INSPIRATION FROM THE PAST
The watchmaker from Saint-Imier has expanded its collection of reissued timepieces with a new limited edition inspired by a military watch produced before World War II.
Founded in 1832, Longines has a long watchmaking tradition and notably a rich heritage enabling it to draw on the treasures of the past to design new watches grouped together in the Heritage collection, like the Heritage Military 1938 which, as its name suggests, is inspired by a military watch produced toward the end of the 1930s, before the start of World War II. For this kind of timepiece, certain conditions are required: it must be easy to handle, time information must be practically instantaneous and its robustness must hold up under all conditions. The latest model from the Saint-Imier watchmaker meets all three of these conditions.
This limited edition of just 1938 watches has a 43-mm machined stainless steel case – a solid, sturdy metal – molded with a smooth, beveled bezel. Watertight to a depth of 30 m, it has a flat notched crown at 3 o’clock that is easy to use, even with gloves. This piece holds the L507.2 caliber, a mechanical movement developed based on an ETA 6498/2. It is set at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour and provides a 53-hour power reserve once fully wound.
Protected by a sapphire crystal dome, the dial is coated in matte black on which the Arabic numerals of the hours and the minute track stand out, both decorated with vanilla beige Super-LumiNova®. This same hue, which stands out perfectly from the dark dial, also colors the scale and the numbers on the small second counter at 6 o’clock. The rhodium-plated baton-type hour and minute hands in the middle are also coated with a luminescent material.
The Longines Heritage Military 1938 comes with two watchbands, one in aged anthracite leather and the other in reddish-brown fabric, easily interchangeable with the tools supplied.
Price: 2’300 CHF
By Sharmila Bertin