Longines Automatic Replicas Sale, Faux Longines Automatic Watches

Longines Presence 23.5 Quartz Yellow (L4.220.2.32.7)

I've had this Longines Presence 23.5 Quartz Yellow (L4.220.2.32.7) watch for about 8 yrs. and it has yet to let me down. I've worn it in all conditions (super hot to super cold) and it's taken a beating but continues to work flawlessly. I can't think of a single bad thing to say about it. I've worn watches almost all my life and have been very happy with the company and it's products.

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Christine :, From Deutschland Wuppertal

Longines HydroConquest Chronograph White Dial Steel Men's Watch L3.690.4.19.6

What A smooth Bargain

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Shelly Lenich, From Uk Wraysbury

Longines Master Austomatic Silver Dial Brown Leather Men's Watch L25184773

I would have rated this a 5 star, but it is too large. I am going to return in hopes of receiving this watch in the Sm/Med. I would love to keep it however it rolls upside not allowing the Drusy to be seen. Please bring the watch back with better sizing. I hope I can get the SM/Med. I will order all three it the smaller size works.

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Warren Tom, From Germany W?rth Am Rhein

As the Title Partner, the Official Timekeeper and the Official Watch of the event, Longines timed all the competitions and also presented two highlights: the Longines Speed Challenge, won by Gregory Wathelet on Egano van het Slogenhof, and the Longines Grand Prix, won by Patrice Delaveau on Lacrimoso 3 HDC ().

The Swiss watch brand also competed to the charity Pro-Am competition on Saturday evening. This trial aims to raise funds for Amade, the foundation of Princess Caroline de Hanovre, which commits to the protection and blossoming of worldwide children.
On Sunday, Longines participated to the action "Clear the Jump", organized by JustWorld, an association which helps children to get out of poverty. During the Longines Grand Prix, 200 meals were offered every time the Longines jumps were cleared. Thanks to this action, Longines could contribute to offer 5'000 meals to the young people helped by JustWorld.

The Official Watch of the Longines Masters of Paris is a model from the new Longines DolceVita collection, which represents contemporary elegance of the Longines watchmaking brand worldwide.
The public attending the Longines Masters of Paris could discover the new Longines DolceVita and many other collections of the Swiss watch brand in the Village Prestige. For the first time in Paris, Longines offers the opportunity to buy its elegant timepieces on site.

Sunday 4 October 2015, the ten thousands of spectators gathered in the enclosure have been holding their breath until Golden Horn and Lanfranco Dettori were the first across the finish line to carry off the 2,400-metre Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. For the fifth consecutive year, Longines had the privilege to measure the performances of the best international jockeys and horses that have been competing against each other on the prestigious Longchamp racecourse.

The Swiss watch brand was also presenting an international Group 1 race, the Prix de l'Opera Longines. This elegant 2000 meter race reserved for thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older was won by Covert Love ridden by Patrick Joseph Smullen.

This unmissable rendezvous of the flat racing season is the perfect occasion for Longines to present the Official Watch of the event, a chronograph in steel from the Conquest Classic Moonphase collection. With a diameter of 42 mm, this model houses a self-winding mechanical chronograph movement. Its silvered dial makes an elegantly contrasting background to the moonphase display.

Involved in equestrian sports for more than a century, Longines is proud to support this prestigious event as the Official Partner and Timekeeper. This week-end will be filled with tradition, elegance and performance, values that are shared by both these high-level races and the Swiss watch brand.

In the context of its partnership with France Galop, Longines is the Official Timekeeper of the racecourses of Chantilly, Deauville and Longchamp, as well as the Title Partner of the Prix de Diane Longines. The Swiss watch brand is also partner of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club.

The magical backdrop of Port d'Hercule and the Prince's Palace in Monaco provided once again a spectacular venue for the seventh round of the Longines Global Champions Tour from 25 to 27 June. Friday was marked by the victory of Iñigo Lopez de la Osa Escribano on Cascin and Abdelkebir Ouaddar on Cordano Sitte Z at the Longines Pro-Am Cup, while Scott Brash riding Hello M'Lady won the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix du Prince de Monaco presented by HSBC Private Bank (Monaco) SA on Saturday. To honour these amazing performances, they were all presented with elegant Longines by Mr. Charles Villoz, Vice President of Longines.

This event offered a great opportunity to discover the new Conquest Classic Moonphase, Longines chronographs which include a moonphase display. The sophistication of these timepieces makes them eminently refined watches and echoes the excellence and elegance of the stars of the equestrian universe.

Longines is the Title Partner, as well as the Official Timekeeper and Watch of the Longines Global Champions Tour. This prestigious series brings together the Top 30 ranked show jumpers in the world to compete in some of the world's greatest cities.

Mr Juan-Carlos Capelli, Vice President of Longines and Head of International Marketing, and Mr Christophe Ameeuw, Founder and CEO of EEM, announced a new partnership during a press conference held on Tuesday 23 June 2015 in Ecaussinnes.

