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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Saint-Imier, Switzerland

Longines

Verified

In-house calibres, chronographs, navigation and precision timing

History

Longines moved from a comptoir trading operation to integrated factory manufacture, producing its own calibres and becoming closely associated with sports timing, aviation navigation instruments and chronograph movements.

Major innovations

  • In-house chronograph calibres including the 13ZN
  • Navigation and hour-angle instrument work

Known markings

  • Winged hourglass mark
  • 'Longines' on movement and dial

Serial numbers

Longines maintains detailed production registers and provides archive extracts giving calibre, case and sale date for individual serials.

Collecting significance

The company archive makes Longines unusually well documented; extracts should be sought before accepting any dating.

Photographs

Longines Golden Watch
Longines Golden Watch — Jorge Barrios Riquelme, CC BY-SA 3.0. Wikimedia Commons file page
Longines 4 Grand Prix pocket watch - clockwork visible - enhanced resolution DSF3402-PSMS
Longines 4 Grand Prix pocket watch - clockwork visible - enhanced resolution DSF3402-PSMS — Franz van Duns, CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikimedia Commons file page

Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.

Sources & references

  1. Longines archive practice as reported in auction catalogues
  2. Period manufacturer literature

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.