Marcus Hanke
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Baselworld 2013: Longines
Longines at Baselworld 2013
presented by Marcus Hanke
presented by Marcus Hanke
This year Certina and Tissot are celebrating their anniversaries, while last year it was Longines’ turn. To celebrate its 180th anniversary, Longines released a large array of great new watches in the Anniversary and Saint Imier-collections. However, there was some serious delay in getting these watches to the dealers, unfortunately.
This year, the manufacturer seems to consolidate the growth of its line-up, so the number of novelties is not very large. Additionally, there are no completely new models, but rather new variants of existing models, the only exception being the three-piece series “Heritage Military 1938”.
To begin with, last year’s limited edition ladies’ timepiece “Grande Classique” has received a non-limited counterpart, with less diamonds on the bezel - 100 jewels, to be exact.
The Conquest Classic series has got a few nice additions: The ladies’ variant has a diameter of 29.5mm and is equipped with the self-winding cal. ETA 2000 movement. It is offered in a manifold of versions, with or without diamonds on bezel and/or dial, stainless steel, 18k gold, or in combination, dials in mother of pearl, black or white.
The gentlemen’s three hands watch is 40mm wide and powered by the ETA 2892A2. It, too, comes in several variants of case material and dial colours.
Most interesting model in my opinion is the chronograph, which is similar to last year’s St Imier collection, but has an - Omega-inspired - deck plank-like dial structure. The case is 41mm wide and also available in steel, steel-gold or 18k gold.
Most interesting, however, is the movement: The cal. Caliber L688.2 (ETA A08.L01), an iteration of the well-known ETA 7753 (which again is the tri-compax variant of the 7750) was developed exclusively for Longines and features a column-wheel chronograph mechanism and a power reserve of 54 hours.
The next series receiving some facelift is the Hydroconquest line of diving watches. The changes on the three hands timepieces are not spectacular, and limited to some spots of colour on the register and/or the bezel. Diameters are 39 and 41mm, movement is the ETA 2892A2.
Of more interest is the new Hydroconquest chronograph, which also receives the exclusive cal. 688.2 movement with column wheel. I like that the dial discontinues the oversized numerals that had cluttered the counters of the predecessing 7750 version. However, the date window at 4:30 is a bit disturbing in the layout, which altogether appears rather busy.
Finally, a completely new series of three timepieces is launched as the Heritage Military 1938, some very soberly designed, classic military/pilot style watches with steel cases, onion crowns, black dials with large luminous Arabian numerals.
The three hands model is 40mm wide and equipped with the ETA 2892A2.
In my opinion the timepiece more refined in style and mechanics is the 24 hours model with the second time zone. Its 42mm case is nicely filled by the ETA A07 171 Valgranges movement.
Finally, the Military 1938 chronograph is 42mm wide and features a classic bi-compax layout with small second at 9 and 30 minutes counter at 3. Its movement is not the column wheel cal. L688, but rather the more conventional ETA A07 231 Valgranges, the enlarged variant of the 7750.
This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2013-05-29 08:56:51