Longines’ tradition of crafting classic chronographs and monopusher chronographs is both solid and long-standing. In the last century, particularly in the early days of aviation, the House of the Winged Hourglass adorned the wrists of some of the most important aviation pioneers and, over the years, has complemented its chronograph functions with other useful complications, suitable for both in-flight use and everyday life.
Today, the chronograph complication features across almost all of Longines’ collections, but the one in which it most clearly expresses its connection to the great models of the past is the Master Collection. It is within this very line that the Saint-Imier-based manufacturer has just unveiled two chronographs that mark a return to the aesthetic and mechanical roots of this complication. These are The Longines Master Collection Chrono Monopusher and The Longines Master Collection Chrono Moonphase.
LONGINES AND THE MONOPUSHER CHRONOGRAPH
Let’s start with The Longines Master Collection Chrono Monopusher. As mentioned at the start, the monopusher chronograph is part of Longines’ history. This was demonstrated at the recent Royal Ascot in London, where British actor Henry Cavill, the brand’s ambassador, appeared with an extremely rare 1926 Longines Chronograph Monopusher Calibre 13.33 on his wrist, on loan from the brand’s museum in Saint-Imier.
Even more recently, there has been no shortage of special editions of Longines’ monopusher chronographs: the one produced in 2012 to mark the brand’s 180th anniversary, the Twenty-Four Hours Chrono Monopusher from 2014, and the Pulsometer Chronograph from 2015, to name but a few. Today, the brand returns to this fascinating complication with The Longines Master Collection Chrono Monopusher, which combines traditional elements with more modern details to create a decidedly interesting watch.
THE LONGINES MASTER COLLECTION CHRONO MONOPUSHER: CASE AND DIAL
The case is classic, round and made of stainless steel, with a fully polished finish and a small, concave bezel that allows the dial to take centre stage. The dimensions are contemporary, certainly not those of the historic 1930s chronographs: 41 mm in diameter, 12.60 mm thick and a substantial lug-to-lug width of 48.60 mm, which the medium-length curved lugs attempt to balance out.
The sapphire crystal protecting the dial features an anti-reflective coating on both the inside and outside, a sign of the great care Longines has taken in creating this watch. It is precisely on the dial that the manufacturer has combined traditional elements with contemporary details, as we mentioned above. The modern touch is undoubtedly the chosen ice-blue shade. It is an extremely on-trend colour, which Longines has already featured in some models from the new HydroConquest collection and which makes the Master Collection Chrono Monopusher particularly attractive.
The colour is paired with a distinctive design. Running along the flange is a pulsometer scale, inspired by those once found on medical chronographs, graduated to 30 pulses. To use it, start the chronograph at the patient’s first pulse, count the beats until the number indicated on the scale is reached (in this case 30), stop the chronograph, and the value indicated by the seconds hand on the scale shows the number of beats per minute.
Within the pulsometer scale lies the minute track, which encircles the inner part of the dial with a beautiful grain d’orge finish. The small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock and the 30-minute sub-dial at 3 o’clock are generously sized and feature a concentric circular finish. Together with the grain d’orge and the sandblasted finish of the pulsometer scale, they lend the watch a lovely sense of dynamism. The Arabic numeral hour markers with vintage styling and the Winged Hourglass logo at 12 o’clock are rhodium-plated and polished, as are all the hands.
THE MONOPUSHER CALIBRE
Longines has also taken great care with the architecture of the L799.5 calibre that powers The Longines Master Collection Chrono Monopusher. It is a hand-wound chronograph movement with a column wheel, a choice in keeping with the watch’s heritage-inspired design. Aesthetically, it stands out for its large central bridge with Côtes de Genève finishing, its blued screws and the column wheel – also blued – which is clearly visible at 3 o’clock. In terms of performance, the calibre, featuring a silicon balance spring, operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour, offering an impressive power reserve of 68 hours. Like all Longines calibres, it is an industrial movement that nonetheless embodies a high level of attention to detail and quality.
The watch is complemented by an alligator strap in anthracite with a steel folding clasp. The Longines Master Collection Chrono Monopusher is also available in a more classic version, featuring a silver opaline dial, polished applied hour markers and 5N rose gold-coloured hands.
