Longines’ Spirit collection soars to new heights
Honouring nearly a century of aviation legacy, the brand’s new models celebrate the pioneering spirit of those unafraid to push boundaries
LONGINES has had a long and illustrious history, from collaborating with aviation pioneers Charles Lindbergh, Philip Van Horn Weems and Amelia Earhart, to supplying timepieces for record-setting flights and crucial navigational timing.
The Swiss watchmaker has created precision instruments that perform flawlessly under the most demanding conditions.
Building on this trusted history, Longines has expanded the Spirit collection, introducing new iterations that are an innovative evolution of the collection’s already-established designs.
The new Spirit Pilot, for instance, takes the form of a three-hand model with refined updates. The new Spirit Pilot Flyback, meanwhile, brings a new sophistication to the chronograph variant.
Both models combine traditional characteristics with state-of-the-art horological technologies, imbuing both elegance and functionality.
New and vintage-inspired
The Longines Spirit Pilot made its debut five years ago. This year, the line welcomes a streamlined three-hand model that remains faithful to the collection’s aeronautical roots.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 2 pm
Lifestyle
Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.
The new timepiece features a redesigned stainless steel 39 mm case, with improved ergonomics and a refined aesthetic that enhances both comfort and visual appeal. The polished matt-black dial, while outstanding in design, does not distract, instead adding to the overall look of the timepiece.
The five stars and date indication from the original Spirit three-hand model have been removed, and the minute track has been refined for enhanced clarity. Gold-coloured hands and applied Arabic numerals create a striking contrast for optimal readability in all conditions, even adding a vintage allure.
Powering the Spirit Pilot is the exclusive Longines calibre L888.4, featuring a silicon balance spring and components that provide magnetic resistance 10 times greater than the ISO 764 standard.
The self-winding mechanical movement delivers exceptional precision, with a 72-hour power reserve. It also carries the official chronometer certification from the Controle Officiel Suisse de Chronometres (COSC), for reliability worthy of professional aviators. It is also protected by a new screw-down case-back, representing a significant change in its design.
The Spirit Pilot offers versatile wearing options. There’s a stainless steel bracelet featuring a folding clasp, as well as interchangeable straps in either brown leather with a folding clasp, or new textile-style green rubber with a pin buckle.
Both the bracelet and leather strap are micro-adjustable, and all are designed to complement the lifestyles of modern pilots, whether in the cockpit or going about their daily routine.
A pioneer in choronographs
The Longines Spirit Pilot Flyback is a fitting nod to the brand’s pioneering role in flyback chronograph development. This sophisticated timepiece celebrates a technology Longines invented in the early 1930s, when it launched its first flyback chronograph watches before filing its groundbreaking patent in 1935.
In this new version, the dimensions are reimagined with a 39.5 mm stainless steel case, measuring just 13.4 mm in height for a sleeker, more comfortable look.
The bidirectional rotating bezel benefits from an improved rotating system and introduces a countdown timer for the first time, while the box-shaped sapphire crystal and matt-black dial create the coveted vintage aviation instrument look.
Gold-coloured hands and applied numerals treated with Super-LumiNova ensure visibility, especially while in the cockpit.
Giving the watch its heartbeat is the exclusive hand-wound Longines calibre L792.4, which can be admired through the transparent screw-down case-back.
With 68 hours’ power reserve, the movement is COSC chronometer-certified. The silicon balance spring and innovative components provide superior magnetic resistance, while the column-wheel chronograph mechanism with flyback function delivers the precision timing capabilities that define professional aviation instruments.
Available with either a stainless steel bracelet or interchangeable brown leather strap, both featuring micro-adjustable folding clasps, the Spirit Pilot Flyback combines historical significance with contemporary performance.
The newest additions to the Spirit Pilot collection represent Longines’ proud legacy of creating timepieces for explorers who dare to go beyond the ordinary. These authentic pilot watches exemplify the seamless fusion of technical mastery and a deep passion for adventure – in doing so, the brand has turned timekeeping into a tribute to human achievement.
As new generations of pioneers emerge, they will find in the Spirit Pilot collection the same steadfast commitment to elegance, tradition and performance that has defined Longines for nearly two centuries.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