This important agreement sees the Swiss watch brand becoming the Title Partner, as well as the Official Timekeeper and Watch of the Longines Masters. From now on, the three show jumping events set up by the Belgian organizer and held in Los Angeles, Paris and Hong Kong bear the name of Longines and become the Longines Masters of Los Angeles, the Longines Masters of Paris and the Longines Masters of Hong Kong. The Swiss watch brand already was the Official Timekeeper and Watch of all the events organized by EEM, as well as the Title Partner of the competitions held in Los Angeles and Hong Kong.

In addition, Longines gives its name to two highlights of each one of these events: the exciting Longines Speed Challenge and the renowned Longines Grand Prix. In the Longines Speed Challenge, the competitors' aim is to achieve the fastest time, knowing that 2 penalty seconds are added for each pole that is knocked down, while the Longines Grand Prix celebrates the highest level of show jumping.

The Longines Masters combine the very best sports level and the most elegant lifestyle with a unique staging. They are prestigious 5* indoor show jumping events where the best riders in the world are competing. Indeed, Longines and EEM share common values such as elegance, tradition and performance.

Former Olympic showjumper, two-term President of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), FEI Honorary President and Classic-winning racehorse owner, HRH Princess Haya received the honour in recognition of "Her outstanding elegance as a competitor, a leader and a woman working tirelessly for the good of equestrian sports" said Mr. Juan-Carlos Capelli, Vice President & Head of International Marketing of Longines.

HRH Princess Haya received the 2015 Longines Ladies Award consisting of a Longines pocket watch: The Longines Equestrian Pocket Watch Horses Trio 1911. The model that served as an inspiration for this 18-carat rose gold very limited edition is a Longines pocket timepiece dating from 1911 with a cleverly crafted background depicting a trio of horses. The heads of these three proud animals stand out against a background of delicately worked foliage. This model features the L878.4 calibre with manual winding, a Longines Manufacture movement.

The Longines Ladies Awards recognise the success and achievements of elegant women at the very highest level of the global equine sports industry. The jury featured three leaders in world equestrianism: Mr. Ingmar de Vos, President of the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale); Mr. Louis Romanet, Chairman of the IFHA (International Federation of Horseracing Authorities); and Mrs. Nathalie Belinguier, President of the FEGENTRI (International Federation of Gentleman and Lady Riders).

Steffi Graf became Stefanie Graf in 1998. The nickname of a tennis prodigy is today the patronym of a 45 year-old lady who goes about her life far away from the tennis court but close to children, to whom she has dedicated her foundation. Longines supports it as part of a well-balanced sponsorship strategy.

"Tennis doesn't really interest me any more. That chapter is now closed." Stefanie Graf leaves little room for doubt when asked about her life in 2015. Visiting the Roland Garros tournament the former world number one acts as an ambassador for Longines in aid of children who have been traumatised by exile, war and violence. "Children for Tomorrow" her foundation, has been supported by Longines since 2008.

Such partnerships are not that common in the business of sport. Stefanie Graf, who earned some 22 million dollars in her career, married Andre Agassi in 2001, himself a winner of an additional 31 million. So it's by no means a question of money.

Furthermore, both spouses manage their own foundation, both have retired from their sport and therefore offer much less media exposure than the current champions. So why engage with a couple that is doubtless still glamorous but much less visible than any other ambassador who is still active in the sport?

The key word is elegance
The official reply from Longines comes as one word: "elegance". The brand groups its ambassadors under this heading, without necessarily communicating what the objective criteria for judging such "elegance" are.

In reality, the balance among the Longines ambassadors is subtle and comprises a mixture of visible stars and lesser-known but highly active personalities, in other words a mixture of form (media exposure) and substance (work on the ground by those who have retired from their careers).

This strategy started in 2007, when Longines took over tennis from its sister brand Rado. Andre Agassi signed up with the brand in the same year and was followed by his wife the following year. High-profile actors such as Simon Baker and Kate Winslet later joined the committed duo. And the Longines sponsorship model was born.

From Roland-Garros to Kosovo
Stefanie Graf's commitment is as deep as it is tangible. "We are based in Hamburg but we also work in Cape Town, Eritrea and Kosovo," she points out. "We work with children who are sometimes not even two years old, with the help of psychologists and translators. We have a permanent team of 20 people who have already helped some 350 children."

It's easy to imagine what a return to the world of tennis by Steffi Graf would generate in terms of enthusiasm...and visibility for Longines. But the woman concerned dismisses this out of hand: "As a player, there is no question of it, I don't play any more and in any case my body would not be able to withstand it (Editor's note: Steffi Graf had already suffered major injuries and undergone operations to her back and knees in 1997 and 1998As a coach I would be on the road for around 30 weeks of the year but today I have a husband, two children and a foundation. My life is already busy enough!" So only the legend of Steffi Graf remains, but given that she still has a loyal following of fans from 7 to 77 years old, it is still b even 15 years after her retirement.

Longines' passion for equestrian sports dates back to more than a century. In 1878, the Swiss watch brand produced a chronograph engraved with a jockey and his mount. The Longines Equestrian Pocket Watch Horses Trio 1911 was inspired by a metal pocket watch kept in the Longines museum and produced in 1911.