THE LONGINES MASTER COLLECTION CHRONO MOONPHASE: THE DIAL
The Longines Master Collection Chrono Moonphase, on the other hand, is a Longines classic, though in this new version it has been ‘streamlined’, refined and made more sophisticated. The updates compared to the previous version are significant. Firstly, the indexes are applied rather than printed, and are blued like all the hands, lending greater chromatic harmony to the overall design. This ensures that the indexes at 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11 are no longer ‘cut off’ by the neighbouring sub-dials but remain intact, clearly visible and more elegant.
The work carried out on the finishes and the sub-dial graphics is remarkable. The classic sub-dial at 12 o’clock – which houses the windows displaying the day of the week, the month and the 30-minute indicator – features a fully concentric finish, smaller hour markers and now incorporates a chemin de fer minute track. The same refinement can be seen in the indexes, the introduction of the chemin de fer and the extension of the concentric finish to the moon phase window at 6 o’clock. The sub-dial at 9 o’clock, which has always been the most complex in this model, has also undergone a drastic simplification; in particular, the design of the 24-hour scale has been harmonised with the overall look of the dial, whereas previously it differed.
Finally, work has been carried out on the monthly calendar and the chronograph minute track. Historically, the latter was positioned on the sloping inner flange, with the calendar at the very edge of the dial. The calendar remains where it was, whilst the chronograph minute track is now positioned inside it, directly on the dial, which is enhanced by the Winged Hourglass – now applied rather than printed – filling the space at 9 o’clock. The grain d’orge finish that completes the aesthetic is denser than that found on previous models.
THE CASE AND CALIBRE OF THE MOONPHASE
As with The Longines Master Collection Chrono Monopusher, here too we have a fully polished stainless steel case measuring 41 mm. Unlike the monopusher model, the thickness is slightly greater, at 13.80 mm, due to the increased number of complication modules housed within the case. The lug-to-lug measurement remains unchanged at 48.60 mm.
For the calibre, Longines has opted to rely on the tried-and-tested movement that already powered previous models in this range. We are referring to the automatic L687.5 calibre, a chronograph movement with a column-wheel mechanism, operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offering a 66-hour power reserve, developed on the ETA 7751 base. Like the monopusher chronograph’s movement, this one is also visible through the sapphire crystal case back. The Côtes de Genève finish here is on the oscillating weight, which is perforated with the Winged Hourglass logo and engraved with the calibre’s reference number; the bridges beneath and the mainplate, on the other hand, are finished with colimaçonage. The bezel has a very pronounced flare, which slims the silhouette of the case back.
Only one dial version of The Longines Master Collection Chrono Moonphase has been produced, though it can be paired with either a strap or a bracelet. The first is blue, made of alligator leather, with a steel folding clasp; the second is a three-row steel bracelet, with the central link satin-finished and the two outer links polished.
THE LONGINES MASTER COLLECTION: TIME-ONLY MODELS
In addition to the two chronographs, the launch of The Longines Master Collection includes several time-only models with date display, featuring a steel case, aimed at both male and female customers. For ladies, Longines has created a model with a 30 mm case, an ice-blue dial and diamond hour-markers, and another with a 34 mm case, a white mother-of-pearl dial and diamond hour-markers. For men, the time-only model measures 39 mm, features an ice-blue dial with a grain d’orge pattern, and comes with an anthracite alligator strap or a three-row steel bracelet, similar to that of the Chrono Moonphase.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ultimately, what characterises the new additions to The Longines Master Collection is a greater focus on aesthetics and a refinement of design; and, in the case of the monopusher chronograph, technical development. This demonstrates Longines’ commitment to continuing to invest, develop and innovate within a collection which, in its classic style, remains one of the most highly regarded. It is no coincidence that the Longines Master Collection, Conquest and HydroConquest together account for around 70 per cent of the brand’s Italian turnover.
This success is likely due to the blend of classicism and modernity that characterises its design, as well as the fact that it is a collection that appeals to both men and women. Not to mention the focus on mechanics, which remains a strong feature of this range. These factors help keep the spotlight on the brand even during challenging times for the global watch market.
By Davide Passoni