Having made a name for itself with its heritage collection timepieces it has launched in recent years with deep traces of its own history, Longines also closed the 2019 year with a magnificent model: Longines Heritage Classic!
The first leaks about the Longines Heritage Classic model were released at the beginning of 2019 and even these few unaccredited photos were enough to excite the vintage watch lovers. Since the watch had one of the dial designs much admired and sought-after by the vintage lovers. In many sources, it is stated that this design, described as the “Sector Dial”, first emerged during the First World War and was very popular in 1930s and 1940s. And yet, a Patek Philippe pocket watch dated 1910, which was sold out at an auction by Phillips in 2018, showed us that this design might be “a little bit” older.
Consisting of the concentric circles, yet with different diameters, circumscribing the hours and minutes areas separately, and of the lines connecting these circles to each other, this design was used in the watches of the First WWW and then in some scientific watches. And it didn’t take long to be introduced for civil and widespread use. Many brands, including Longines, produced watches with dials in this and/or identical design.
In fact, that was not by chance at all, because so many brands were working with the same material suppliers at those times. And the suppliers were producing much more of what was popular at the time. For this reason, it is possible to see watches, very similar to each other in terms of design, with different brands of the same era.
And the new Heritage model of Longines has also been released to the market with a deep commitment to these solid roots and with a thoroughbred spirit of 1930s.
The watch, on which the Heritage Classic model is based, is a 32mm timepiece from 1934, found in the Longines Museum.
As seen in the comparative Picture above, Longines did not toil much, in terms of design, for this new member of Heritage collection. And this was exactly what the brand’s fanatics did expect! Anyway, it made the watch bear all the advantages of developing horology of our time, without touching the watch’s deep-rooted Calatrava bonds due to some important improvements such as changing the 32mm size of the original reference to 38,5mm in accordance with our time, taking the case workmanship to a more flawless level thanks to the new technologies, and of course fitting it with a new movement.
The watch’s 38,5mm dimension is quite comfortable and balanced, even for me who loves to wear vintage watches of 32-35mm. In this balance, the biggest part belongs to the straight lugs, highly compatible with the watch’s Calatrava style, and the diamond style crown, completing the watch’s identity.
The case generally consists of surfaces brushed with a fine workmanship. These brushed surfaces are accompanied by the polished lug backs and, again, the polished steel caseback. The lugs are shaped with quite hard lines.
It has a “box-shaped” satin glass; that is, higher than the case but not doomed, it is flat. It is in a great harmony with the flat “coin” bezel structure alike. Although the height of the watch is slightly increased due to the raised glass, an 11mm height is still quite reasonable for an automatic timepiece.
The small seconds sub-dial is positioned very well. Though it cuts through the 6 o’clock numeral, this is ignorable since it is the same with the reference version of the 1934 model. At least, this watch lacks a seconds sub-dial positioning flying over the date window like in the Flagship model.
When the dual color details of the dial are combined with the very well engraved numerals, the result has been an almost perfect dial print. The same perfection is seen in the Longines logo, positioned and inscribed faithfully to its original.
On the dial, we see 3 different kinds of pattern work. An outer circle with a brushed shiny metal color, a central circle with a flat ivory tone, and a small seconds sub-dial with a guilloche pattern. The perfect combination of these 3 patterns made the dial quite palatable. The hands of the watch, just like in the model from 1934, are temper blue and very splendid!
The watch has a caliber, which is identified as L893 by Longines but actually 2892 overhauled by ETA. With a power reserve increased from 50 hours to 60 hours thanks to some updates and a silicone balance spring added, this movement is actually an ETA A31.L91.
My own personal thoughts about the watch are also quite positive. Because I am one of the vintage lovers I mentioned at the beginning of my article. I’ve been waiting in excitement since I first saw this watch in January, 2019. It was obvious from the very beginning that it shall be a nice watch, but, frankly speaking, even I haven’t guessed that such a big brand like Longiens would take into consideration the expectations of its own enthusiasts to this extent. Personally, my only criticism about the watch has been on its automatic movement. I thought that a model so faithful to its original would be absolutely produced with a winding movement. Nevertheless, I think it is a watch that shall substantially satisfy those who love both the Longines brand and this kind of vintage models.