This 18-carat rose gold pocket watch has a cleverly crafted background depicting a trio of horses. The heads of these three proud animals stand out against a background of delicately worked foliage. The plant motifs are repeated in the middle of the piece. This unusual model is produced in a very limited edition. Each copy is numbered.

With a diameter of 48.20 mm, this model features the L878.4 calibre with manual winding. This movement is developed exclusively for Longines. Its white dial is decorated with large black painted Arabic numerals and a minute circle. It displays the hours and minutes with elegant "Breguet"-type blued steel hands and there is a small seconds at 6 o'clock. The sides and the bow on this watch are finely crafted in imitation of the original model.

Longines was proud to present the Conquest Classic Moonphase, dedicated to its passion for equestrian sports, during the 2015 Longines Hong Kong Masters. This edition of the event was held from February 13th to 15th at AsiaWorld-Expo. The Swiss watch brand has been the Title Partner and Official Timekeeper of this prestigious event since its first edition in 2013.
The Longines Hong Kong Masters is part of the Masters Grand Slam: a series of indoor equestrian events which attract the best horse riders in the world to take part in exceptional competitions held in Asia, America and Europe

On Friday, Julien Epaillard on Pigmalion du Rozel won the Longines Speed Challenge, while Scott Brash on Hello Annie secured the second place and Gerco Schröder on Glock's Prince de Vaux was third. Sunday was marked by the win of John Whitaker on Argento, followed by Henrik von Eckermann on Gotha FRH and Simon Delestre on Ryan des Hayettes, in front of Longines Ambassador of Elegance Aaron Kwok at the Longines Grand Prix. All winners were honoured by receiving elegant Longines watches from the hands of Mr. Walter von Känel, President of Longines.

Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) have announced that the 2014 Longines World's Best Racehorse Ceremony will be held on 20 January 2015 in London, England, at the hotel Claridge's. The ceremony will honour the top highest rated horses in the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings.
This marks the second Longines World's Best Racehorse Ceremony, following the inaugural event held in December 2013 during the gala dinner of the Longines Hong Kong International Races.

For 2013, Black Caviar (AUS) and Treve (FR) were honored as the world's co-highest rated racehorse. Just A Way (JPN) has led the rankings for the majority of 2014 on the strength of his dominant triumph in the G1 Dubai Duty Free Stakes.

The trophy of the Longines World's Best Racehorse is a crystal vase named Equus. Every year, it is engraved with the name of the Longines World's Best Racehorse and the representative of the winner is presented with an elegant Longines watch. In 2015, a Conquest Classic timepiece, dedicated to Longines' passion for equestrian sports, will be given.

The date of the ceremony will also mark the unveiling of the full Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings and European 2-year-old classifications for 2014.

This weekend in Oslo took place the first round of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping series, consisting of twelve unique qualifying opportunities for the coveted final in Las Vegas in April 2015. The Norwegian qualifying round saw the victory of Jur Vrieling on VDL Zirocco Blue NOP. The Official Watch of the event was a lady model in steel set with 30 diamonds from the Conquest Classic collection, a line dedicated to the equestrian world.

Longines has a long association with equestrian sport, but the Longines FEI World Cup series holds a special place in the heart of the Swiss company which treasures the qualities of tradition, precision and elegance. Longines' passion for equestrian sports
began indeed in 1878 with the production of a chronograph featuring an engraved jockey and his mount.

As the Official Partner of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), Longines was the Official Timekeeper for the 45th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, held in Nanning, China. During this world class event, the brand awarded the Longines Prize for Elegance to Kohei Uchimura (Japan), winner of the all-around title for the fifth year in a row and Yao Jinnan (China), silver medalist in the team competition. In addition, Longines Ambassador of Elegance Aaron Kwok came to congratulate the Chinese men's team on delivering a brilliant performance and winning the World Championships title.

Set up in 1997, the Longines Prize for Elegance is aimed at honouring the most elegant and charismatic sportswomen and men. Apart from purely technical considerations, the criteria applied by the jury are based on grace, harmonious movement and emotion during the performances. The winners of the Longines Prize for Elegance received a trophy, a Longines watch, as well as cheque worth US$ 5,000.

Symbolising the contemporary elegance of the brand, the Conquest Classic collection highlighted this important international competition in Nanning. Housing a mechanical calibre, the Official Watch of the event displays a white mother-of-pearl dial and 12 diamond indices. This magnificent timepiece in steel and rose gold cap is the perfect illustration of the famous Longines slogan: "Elegance is an attitude".

Longines first became involved in gymnastics in 1912, when it launched an innovative electro-mechanical timing system. For over twenty years the brand has been the official partner and timekeeper for artistic and rhythmic gymnastics competitions organised by the International Gymnastics Federation.

The founding of the Swiss Confederation on 1 August 1291 is celebrated each year with a typically Swiss mixture of solemnity and festivities. One element that was lacking this year, however, was the summer sun.

Switzerland has had a shockingly bad summer, with some localities even experiencing horrendous floods. It's the kind of weather that hampers the use of a watch like the Longines Hour Angle, which we wrist-tested over the past few weeks, because you need to see the sun at least briefly in order to establish the correct solar time.

