With the Heritage Military, Longines once again demonstrates its ambitions for renewal and its desire to honor its history, with refinement and elegance. The watchmaker resuscitates a model from the 1940s originally intended for the Royal Air Force. Design, know-how, heritage ... the last of the Heritage vintage alone concentrates everything that makes up the brand's DNA. Ultra coveted by lovers of fine watchmaking, it will be available at Lepage in the first quarter of 2019.
Available for pre-order on Lepage.fr.
A worthy representative of Maison Longines, the new Heritage Military assumes its pedigree firmly rooted in tradition. It revisits the lines of its elder, worn by the radiotelegraphist of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Stanley Turner, several times decorated for its prowess during the Second World War. It was his own watch, found by a British collector and supplied to Longines, which inspired today's reissue. Enough to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the RAF.
Like all Longines, the Heritage Military seduces without a show. The charm of the "three needles" is embodied here by a 38.5 mm diameter case, giving it more character. At 3 o'clock, there is a large crown, faithful to the period model, designed to easily wind the caliber of the watch, even with gloves.
A perfect dosage
Obliging to remember, the dial is dressed in an off-white finely speckled in order to reproduce the oxidation present on the original watch. If we readily admit that the "falsely aged" is not always the happiest in watchmaking, in this case, it is here expertly made and perfectly balanced. Also note that the spraying of small tasks is done by hand and randomly, making each model unique.
The dial has retro Arabic numerals, whose sobriety breaks with the deep blue of the steel hands. Result? Readability is only better. The whole is protected by a sapphire glass dome with anti-reflective treatment.
To further cultivate its old-fashioned charm, the Longines Heritage Military is expressed on an aged leather strap, or plays with simplicity with a blue or gray NATO. On the movement side, the watch is driven by the L619 / 888 caliber (based on the ETA A31 movement) beating at the rate of 25,200 vibrations per minute, thus ensuring 64 hours of power reserve.
Flawless for this new reference, which, while paying homage to history, is writing its own.
The Longines Heritage Military is available for pre-order on Lepage.fr. And find also the entire Longines Heritage collection here.