes with a brown alligator material; alligator leather (face) and calf leather (back) with a buckle. The bracelet/strap is also available in XL.
Longines offers two straps to complement their Heritage Military 1938 – an anthracite grey painted leather band and a cognac leather NATO strap. The timepiece has a tool packaged with it to enable wearers to switch between bands comfortably.
This watch has a single pusher chronograph. The single pushers have the Chrono start/stop/reset button installed into the middle of the crown which shows slightly longer than a usual crown. The movement of the Twenty-Four-Hours Single Push-Piece Chronograph watch is the notable Longines self-winding column-wheel chronograph calibre L789 with a power reserve of 54 hours. Its two dials have Super-LumiNova as well.
Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch (Ref. L2.678.4.11.0) has an onion-crown. Furthermore, the movement set inside of the Longines Lindbergh is an exceptional fit to the case, and very beautifully presented. The timepiece has the Longines calibre L699, which is also known as the ETA A07.111 automatic. The calibre A07.111 is a member of the ETA Valgranges line of movements. Its calibre is 36.6mm wide.
The use of the Longines cal aids the Longines Heritage Military 1938. L507.2, which is the hand-wound ETA 6498/2. This timepiece features 17 jewels and a 53-hour power reserve with a warm, tan Super-LumiNova spec.
Price
Longines Heritage watches are surprisingly modest in their pricing compared to some of their competitors with luxurious, high-performance watches. It is quite inexpensive for a timepiece collection with such deep history and inspiration. The Twenty-Four-Hours Single Push-Piece Chronograph, for instance, is being sold for around £3,670.
Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch (Ref. L2.678.4.11.0) sells at around £3,800, while the Heritage Military 1938 is at around £2,000. The entry-level watch of this collection is the Conquest Heritage, priced at around £1000. The popular Longines Weems Second-Setting (steel) can be purchased around £3,300, whilst the top end 18K gold variant goes for around £12,500