In fact, the best timepieces for the recent conditions were probably the high-performance diver's models that we featured in our second instalment of diver's watches last week.

In our second article on the categories in this year's Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix we looked at the sports watches, which cover all bases - from football to Formula 1 via… military aviation. With ten more categories to analyse, I'm sure this won't be the last of the surprises.

Some of our colleagues will be returning from sunnier climes this week and we hope that they will be bringing some of the nice weather back with them. We will at least be injecting a little sunshine into our Summer Watches series this week as we take a look at watches with summer landscapes.

Longines will be launching a brand-new project: the Longines Future Ski Champions. This competition will take place in Val d'Isere from 12 to 14 December. Fourteen skiers under the age of 16 from 14 different countries will be competing against each other in a two-run giant slalom on the lower section of the official slope for the FIS World Cup. The conditions and the timing equipment will be the same as those for the official races. The prizes will be awarded in the presentation arena, just before the draw for the official competition on the following day. The champion for 2013 will win a Longines watch, a trophy and a cheque for USD 20,000 for its national skiing federation, intended to be invested in developing activities for young people. Longines ambassador of elegance and Norwegian skiing champion Aksel Lund Svindal will also be promoting this competition.
 This year, the Swiss watch brand will once again be presenting the Longines Rising Ski Stars prize to the two most successful young skiers, i.e. under 21 years of age for the girls and under 23 for the men, who take part in the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup. At the end of the season the winners will each receive a Longines watch, a trophy and a cheque for CHF 20,000. The two initiatives reflect Longines' commitment to promoting sport among young people. The brand also organises the Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament during the French Open at Roland Garros. Moreover, at the Prix de Diane Longines the brand also holds the Prix Longines Future Racing Stars, a race for young jockeys organised in collaboration with international schools. A chronograph in the Conquest Classic line will be the official watch for the season. With a diameter of 41 mm, the steel case of this model houses the L688 exclusive column-wheel chronograph movement. The black dial features one Arab numeral and 11 hour symbols coated with Super-LumiNova®. This timepiece is water-resistant to 5 bars and has a transparent sapphire, screw-on back cover. 

Title Partner and Official Timekeeper of the Longines Global Champions Tour, Longines partnered the Monaco leg of the competition and presented two of its major events: the Longines Pro-Am Cup on Friday, won by Mark McAuley riding Loriot and by Maddalena Valenzano Menada on Quidana, and the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of the Prince of Monaco on Saturday, the latter won by Richard Spooner on Cristallo followed by the riders William Funnell and Edwina Tops-Alexander.
 

The winners were each presented with a Longines wristwatch as they improved their rankings in the Longines Global Champions Tour Ranking.
This year, the official watch of the Monaco show jumping competition is a model from the new Conquest Classic line, dedicated to Longines's support of equestrian sport disciplines. This new collection of models is fitted with self-winding calibres.
 

An exceptional jury, chaired by Simon Baker and made up of Nathalie Belinguier, President of the International Federation of Gentlemen and Ladies Riders, Francesca Cumani, equestrian sports anchor on CNN, Louis Romanet, President of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities and Ingmar De Vos, General Secretary of the International Equestrian Federation, awarded the Longines Ladies Awards 2013 to Princess Zahra Aga Khan, Athina Onassis de Miranda and Sophie Thalmann. With this prizes, Longines wishes to highlight the elegance of careers dedicated to the equine cause.
 

Princess Zahra Aga Khan received an award for her commitment to horsebreeding.
Athina Onassis de Miranda received an award for her contribution to the development of equestrian sports in Latin America, in particular through the Athina Onassis Horse Show.
Sophie Thalmann received an award for promoting the equestrian world through arts and media.
 

The ceremony, which took place in the beautiful gardens of Chantilly castle, was followed by a gala dinner inside the gallery of painting in the Château de Chantilly.
As the official partner of some of the most prestigious flat races in the world, the Swiss watchmaker has created a new collection, Conquest Classic, suitable for wearing in all the excitement of the winner's enclosure at prestigious racecourses. Set with 30 diamonds, the official watch of the Prix de Diane Longines is a marriage of steel and rose gold and features a white mother-of-pearl dial with diamond indices.

As a partner of the most prestigious flat races in the world, Longines was keen to launch a collection of timepieces to be worn amidst the excitement of the parade rings at Chantilly, Hong Kong, Royal Ascot or Dubai racecourses.

As a tribute to the chronographs produced from 1881 on for race-goers and jockeys in New York, the famous Swiss watchmaker has now launched the Conquest Classic line. True to the brand's values of elegance, tradition and performance, this new collection of models, all fitted with self-winding calibres, is at the same time totally contemporary and perfectly timeless.

The "Conquest" brand was patented through the WIPO on 25 May 1954. Since then this name has been used for many successful models manufactured by Longines across the years. Today, Conquest Classic joins the brand's other collections of classical beauty that have helped to make Longines' reputation and success throughout the world. This new line is dedicated to those race-goers who share the excitement of the season's most prestigious race meetings, from Chantilly to Hong Kong and from Dubai to Royal Ascot.

