Swiss Luxury watch brand Longines has been making watches since 1832. With a rich history and a continuous drive for innovation, the company remains one of the best Swiss watch brands today.
This article will talk about some of the brand’s best watches for men. We’ll provide you with top picks of the different collections, and talk about the features that make them special.
Longines: A History
Swiss watchmaker Auguste Agassiz (the brother of biologist/naturalist Louis Agassiz) started the company in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. During this time, it was still named Rauguel Jeune & Cie.
A few years later, Agassiz started working with his nephew Ernest Francillon, an economist who would later be the person behind some of the company’s most innovative watches. When Agassiz fell ill, leadership was passed to Francillion, who then started to build the company’s first factory for mass production of timepieces.
The factory was built in St. Imier, a place that was referred to as Les Longines (“long meadows”). This is where the name Longines originated. Francillon then invited more experts to the company, and in 1867 they produced their first-ever in-house movement called the 20A, a 20-line caliber with an anchor escapement and a pendant winding and setting mechanism. The revolutionary idea won an award in the same year at the prestigious Universal Exhibition in Paris.
In the years that followed the company grew by learning from research and participation in some of the biggest watch fairs in the world, such as the 1876 World’s Fair in the US, where they learned about the American watch production and applied their learnings to Swiss watchmaking.
The company is currently a subsidiary of the Swiss Swatch Group since 1983.
Best Longines Watches for Men
Longines Men’s Master Collection L2.673.4.78.3
Let’s start off with one of the most popular designs off the Longines Master Collection, a line that promotes elegance and craftsmanship. Launched in 2005, all watches from the collection have self-winding movements.
The Longines L2.673.4.78.3, which has a lot of excellent reviews on Amazon and other sites, has a column-wheel chronograph. There are hours, minutes, and small seconds, and a 24-hour indicator. There is a moon phase display at 6 o’clock, and the date is indicated by the half-moon central hand. The day and month display is at 12 o’clock.
Other features include a brown calf-leather alligator strap, a triple safety folding clasp with a push-piece opening mechanism, and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The water-resistance of this model is 30m, which means it can take minor splashes, but cannot handle immersion in water.
Longines Men’s Master Collection L2.628.4.78.6
This is another watch from the Master Collection, a good model for those who want a simpler design. The Longines L2.628.4.78.6 has legible Arabic numerals and blue steel hand on its round case. The bracelet is stainless steel with a buckle that has a triple safety folding clasp with a push-piece opening mechanism.
The design is simple: hours, minutes, and date at six o’clock. This could be used as an everyday watch, but will also look excellent for dressier occasions.
Longines Heritage 1945 Men’s Watch L2.813.4.66.0
This is another watch that simple in design, but strong in functionality. The Heritage 1945, or the Longines L2.813.4.66.0 off the Heritage Classic collection is a 40mm round watch with a stainless steel case and painted Arabic numerals and indexes.
This model has a rugged, casual look that’s great for everyday use. The blue steel hands on the hours and small seconds at 6 o’clock is a striking accent that brings out the copper dial and the beige calf leather strap. This one has an automatic movement and is made of a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with layers of anti-reflective coating.
Another popular watch from the Heritage collection is the Flagship Heritage – 60th Anniversary 1957-2017, which is available in stainless steel, rose gold, and yellow gold models.
Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Men’s Watch L2.678.4.11.0
The Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch (model L2.678.4.11.0) is another model from the Heritage collection and has a rich history.
The watches from the Longines Heritage collection pay homage to the pioneering spirit and have been used by adventurers on air, land, and sea. The Lindbergh Hour Angle watch is one of the most popular in this collection—a re-issue of the same timepiece that Longines made for American pilot Charles Lindbergh in 1931.
This robust 47.5mm watch has white polished dials and Roman numeral hour markers. This watch is packed with different functions: an hours/minutes/seconds silvered dial and a rotating bezel.
Lindbergh worked with the company to produce the Hour Angle watches after his famous 1927 flight from New York City to Paris. This article has some very interesting stories and a good review of the watch, highlighting that one does not need to know how to use the Hour Angle system in order to appreciate the watch. It’s true—the craftsmanship and high quality of the watch are seen in the movement and materials used, and Longines was able to achieve the vintage aesthetic while keeping in mind the needs of the modern wearer.
Longines Twenty-Four Hours L2.751.4.53.4
Another historical watch from the collection is the Longines Twenty Four Hours (model L2.751.4.53.4), which is a watch that was designed for Swissair pilots in the 1950s. This is a great watch for those looking for a vintage aviator watch design.
As the name suggests, the watch has a 24-hour scale on the case. This could be something that may be challenging to some users, but reviews like this one say that it’s easy to adjust. There’s also minute, seconds, and date functions.
The case is made of stainless steel, the glass is a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, and the case back is transparent with a back cover. The strap is made of alligator and calf (back) leather. In terms of legibility, the wearer will not have difficulty reading, as there are painted Arabic numerals and hands that are painted with the Swiss SuperLuminova.
