Longines

Longines is another one of those Swiss brands that are very reasonably priced for the quality you get. They were a premium watch in their day. While other makers scrimped on case quality by switching to rolled gold plated bezels with stainless backs in the late '40s and '50s, Longines stayed with the more expensive gold filled cases. Their movements are most always a delight to behold. Overhauled properly, they will rival the best chronometer movements in time-keeping ability.

Founded 1832 in St. Imier by Ernest Francillon, the latter of whom established the "Longines" or "long meadows" name in St. Imier and built the first factory there. Longines has been able to make its name by developing outstanding calibers and inventing the so-called "Fadenriss" system for sporting events.

History

As brands go, the Longines line carries more than its share of history as watches associated with trailblazers and adventurers who opened new roads to adventure. Charles Lindbergh, the Amundsens who explored the North Pole, and Richard Byrds who explored the South Pole were among those united by the same sense of adventure and who faced historic challenges with a Longines watch on their wrist.

The story of Longines begins in 1866, when Ernest Francillon opened a small manufacturing plant, which began production the following year. Francillon, grandson of Auguste Agassiz (one of the pioneers of Swiss horology whose name is seen on high-grade wrist and pocket watches), learned his trade at his grandfather's "comptoir," an artisan watch assembly shop. He would eventually become director of the shop, but the enterprising young man of 32 realized the limits of the comptoir and the possible areas in which to better production.

In 1868, the first Longines watches arrived in America. In 1873, Longines was awarded what was to be the first of many horological honors by being awarded a gold medal for precision and reliability at the Universal Exposition of Vienna. To defend himself from imitation, Francillon began trademarking the dials on his watches with a winged clepsydra and the word "Longines." A clepsydra (pronounced KLEP si dra), by the way, is an ancient device that measured time by marking the regulated flow of water through a small opening. If you look closely at the center of the Longines trademark, you will see the small box that represents this device.

The company obviously departed from this procedure fairly quickly, since there are many Longines watches that do not bear the logo.

In 1889, Longines furnished five chronometers to the Italian explorer Luigi Amedeo, who made an attempt to reach the North Pole. His failed attempt is scarcely noted in the history books, but the expedition would mark Longines' long and illustrious history as the watch of choice by many explorers and adventurers.

In 1904 Longines again supplied chronometers to a U.S. naval exploration of the North polar region. As history records, Robert E. Peary was the first to reach the North Pole on April 6, 1909. Longines would unfortunately miss the opportunity to be part of the that event.

By the early 1900s, Longines joined other Swiss makers in expressing an interest in gentlemen's wrist watches, which were marketed to Europe. The Longines Co. says the first wrist watch was cased in 1905.

In the 1910s, Longines made its presence known in the sports market, producing some of the first wrist chronographs seen. And, like most watchmakers of the day, Longines produced military watches for World War I, many with pierced shrapnel covers, "demi-hunter" cased varieties, and others for use at sea and in the air.

But it was the 1920s-1930s that would usher in what many consider to be Longines' golden years. The factory grew from 20 to 2,500 workers, who produced more than 122,000 pieces per year. It was during this decade that the airplanes and airships would be recognized as a valuable military and exploration tool. And Longines would stablish itself as the"constant companion" of many a pioneering aviator. As airplanes evolved from rickety wooden crates to sleek metal birds, and climbed ever higher, problems such as magnetism, moisture, low temperatures (which solidified traditional oils used in watches) had to be overcome. And Longines was at the forefront, having benefited from its "Arctic experiences" with cold temperatures. It was during this era that Longines would produce what are arguably its most famous two wrist watches -- the Weems and the Lindbergh models. (The Lindbergh is also referred to as the Hour Angle Watch.)

In 1930, Admiral Richard E. Byrd would reach the South Pole for the first time. His trips then and again in 1933 and 1939, would find him with a Longines on his wrist.

In 1880, the A. Wittnauer Co. would become the exclusive sales agent for Longines, a relationship that would last for the next 114 years. In 1936, the A. Wittnauer Co. was sold by the Wittnauer family and renamed the Longines-Wittnauer Co., a name that became so pervasive that some think the watches are synonymous. They are not. Their movements are distinct and not interchangeable with one another.

World War II and beyond

World War II again saw the company produce many military issue watches, mostly for the European forces. Post WWII through the middle '50s present what is undoubtedly the "happy hunting ground" for many watch collectors looking for nice watches at reasonable prices.

In September of 1994, Longines and Wittnauer parted company, and Swiss giant SMH, which holds title to Hamilton, Omega and Tissot, among other name brands, acquired the name.

Chronographs

The company's affinity with sporting events would manifest itself in the production of many unusual types of chronographs during the 1930s and '40s. Many, if not most, were produced with Longines' own movement, unlike most other watch companies that would buy chronograph ebauches from other companies.

Thus, Longines chronographs, especially those produced from the '20s through the 1950s, are highly prized and warrant their own separate niche in the vintage collecting world. The workhorse of Longines' chronograph movements was the the Caliber 13ZN. It first appeared in Longines' 2-register models, but was adapted for use in its 3-register models as well. Later chronographs would incorporate movements made by Valjoux and others. These, for the most part, are not considered nearly as collectible as the chronographs with Longines' own movements.

Bruce Shawkey

Estimated Longines production dates