Conquest Classic is available in three sizes. The ladies' models have a diameter of 29.50 mm and show the hours, minutes and seconds as well as the date; they are available in steel, rose gold or in a combination of steel and rose gold. The black or silvered dial has applied 12, 6 and 9 numerals, lending this model a truly sporty look. The various versions are also available with a diameter of 40.00 mm. The mother-of-pearl dial set with 12 diamonds lends the ladies' models an extra air of refinement, and in some models the bezel is also set with 30 diamonds. These models are fitted on black alligator straps or steel or steel and rose gold bracelets, each to match the dial. All straps and bracelets all have a folding safety clasp.

With a diameter of 41 mm, the chronographs are fitted with an L688 column-wheel movement specially developed and produced by ETA exclusively for Longines. The case is either in steel, steel and rose gold or rose gold alone. The silvered or black dial shows the hours and minutes, with a small seconds at 9 o'clock, date and chronograph functions: a centre sweep seconds, a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock and a 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock. These chronographs are fitted on a black alligator strap or a steel or steel and rose gold bracelet, all having a folding safety clasp.

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Elegance has always been one of Longines' core values, as can be seen in the brand's timepieces, famous for their clever balance of refinement and classical design. The Australian actor Simon Baker, who joined the family of Longines ambassadors of elegance last June, is the perfect embodiment of the very essence of elegance. In the second part of Longines advertising campaign, he is featured wearing a three-piece suit in a city apartment. On his wrist, the Longines Master Collection Moon Phases adds a touch of refinement to the scene. This emblematic model perfectly represents Longines' watchmaking heritage and know-how.

When asked to define his idea of elegance, Simon Baker emphasises that "Longines' motto "Elegance is an Attitude" is a way of being - the way you carry yourself and the perception you give off. For me, elegance means being self-confident, being able to feel comfortable in all situations and always being true to yourself. Elegance involves staying curious, keeping one's self control and above all enjoying life!"

With his natural charm, Simon Baker lends a new brilliance to The Longines Master Collection Moon Phases model. Fitted with a self-winding calibre, this timepiece, with a diameter of 42 mm, is mounted on a brown alligator strap. The silvered dial, subtly decorated with a fine barleycorn motif, contrasts bly with the moon phases display and the blued hands - a fount of elegance in itself..
The final part of the advertising campaign will be revealed in a few months' time, with a new series of exclusive photos of Simon Baker.

IW Magazine - August 13, 2012
The Longines LegacyAmong the museums, manufactures and historic landmarks that dot the villages of the Swiss Jura Mountains, the heart of the country's watchmaking district, the Longines Museum at Saint-Imier is a standout. Located in a wing of the brand's manufacture, one of the first to be established in the region, the museum traces the history of Longines from 1832, and in so doing, comprises one of the most comprehensive histories of Swiss watchmaking.
Longines celebrates that heritage this year, on its 180th anniversary, with the Saint Imier Collection of mechanical timepieces, a tribute to the town where it all started. Inspired by models produced during the brand's history, the collection includes a chronograph and a prestige model featuring four retrograde functions, containing the caliber L707 movement developed and made by ETA exclusively for Longines. It also has day/night and moonphase indications.
The cases are either steel, rose gold or two-tone, with a choice of four case sizes. Dials are black, silvered or mother-of-pearl with diamond indices. All are fitted with mechanical movements.
Cottage industry
Like most Swiss watch companies, Longines began life as a comptoir d'etablissage, the French term for what we would call a cottage industry. The owner of an etablissage produced watches by dividing the work according to components and contracting the production into small, specialized units. He would then assemble the final components and sell the finished watches to outside distributors and agents or at fairs. The first watches were carried out of the valley by donkey, then by stagecoach.
In the case of Longines, the founding assembleur/watchmaker was Auguste Agassiz, who assigned to local craftsmen the production of dials, hands and movement components.

Making a watch in 1830 involved fifty-four distinct steps, rising to something like 100 at the end of the century. These were executed by nearly as many types of craftsmen, including jobs as esoteric as scratch-brush scraper and case-spring maker.
Most of the craftsmen were farmers who worked on watches during the long winters.
These home workshops were called "counters" - "comptoir d'etablissage" translates literally to "counter manufacturing," a method of watch production that remained a local practice until the 1970s.
Agassiz's nephew, Ernest Francillon, succeeded him at Agassiz & Compagnie. When he took over in 1866, Francillon bought two adjacent parcels of land on the River Suze in Saint-Imier and built the region's first semi-mechanized watch workshop, or manufacture, making the decision to group all the steps in one place, with a staff that worked full-time, rather than only in the winter.
He started with thirty or forty workers, and by the end of the century, employed 853 people. By 1912, 1,200 people worked for Longines. The population of Saint-Imier was 8,000.
Sunlight
The manufacture was built in the typical style of the Jura to allow maximum sunlight in the days before electricity. The buildings were rectangular, rather than square, with floor-to-ceiling windows placed close together to bring light to the workbenches. The narrow width of the building, with windows on each side, prevented the rooms from being dark in the middle.
Francillon also changed the company name. Instead of following the convention of using a family name (Aggasiz was not his name, after all) he took the nickname of the land where the manufacture was built: Es Longines, which is latin and old French for "the flat middle."

