A BRIEF HISTORY OF LONGINES
Longines Chronograph ref. 6552-3
Despite vintage Longines not being that sought after by many collectors today, most are well aware of the brand’s historic connection to aviation. But Longines is much more than just that; throughout its years it’s been an innovative, dynamic, and principled watch brand. Just because it doesn’t get the same hype as its contemporaries now, doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve it, or that it didn’t have it in the past.
Longines was founded in 1832 by Auguste Agassiz. Auguste was part of the well-known Agassiz family, whose origins are in Switzerland (Agiez, Vaud) but whose influence has extended as far as Canada, where the town of Agassiz, British Columbia is named after Lewis Nunn Agassiz. Auguste started producing pocket watches with some partners in 1832, manufacturing watches in low volume with parts sourced from third-parties. It was only in 1866 when Agassiz’s nephew, Ernest Francillon, acquired a plot of land called “Es Longines'', that Agassiz turned his attention toward mass production. Longines was famously among the first watchmakers to industrialize their production in 1867, when the factory was inaugurated. As we’ve previously mentioned, Americans were the first to industrialize the process of watchmaking, pushing the English out of the market in the 19th century. The Swiss, instead, were quicker to act, and while the English turned to car making, the Swiss became famous for their watchmaking – which was also influenced by an earlier influx of French Hugenots. In fact, the Agassiz family is of Protestant origin.
Longines Hunter Pocket Watch, circa 1867
Interestingly, 1867 also marks the beginning of the Longines archives, a collection of 800 books that document the brand’s production from 1867 to 1969.
The first movement made by Longines in the new factory was the Caliber 20A, naturally released in 1867. This was followed by the development of the brand’s first chronograph movement, the Longines Caliber 20H, produced in Saint-Imier in 1878. The Caliber 20H marks the beginning of a long and warm relationship between Longines and chronographs. Longines being uniquely equipped with respect to other brands, like Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, to be able to produce movements – specifically chronograph movements – in-house. This was exemplified in 1936 with the release of one of their more famous wristwatch movements, the Caliber 13ZN. Even before that though, Longines had started making its name in the world of precision timing, timing Charles Lindbergh’s legendary transatlantic flight in 1927, and producing a watch he designed in 1931: the Lindbergh Hour Angle watch. Longines made the Lindbergh Hour Angle watch, a pilot’s wristwatch with an extremely complex bezel that allowed wearers to calculate their longitude and determine their precise geographical position using latitude.
Charles Lindbergh and the original ‘Hour Angle’ watch designed by Charles Lindbergh for Longines
Much like Rolex, those weren’t the only promotional events that Longines participated in – in the modern era they’ve become famous for sponsoring the Kentucky Derby, but even in 1899 they equipped Prince Luigi Amadeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, with Longines watches for his North Pole expedition.
Today Longines is part of the Swatch Group and continues to produce many of its old lines of watches, like the Conquest (1954) and the Flagship (1957), along with new ones like the Master Collection that was launched in 2005. Despite finding themselves more in the mid or premium range of watch brands, with most collectors today completely overlooking them for other brands; Longines has long and storied history, connected to and responsible for many advancements in horology. Their vintage watches, in particular, deserve a lot more respect.
By: Eric Mulder