How Longines Mastered The Art Of Heritage-Inspired Watch Design

When it comes to watch design, “vintage” has been the magic word for quite some time. Call it a re-issue, a modern re-interpretation, or simply an updated version of a classic. It’s hard to think of a watch industry without vintage-inspired pieces. One of the brands that has mastered the art of vintage-inspired timepieces superbly is Longines. The brand’s Heritage collection is full of great watches that link to Longines’ estimable past. We dived into the collection to find out why the designs make them such great pieces.

Retro design is here to stay. It’s hard to think of a watch industry without newly introduced watches inspired by the archives of all the illustrious brands. It has been a great success for many brands, and some brands have even made it their core proposition. The overall effect is that the number of vintage-inspired pieces vastly outweighs the number of newly designed timepieces we see being released.

Recently on Fratello, we’ve been focusing quite heavily on the new Longines Spirit Collection. For us, that model brings together a lot of the things we as watch wearers look for in modern watch design. Information is clearly displayed. Subtle details give life a dial that, upon first glance, seems restrained. The cases have modern proportions and are excellently machined. Within these watches, tried and tested movements operate. But what really makes the Longines Spirit Collection sing, is the context of its design. To understand that, and to better appreciate Longines’ design pedigree, we need to look beyond that collection itself to appreciate exactly how the current Spirit Collection came to be…

A history of pioneering spirit

The current Longines Spirit Collection is actually part of the Sport line as far as the Longines catalog dictates, but it, like so many models seen in the heritage collection, draws a great deal from the brand’s past.

The key to both the Heritage collection and the Spirit family specifically lay in their genuineness. With a high degree of design fidelity, the source material has been masterfully brought back to life, with the kind of adherence to detail lacking in many such attempts by other brands.

In honor of the Spirit Collection, we decided to look back on some of the recent successes Longines has had across the board when it comes to bringing old models back from the dead. By understanding this long-term pattern of behavior, the presence and development of the Longines Spirit Collection make more sense.

Longines Heritage Classic “Tuxedo” Chronograph

The Longines Heritage collection

Longines is one of those brands that has been great at selecting great watches from its archives and creating a modern version of those classics. The Longines Heritage collection is a walk through the past of the brand that is impressive and inspiring. The Heritage collection foundation dates back to 1987 when former CEO  Walter Von Känel initiated a re-issue of the legendary Lindbergh Hour Angle watch. It celebrated the 60th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s historic non-stop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris aboard the Spirit of St. Louis. And it turned out to be a huge success.

The inspiration for the timepieces in the Heritage collection can be found in the Longines Museum in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. And the great thing is that it is not limited to one specific model or even one type of watch. Because of its long history, Longines has created an incredible number of military watches, pilot’s watches, divers’ watches, and dress watches that all have found their own place in history. And it has made the brand widely loved amongst collectors.

What is key in creating the Heritage collection is that Longines’ history has been very well documented over time. The brand has serial numbers associated with all the Longines watches produced dating back to 1867. And an archive of thousands and thousands of pieces makes it a lot easier to create a new version of a classic. And with almost two centuries of watchmaking history, the brand has a great number of stories to tell.

Longines Heritage Classic “Tuxedo”

The unique character of the Heritage collection

One of the best things about the Heritage collection is the way it is set up. Many brands have based their collections around one specific model range. So they release vintage re-issues of that model that fit within that collection. Or if it’s a re-issue that is not part of a collection, it usually is a one-off limited edition targeted at collectors.

But Longines does not have that restriction. The brand bases its Heritage collection on vintage Longines timepieces from the past and makes them a permanent addition. This clever approach allows the brand to pick every relevant watch from its archives and create a modern version of that watch. It’s the perfect solution to creating a historical collection. It’s the reason the Heritage collection is such a diverse collection and celebrates different eras in Longines history.

Longines Heritage 1918

Designing the classics

But how do you treat the classics of the past? Over the years, we have seen a lot of re-issues from a variety of brands. Most of them look like the original but are not completely true to the original when it comes to design. When you have a large group of enthusiasts and collectors looking over your shoulder, that can be a slippery slope, especially for a historically significant brand as Longines.

Longines has improved the quality of its re-editions tremendously.

But Longines has improved the quality of its re-editions tremendously. Mike referred to some design details frowned upon in the past in his article about the Longines Heritage Classic. The brand could be seen adding text on the dials referring to the modern automatic movement. Next to that, we have seen quite a few date windows that have not been historically correct. But those details have been taken care of over the last two years.

Longines Heritage Diver 1967 Chronograph

Logos from different eras

Recently Longines has stayed as true to the original designs as much as possible. One detail I specifically like is that the brand chooses to use logos from different eras. In a world where uniformity in branding is key, this will give some marketeers and designers nightmares. But it’s how the logo was used back in the day, so it only makes sense to use it on a re-issue. This adherence to the source material is a real masterstroke that few brands have the guts to run with.

Responsible for this task is a small team of in-house designers, as Balazs explained in his review of the Longines Heritage Skin Diver. They deserve credit for creating a great collection of watches and continuously improving the quality of these re-editions. So let’s take a look at some of the watches that make up the Heritage collection.

Longines Heritage Avigation TypeA7 1935

Exploring the Longines Heritage collection

As mentioned, the current Heritage collection consists of a wide array of models. But where else to start than with the pilots’ watches? Currently, Longines has two so-called Avigation watches in the collection. The first is the Longines Avigation BigEye, and the second is the Longines Heritage Avigation Type A7 1935.