The plot of land he had chosen was the flattest place in the village wedged between Chasseral Mountain and Mont-Soleil. It was also chosen because of its proximity to the River Suze. There was no electricity at the time, so the river was tapped to run the machines.
Francillon made two more decisions that would establish Longines as a world-class brand. He was the first watchmaker in the district to create a logo, a winged hourglass, and it is now the oldest brand logo on record registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization. Secondly, he instituted the policy of numbering every watch produced by the manufacture.
Ledgers
The brand's museum features a separate library containing the livres etablissage, a collection of 800 leather-bound ledgers that contain the number and details of every watch made by Longines since 1857. They list the caliber, model, a description and the name of the agent to whom each watch was sold.
"We use these books every day because we get so many requests for information," says Jennifer Bochud, the museum curator, who is in regular contact with the auction houses that sell watches.

"This adds a tremendous value to the watch," she says. "It also adds value for Longines, because we also find out more information about the watches—they travel all over the world, as if they have a life."
The books record these details from number one to number 15-million, stretching from 1857 to 1969. Since then, the data has been computerized. By the brand's 175th anniversary in 2007, it had produced 34 million watches. (Bochud wears number 37-million.)
Company milestones
Francion died in 1900, and the company passed to a succession of leaders. In 1969, Walter Von Kanel became president, and still holds that position at the age of 71. The museum outlines the progression of technological advances represented by the manufacture's production over the years and some of the brand's milestones.
Until about 1830, locally made timepieces were heavy pocket watches with a crown-wheel verge escapement. Soon the new Lepine design allowed watchmakers to make slimmer and cheaper watches that kept better time. By the late 1860s, they had turned to the Roskopf design as rugged and reliable as it was cheap.
By the early 1870s, Longines was building chronometer movements, while its first time-measurement devices date from 1878.
In 1920, the factory launched a movement with an eight-day power reserve, used in a series of pieces that included small clocks.
In 1923, French scientist Jean Lecarme led an expedition on Mont Blanc, he took ten Longines chronometers with him.
Longines was a member of the Aeronautical Association. In 1927, it recorded the famous flight of Charles Lindbergh from New York to Paris. Afterwards, he wrote a letter to Longines, outlining the functions he'd like to have on his watch, so Longines made one for him. The company still produces a version of this watch.
A frequent entrant in World Expositions, Longines won ten Grand Prix medals at the 1929 Barcelona exhibition.
In 1945, Longines introduced its first self-winding movement, caliber 22A. It was a circular movement measuring 21.5mm, with subsidiary seconds.
In 1954 the company made its first transportable quartz clock. It was used for sports timekeeping, and was accompanied by a photo finish mechanism. Longines has long been active in equestrian sports, archery and skiing.
In the 1950s, Longines began to name collections. In 1954 it launched the Conquest collection, and in 1957, the Flagship.
The brand started producing quartz watches in 1969. At that time, the brand was making twenty percent quartz and eighty percent mechanical movements. Eight years later, the proportion was just the opposite.
The quartz layoffs

Since quartz movements require less work, Longines, like all Swiss brands, had to lay off many workers during this period. Between 1975 and 1985, watch industry employment in the Saint-Imier area went from 3,000 jobs to 900 jobs.
Today, the equation of Longines production has reversed again, with seventy percent devoted to mechanical movements. During the 1970s, LCD was introduced into the collection as the result of a collaboration between Texas Instruments and ETA, which was by then making Longines' movements.
Longines was in the forefront of many of the most important trends in watchmaking during this period. In 1978, it was producing watches with a very slim quartz caliber, and in the 1980s, introduced two-tone watches into its collections. In 1987 Longines produced its first reproduction of the Lindbergh watch.
In 1983 the Swatch Group acquired Longines. The Group's ETA division had been making the brand's movements for several years because the last manufacture movement (L990) made by Longines was in 1977. After that, the brand used movements made by ETA, which today occupies a section of the Longines manufacture that is dedicated to making movements exclusive to the brand. Thus, the Saint-Imier headquarters has returned to the role of the manufacture.

Elegance begins
By the end of the 1990s, Longines introduced the advertising slogan "Elegance is an Attitude," and entered partnerships with the brand's first ambassadors. In 2001, the company produced its 30-millionth watch. By 2007, the brand introduced the MasterCollection, made up entirely of mechanical watches, including the MasterCollection Retrograde, with an exclusive movement fitted with retrograde functions. The Longines Sport Collection was also introduced in 2007.
Today Longines focuses on a mix of sporty models and dress pieces. The 2012 releases focus on the brand's four pillars: Elegance, Watchmaking Tradition, Sport and Heritage.

