MARITIME HISTORY
The Saint-Imier watchmaker’s Heritage collection continues to grow and embrace highly-attractive timepieces. This newcomer draws its inspiration from a 1947 piece imagined for sailors in the French Army.
In the 1940s and 50s, the French National Navy commissioned sturdy, accurate watches from Longines. Reference 5774, boasting a 33.50 mm case perfectly addressed the military force’s desiderata. With its Heritage Military Marine Nationale unveiled this year, the winged hourglass brand now proposes a model that reiterates its elder sibling’s features along with a handful of stylistic details. In a nutshell, the steel case, waterproof to depths of 30 m, has gone for a more up-to-the-minute size, 38.50 mm, whilst the dial perpetuates a beige color with a slightly-sandblasted finish. The green-glowing, brown Super-LumiNova® -coated blued pair of hands hovers over an hour chapter comprising 12 Arabic numerals and an extremely accurate minute tracker. Like in the original piece, the seconds are animated by a central direct-drive with counterpoise. The ensemble is soundly protected by a domed sapphire crystal.
Time data, ever-so easy to read in this pared-down scenescape, is driven by a modern selfwinding mechanical movement equipped with a silicon balance spring. The L888.5 caliber beats at a rhythm of 25,200 vibrations an hour and delivers a power reserve of 64 hours.
And, to boost its vintage style even more, the Heritage Military Marine Nationale is complemented by a cognac-hued leather strap clasped by an ardillon buckle. What’s more, Longines proposes the watch in a limited 200-box-set edition complete with a second NATO-type strap. A pure delight for nostalgia-loving at-sea and on-land adventurers!
Price: EUR1,920 www.longines.ch
By Dan Diaconu