Another great Aviator style watch by Longines is the Avigation Bigeye L2.816.4.53.2 watch (Amazon | eBay) a vintage-looking 41mm watch with a rugged calf leather strap. This has a column-wheel chronograph with a central 60 seconds hands, a 30 minutes counter at 3 o’clock, and a 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock. This timepiece also has a unique design of having some of the Arabic numerals overlap with some of the chronograph functions (2, 4, and 10 o’clock marks).
Longines Conquest VHP L3.716.4.56.6
The Longines VHP (Very High Precision) is off the Conquest collection, which has watches that exhibit the brand’s expertise in quartz.
This watch has both a sporty and elegant look. The Longines Conquest VHP (model L3.716.4.56.6) is a 41mm stainless steel timepiece with a black case and Arabic numerals and indexes with Swiss Super LumiNova. Powered by a quartz movement, this has simple but accurate functions of hours, minutes, seconds, and date. It’s also equipped with a perpetual calendar.
This is another collection with a fascinating story. This new collection was launched at the Neuchatel Observatory, which is where the first-ever quartz clock developed by Longines equipped with absolute precision was certified.
Longines Hydroconquest Watch L3.742.4.96.6
If you’re looking for a diver-style watch, this is the Longines collection to check out. Promoting technical innovation and craftsmanship, the Longines Sport collection has a line of watches that can be used for the outdoors.
From the HydroConquest collection is the Longines Hydroconquest L3.742.4.96.6, a 41mm watch with striking sunray blue dial. This diver-style watch has silvered hands and applied Arabic numerals and indexes, powered by Super LumiNova. The bracelet is stainless steel with a double safety folding clasp and an integrated diving extension.
Longines 1832 Men’s L4.827.4.92.2
The Longines 1832 collection is the brand’s tribute to the year that the company was created. These watches are simple yet sophisticated and are equipped with Longines movements: the L592 or L888, both of which can be seen from the case back with sapphire crystal.
The L4.825.4.92.2 model is a 40mm stainless steel case and a brown alligator leather strap. The beige dial has applied indexes for hour markers and silver polished hands, which are made more legible with a Swiss SuperLumiNova feature. This one has an automatic movement with an L888 caliber.
Another Longines 1832 model similar to this one is the Longines L4.826.4.92.2 which is also a 40mm watch with an alligator strap. This is also a good choice for those who want an added moon phase design, which is positioned at six o’clock.
Longines Saint-Imier L2.752.4.52.6
The Longines Saint-Imier (model L2.752.4.52.6) is a stainless steel chronograph watch with a black dial and a transparent case back with sapphire crystal. The dial has Applied Arabic numerals and indexes with Swiss Super LumiNova.
This collection pays homage to Saint-Imier, which we talked about earlier. This is the place where the brand was first established in 1832, and still remains there to this day. The watches off this collection are all fitted with mechanical movements that are made in the area.
These 41mm chronograph functions include a central 60 seconds hands, a 30-minute counter, and a 12-hour counter. The buckle has a triple safety folding clasp, and the water-resistant up to 30m.
Longines Record Automatic L2.821.4.96.6
This is a 40mm timepiece with stainless steel case and bracelet a blue dial, and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The hour markers are a combination of Arabic numerals and applied indexes. If you’re looking for a watch with a chronograph that has easy to read markers, this is something that you can take a close look at.
What we like a lot about this watch are the simplicity and legibility, and the numbers and markers are big. This also has a chronometer that’s certified by the COSC (or Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres, the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute.
If you’re not into stainless steel straps, this watch also has a version with a leather band (an alligator leather strap), the Longines Record Collection model L2.821.4.56.2.
Longines Heritage Flagship L4.795.4.78.2
We’ll end the list with a watch that exhibits the company’s dedication to the craft of watchmaking; its expertise in both design and cutting-edge technology.
The Longines Heritage Flagship L4.795.4.78.2 has a simple yet strong design, a vintage-looking watch that will look great in both sexes, thanks to its 38.5mm size.
The hour markers are sleek applied indexes, with gilt hands and Super LumiNova technology. There is a date window at six o’clock. The strap is made of alligator and calf (back) leather.
Many reviews point out the lightness of the timepiece, as well as its flat shape. This is for those who want a watch that will impress, but will also remain-low key while still remaining stylish.
A watch with a similar design from the same collection is the Longines Conquest Heritage L1.645.4.52.4 (Amazon | eBay) which is slightly bigger at 40mm and has a round, black dial with applied indexes and pink-tone hands, as well as a date window at 12 o’clock. This also has Super LumiNova, and has an automatic movement.
Thanks for reading!
We hope that this article allowed you to get to know Longines better. The brand is one of the oldest Swiss watchmakers in the world and remains one of the most respected watch companies today. Rest assured that whatever model you end up getting, the watch has gone through a meticulous process and careful production.