Elegance: The elegant aspect of its lines is exemplified in the Longines PrimaLuna, the Longines DolceVita and the La Grande Classique de Longines collections.
Watchmaking Tradition: The Longines Master Collection is an example of the brand's technical and aesthetic expertise, while the brand's Evidenza was inspired by the Art Deco movement. And a prime focus this year is the Saint-Imier Collection, this series of exceptional pieces is intended as a tribute to the town central to Longines' founding and development.
Sport: Longines' involvement in sport dates back to 1878 with its first chronograph movement, the 20H. The Longines Sport Collection is a tribute to its history in the world of sport while Conquest and HydroConquest lines represent further explorations into aquatic sports.
Heritage: Among the exceptional pieces: the Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch, a re-issue of the timepiece developed for the American pilot Charles Lindbergh in 1931. The Longines Weems Second-Setting Watch, a tribute to the navigation system devised by Captain Philip van Horn Weems, and the Longines Twenty-Four Hours, a re-issue of a watch designed in the 1950s specially for Swissair pilots, are also among the stars among the Heritage models.

As the official timekeeper for the World Cup Alpine skiing competitions organised by the International Skiing Federation (FIS) during the 2010-2011 season, Longines will be present on the slopes for a whole series of events to be held in Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Finland, France, USA, Italy, Norway, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland and Slovenia. This year the brand will be launching its Conquest Chronograph, a timepiece that combines all the technical characteristics required by the most demanding sportsmen and women. During the season all eyes will be on Longines Ambassador of Elegance, Aksel Lund Svindal, the Norwegian whose performance in 2009-2010 was truly remarkable. Longines would like to take this opportunity to wish him every success in the coming events.
As Walter von Känel, President of Longines, said, "Longines is looking forward to the new skiing season and the magnificent competitions that we can expect. We are delighted to now be present in all the countries of the FIS World Cup! "

Meanwhile, Gian-Franco Kasper, President of the FIS, commented "The FIS is delighted that the long-term relationship between Longines and the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is going from strength to strength. The sport of Alpine ski racing relies 100% on accurate timing. A total of 78 competitions will be staged in 14 countries, which requires an experienced global partner equipped to handle this massive task. With Longines we know that we are in the best possible hands."
The brand's long association with competitive skiing started in Chamonix in 1933. The winter contracts for timing international skiing events that followed gave Longines the opportunity to introduce many technological innovations, since each era has presented its own specific demands. Over time, the technical requirements in timekeeping have become much more stringent. For the men's downhill, for example, the FIS now requires five intermediate times and two speed measurements as well as the final time. In addition, all measurements must be to one hundredth of a second.

During the 2010-2011 skiing season Longines will be launching its Conquest Chronograph, a model that perpetuates the spirit of conquest demonstrated by those who dared to go just that little bit further to reach new horizons. It is on the basis of this spirit of adventure and its own heritage that Longines has designed the Conquest Chronograph models. They aim to attract today's sportsmen and women, who demand efficiency and performance without sacrificing elegance.
During the coming season all eyes will be on Aksel Lund Svindal, one of Longines' Ambassadors of Elegance. His performance during the 2009-2010 season was truly outstanding and Longines takes this opportunity to congratulate him and wish him every success during the coming months. The brand is looking forward to seeing its Ambassador of Elegance on the podium again very soon.

In 1947 France instigated a series of exploratory missions to the Arctic and Antarctica under the leadership of a renowned scientist, Paul-Emile Victor. These expeditions brought together geologists, geodesists, meteorologists, physicists, biologists, geographers and glaciologists all were aiming to explore, study and understand the North and South Poles. The mass of equipment required by the first Paul-Emile Victor missions for exploring these inhospitable regions included four Longines ship's chronometers and fifteen Longines wristwatches which were used for determining their astronomical position. In honour of these exploratory missions the Swiss watchmaker has re-issued the time-piece used by the scientists on the Expeditions Polaires Françaises - Missions Paul-Emile Victor to explore Greenland and the Adelie Coast.

In the second half of the 1940s, public opinion was fascinated by the most distant corners of the Earth, which aroused a passionate interest among many people. Like other countries, France set up a body for organising national scientific expeditions, namely to the Arctic and Antarctica. Paul-Emile Victor, an ethnologist and explorer who had already spent a good deal of time in Greenland during the 1930s, was mandated to create and manage the new office. Between 1947 and 1976 the Expeditions Polaires Françaises - Missions Paul-Emile Victor organised 150 trips to Greenland and the Adelie Coast, led by the ethnologist.

A considerable amount of equipment was necessary for these expeditions in order to deal with the difficult conditions that prevailed in the inhospitable areas to which they were going. For example the expedition that left Europe in May 1948, took seven amphibious tracked vehicles, two Dakota aircraft, tractors, laboratory trailers, a mobile weather station, tents, sledges and 30 lorry-loads of supplies. For this exploratory trip the scientists also took four Longines chronometers, three being set to civil time and one to sidereal time. Fifteen members of the expedition wore stainless steel wristwatches made by Longines. These time-measuring instruments were intended primarily for determining the astronomical position of the expedition (they were also used for precise geodesic calculations). The reports on the performance of these timepieces written by the scientists who used them are a reminder of the crucial role such instruments played in scientific expeditions to the remotest parts of the world. By being part of these scientific expeditions in the mid-20th century, Longines also travelled northwards and southwards, to the two Poles.

