Longines: Mastering the art of time
There is no collection more fitting than the classy Longines Master to commemorate the illustrious brand’s 190th anniversary
OK, here’s a pop quiz. Can you name at least one of the top five best-performing Swiss luxury watch brands that belong to the rarefied ‘billionaires’ club’ – that is, the world’s best-performing watchmaking companies that consistently register annual sales of more than 1 billion Swiss francs (S$1.5 billion)?
Of course you can. It was a rhetorical question and, since you are already this far into the story, ‘Longines’ would have been an appropriate answer.
It may come as a surprise for some to see Longines in the company of the likes of Rolex, Omega, and Cartier in the exclusive billionaires’ club.
The truth is, the brand has been a regular fixture at the top of the horological sales charts for decades. For Longines fans, however, this accolade will not only appear expected, but thoroughly deserved.
Celebrating its 190th anniversary this year, Longines is a rare heritage Swiss watch brand that is aspirational and accessible in equal measure.
The brand not only offers a centuries-old legacy and horological gravitas backed by game-changing technical innovations, but also enduringly popular timepieces that, for the most part, will not put watch lovers at financial inconvenience.
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Emblematic mastery
Boasting an extensive catalogue that runs the gamut from vintage-inspired aviation-style sports watches to office-appropriate dress watches for women, Longines is the sort of brand that strives to offer something for everyone. And it does that very well, too.
The brand’s various collections, broadly categorised as ‘Sports’ and ‘Classic’, are distinct and alluring, with each bearing its own unique style, features, and functionalities to address different personalities, needs and occasions.
As for aficionados who desire a connection to Longines’ days of yore while demanding modern-day performance standards in their watches, the ‘Master’ collection, a range of classic dress watches that comprises only mechanical models, is their port of call.
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It is just as appropriate, then, that to mark its 190th anniversary, Longines has elected the Master collection to headline its commemorative offerings, by way of three exclusive and distinguished creations.
Available in 190 pieces, each in 40 mm yellow gold and rose gold, as well as non-limited stainless steel models, the trio of references in the Longines Master Collection 190th Anniversary watches live up to their billing with distinction.
Housed in finely polished round cases, and bearing elegant leaf-shaped hands and vintage-style Arabic hour numerals, the timepieces are aesthetically and everything one expects a Master model to be – classically inspired, refined, and just the type of watch to accentuate a formal get-up.
Back to the essence
Ironically, the Master 190th Anniversary watches bring a whole lot more to the table by being judicious with their features. Bearing time-only displays, the timepieces appear deliberately austere.
The decision by Longines to go with ‘simple’ three-hand models for its commemorative roll-outs is surprising. After all, among some of the Master collection’s most popular models are accessibly priced complications such as complete calendars, retrograde displays, and automatic chronographs.
Perhaps Longines hopes to draw our attention to the very essence of time-telling as it celebrates an important milestone. In the absence of additional displays, the watches’ decorative artistry comes to the fore.
The dials, especially, are a captivating combination of textures and finishes that invite one to appreciate Longines’ attention to detail.
Anchored by a vertically brushed surface that gives the appearance of linen texture for the yellow gold model, grained dark anthracite for the rose gold model, and sand-blasted silver dial for the steel version, all three variants are endowed with their own, special charm.
Framed by a recessed minute track, the dials are etched with stylised Arabic numerals in relief. The fastidiously hand-engraved hour markers’ sharp and polished indentations, appearing in the same tone as the case material, lend delightful contrast to their textured environs.
Not only is the execution artful, the interplay of finishes between the dial and the numerals, complemented by the polished hands, ensure uncompromising legibility amid the decorative beauty.
Driving the watches is the Calibre L888.5, a staple Longines engine that powers a swathe of models from sports to dress watches.
Though unfussy, the automatic movement is reliable and robust. It is equipped with a silicon balance spring – a vital component made of an advance synthetic material that improves timekeeping precision and reduces wear and tear – and offers up to 64 hours of power reserve.
In the 190th Anniversary editions, the Calibre L888.5 is visible via an open sapphire case back, accompanied by a winding rotor decorated with stripped engraving and a hollowed impression of the Longines winged logo, and framed by the name of the collection, the watch’s limited edition number, and the words ‘190th Anniversary’.
Given the sheer variety of watches that Longines makes, it would be remiss to argue that the Master collection is the most representative of the brand’s horological creations and, hence, the reason for the commemorative watches.
Rather, the Longines Master Collection 190th Anniversary watches, with judicious simplicity and sublime craftsmanship, seem to shun frivolous flamboyance so that they could compel us to contemplate the existential beauty of horology itself.
After all, the basic tenet of telling time with elegance and reliability is just what the world’s best and most enduring watch brands have built their legacies on.
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