The most eye-catching of the two is the Heritage Avigation Type A7 1935. Longines created the original Longines A-7 “Avigation” in the 1930s. That original used to be a 51mm diameter beast of a watch with the dial tilted 40 degrees so pilots could actually read the time without letting go of the stick. The current version is available in a more wearable 41mm steel case and comes with either a white dial with gothic numerals or black with Arabic numerals.

Longines Legend Diver Watch No Date in bronze

Heritage Divers’ watches

Another style of watch enjoying the “heritage treatment” is Longines’ divers’ watches. And over the past few years, we have seen quite a few great releases within the Heritage collection. One of them was the Heritage Diver 1967 Chronograph that Balazs reviewed. However, that is no longer part of the collection. Currently, one of the most popular watches in the Heritage collection is the Legend Diver Watch. The first re-edition was introduced in 2007 and received a lot of praise for being very faithful to the 1960s original.

The No Date version has become much sought after.

Up until very recently, only the versions with a date were available from Longines. The No Date version was out of production for some time and has become much sought after, as you can read in Mike’s article about the Legend Diver No Date. But a couple of weeks ago, Longines surprised us with a bronze No Date version of the Legend Diver. Longines enthusiasts are surely dreaming about a steel version of that same watch.

Longines Skin Diver

Another fine dive watch in the collection is the Longines Skin Diver. Balazs wrote an extensive review expressing his enthusiasm for the watch. One nice detail is that this is one of the very few Longines Heritage models where faux-radium lume is used. The topic has become much discussed with vintage-inspired pieces. I am not always a big fan of “faux-rad” lume, but in this case, it fits the watch very well. As Balazs explained, “I think in this case it helps to achieve an overall vintage look and actually matches the timepiece.”

Longines Heritage Military Marine Nationale

Heritage Military watches

Military watches also make up a significant part of the Heritage collection. Quite a few of the Fratello team love the different military watches. The latest added to the collection is the Heritage Military Marine Nationale that Mike called a “winner” in his review. It uses a now-familiar 38.5mm diameter stainless steel case that is also used for other Heritage models. After World War II, the original watches were designed for the French military and issued to the “Marine Nationale”. For this re-edition, Longines increased the size from 33mm to 38.5mm and updated the movement to the Longines L888 automatic movement.

Longines Heritage Military 1938

A second watch that has been widely praised is the Longines Heritage Military 1938. As Mike stated in his review, “It’s hard not to like the Longines Heritage Military 1938,” and I fully agree. Longines decided to stick to the original 43mm size, which was considered huge at the time of release and served a practical purpose. Nowadays, the size is a common size for a watch case, making it relevant for many buyers. Its size and simplicity in design create a very easy on the eye, almost minimalist aesthetic that looks very nice.

Longines Heritage Military

One last Heritage Military model is the Longines Heritage Military that Balazs reviewed. It’s another perfect example of the effective simplicity of military designs of the past. And once again, it used the 38.5mm case that I previously mentioned. The Heritage Military takes inspiration from the British Royal Air Force’s pilots’ watches during World War II. The brilliantly executed dial is the best feature. As Balazs explained, “It’s actually a very honest color, one that gives back the look of the 1940’s pieces extremely well.”

Longines Heritage Classic Sector Dial

Heritage Classic Models

To close out this overview of some of our favorite models, let’s take a look at the so-called Heritage Classic models. The first is the Longines Heritage Classic with a stunning sector dial. This watch is a recreation of a Longines model from 1934, and it shows how relevant the design is and how classy watches from that era look. As Mike explained, “The Longines Heritage Classic has a true sector dial, and it’s perfectly done.” The design is defined by the white central section, brushed silvery surround, and contrasting black in lines and hour numerals. Once again, Longines uses the same 38.5mm case for this model that people seem to love.

Longines Heritage Classic Chronograph 1946

Another stylish statement is the Longines Heritage Classic Chronograph 1946. Once again, it’s a perfect execution of a faithful and simple dial that not only pleases the brand purists but has the power to win over anyone looking for a vintage-inspired chronograph. As Ben put it perfectly, “The wordmark is so tastefully restrained that at first glance, this could be taken for an unbranded product. But Longines are confident enough and respectful of their heritage to risk this”.

The past informs the future

And Ben perfectly summed up what makes the Longines Heritage collection so special. The secret to success has been to let go of modern standards in branding and be faithful to the past. Leaving out the extra unnecessary details has resulted in a glittering track record. Using the logo as on the original watches is another clever choice. It creates an overall better story and ensures modern branding sensibilities to not disrupt an otherwise faithful update.

The Heritage collection shows how many great designs the brand has produced.

And the Longines Heritage collection does not limit itself to just the models discussed in this article. The Flagship Heritage, the Heritage 1945, the Heritage Classic “Tuxedo’ and the Heritage Classic “Tuxedo Chronograph” are just a few more examples of the collection’s variety. And maybe even more impressive is that the Heritage collection shows how many great designs the brand has produced over the course of almost 200 years.

A timeless brand deserves timeless watches. The above offer some really interesting options for any collection, and the new Spirit models harness the pioneering spirit of a brand that seems willing to acknowledge that the past informs the future. Check out the full collection on the official Longines website here.