The world-renowned, Swiss luxury watch brand, Longines, has just launched their latest collection, “Longines Spirit”. This collection has been designed in the same manner as the timepieces of famous pioneers that, conquered the air, land and sea, who relied solely on their Longines instruments. Some of these legendary aviators and explorers being; Amelia Earhart, Paul-Emile Victor, Howard Hughes and Elinor Smith, who each put their trust in the winged hourglass brand on their incredible journeys and travels. The Longines Spirit Collection has been created to honour these legendary pioneers, who placed their trust in the brand and to celebrate their lives which continue to inspire us generations later.
The Longines Spirit Collection
The latest Longines collection has been designed with the same features that the world-famous pioneer aviators, trusted and loved. Thanks to the watches and devices sheer accuracy, reliability, robustness and original technology, these legendary explorers were able to journey to unknown lands and, defy all odds in opening up new air routes and establishing aviation records. The Longines Spirit Collection brings this rich heritage back to life, as the watch models link history with innovation.
The new collection takes traditional features from the pilot’s watches and combines them with the contemporary lines and codes of today. The oversized crown, the flange, the pronounced step around the crystal, the front of the dial, the diamond-shaped indexes, and the large, luminous hands are all elements drawn from the days of pioneering aviation. These features have each been reworked and updated, to blend harmoniously with the overall contemporary watch design. Great care has also been taken with the finishes and details of the watch, whether brushed, matt or polished.
The elegance of the Longines Spirit collection is matched only by its state of the art technology. The brand has exclusively fitted this range with self winding movements and silicon hairsprings to further guarantee absolute accuracy and longevity. The calibers have a power reserve of 64 and 60 hours, and are chronometer certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. The advanced technology of the watches in the latest collection is accompanied with a domed sapphire glass, that features a multi layered anti reflective coating on each side, a screw in crown and an engraved case back that is secure with six screws.
The Longines Spirit Collection is available in three models, coming in a matt black, grained silver or Sunday blue dial. Each of the watches is stamped with five applied stars, in Longines tradition, this has forever signified an improvement of the quality and reliability of the brand’s movements and endeavours. The case is adorned with a steel bracelet, or a leather strap available in either dark brown, light brown or blue.
The Legendary Pioneers:
Amelia Earhart: “I have often said that the lure of flying is the lure of beauty.”
Amelia Earhart was the very first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, her journey took her only 14 hours and 56 minutes! Amelia wore her Longines Chronograph along the way, to help guide her through icy winds and mechanical failures, to become the first woman to connect the continents.
Paul-Emile Victor: “The only thing we are sure to fail is that which we do not attempt.”
Paul-Emile Victor was a French explorer, who dedicated his entire life to polar expeditions. He spent 7 weeks crossing the Greenland ice cap in 1936, with his Longines chronometers working in the harshest weather conditions, to help him calculate longitude.
Elinor Smith: “Children must be allowed to dream and have a horizon to work toward. For me there was only one path, I knew from the age of six that I wanted to fly.”
Elinor Smith was an American aviator, who whilst trying to break a world record at 30,000 feet, blacked out as her plane dropped towards the ground. At the very last minute Elinor woke up and managed to land the plane safely. She then, ten days later, soared even higher to set a new record at 32,567 feet, relying on her trusted Longines watch.
Howard Hughes: “Do the impossible, because almost everyone has told me my ideas are merely fantasies.”
Howard Hughes completed an around the world flight record in just 3 days, 19 hours and 14 minutes. This flight was timed by Longines in 1938, Howard is the best known user of Longines Sidérograph, an on board device that was used for celestial navigation, that was patented by Longines.
Longines since 1832, has been making watches that are steeped in tradition, exude with elegance, and provide a performance unlike any other. The Longines Spirit Collection pays such tribute to the exceptional pioneers who have forever left their unforgettable marks on history. All of the watch models from the Spirit Collection come with state of the art technology, resulting in highly accurate movements, feature a classic, yet stylish design, and are all Chronometer certified. The timepieces of the Longines Spirit Collection are a true testimony to “the pioneer spirit that lives on.” For more on the Longines Spirit Collection visit: https://www.longines.com/en-au