The Longines watch that the members of the Expeditions Polaires Françaises - Missions Paul-Emile Victor wore was a stainless steel wristwatch with a centre seconds. A centrally mounted second hand was still quite rare in the 1940s but apparently met the need for easy reading, as illustrated by the use of luminescent coating on the hour symbols, the numerals and the hands. A point of interest is that the Longines 12.68N calibre used in this model had an anti-shock device that was different from the standard feature in other Longines watches.

Longines has decided to re-issue the timepiece that accompanied the scientists who took part in the Expeditions Polaires Françaises - Missions Paul-Emile Victor as a tribute to these expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica to explore the remotest corners of our planet. The Longines Expeditions Polaires Françaises - Missions Paul-Emile Victor watch is an accurate reproduction of the instrument used at the time by the geologists, geodesists, meteorologists, physicists, biologists, geographers, glaciologists and film-makers that joined the expedition. Fitted with a self-winding mechanical movement, this model has a date aperture at 3 o'clock and a silvered dial with hour symbols and Arabic numerals, as well as hands coated in Super-LumiNova. It is available on a strap in either genuine brown alligator skin or black leather. The Longines Expeditions Polaires Françaises - Missions Paul-Emile Victor watch is engraved on the back of the stainless steel case, recalling the two geometrically opposed destinations of these legendary expeditions - the Arctic and Greenland, and the Antarctic and the Adelie Coast.

1980s: More ultra-thin designsTechnical innovation marked the start of the decade and opened new areas to pioneering design. In 1980 the creation of a diminutive movement, caliber L960, designed for women's watches, gave Longines' creative teams fresh impetus, resulting among other successes in a silver medal at the Bijhorca jewelry and watch salon in Paris. Longines' "Clip" design also won the Montres et Bijoux de Geneve prize that year.In 1982 Longines celebrated its 150th anniversary with a collection of ultra-slim gold watches called Agassiz. Only 3 mm thin yet water-resistant. These models have remained in the Longines collection since under the name of La Grande Classique de Longines.By 1983, steady research and development miniaturization efforts yielded caliber L961, a tiny baguette movement barely 1.75 mm thick, leading to the design of breathtakingly slim women' s watchesLongines and Ferrari
1982 saw the birth of a new advertising campaign featuring a special collection dedicated to Longines' partnership with the Ferrari Formula 1 Racing team. The advertisement for this collection was photographed at the fabled Paris restaurant La Grande Cascade.The conquest of precision
In 1984, Longines launched its Conquest line fitted with the VHP (Very High Precision) movement developed by Longines. Thanks to their thermocompensating design, VHP models are 5 to 10 times more precise than a normal quartz watch.Longines and the world of gymnastics
After having timed a great number of gymnastics events, starting with its initial efforts at the 1912 Swiss Federal Gymnastics Meet in Basel, Longines in 1989 became the official partner, timekeeper and data-handling operator of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the European Gymnastics Union (UEG). In 1997, it awarded its first Longines Prize for Elegance in gymnastics at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Berlin, Germany, to Russian gymnast Yanna Batyrchina.1990s: La Grande Classique de LonginesBased on its Agassiz designs in gold, Longines launched its La Grande Classique de Longines collection of ultra-slim designs in stainless steel."L'Elegance du temps depuis 1832"
With the introduction of the now-established Longines DolceVita collection based on Longines models from the 1920s and 1930s, Longines introduced its baseline, "L'Elegance du temps depuis 1832" (Elegance in Time since 1832) in 1997.Cadran d'Or
The Longines DolceVita chronograph won the prestigious French prize, Cadran d'Or, in the "Men's Luxury Watch" category in 1999."Elegance is an attitude"
Two years later came the launch of the current "Elegance is an attitude" advertising campaign featuring legendary stars of the silver screen Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart along with icons of contemporary elegance representing various cultural backgrounds.

" Watchmaking has always fascinated me", says Walter von Känel, who spent his childhood from 1945 at the top of the Saint-Imier Valley in the Bernois Jura, the heart of Swiss watchmaking. " When I was a boy, the great Longines company in the foothills of Saint-Imier, where most of the people of our region worked, always impressed me, and I was convinced that one day, I was going to work there. Already at that time, watchmaking was the life of our region, and I knew that one day it would enable me to discover the world."
Walter von Känel's professional career started with the Federal Authorities, where he worked as a technical officer in the Customs Departments. In 1964, he joined Jean Singer Ltd., a watch dials and cases manufacturer in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
After a few years in the Industrial Accounts, Logistics and Sales Departments, he joined the Longines Watch Company Francillon Ltd. as a Sales Executive. Shortly after, he was sent to the USA for a training course with Longines' American agent: LONGINES - WITTNAUER WATCH Co. LTD in New York. His passion for watchmaking, his abilities, his talent as a negotiator and his b personality are all qualities that enabled him to climb the ladder quickly. In 1988, after having worked as a Sales Executive and then as a Commercial Executive (Sales and Marketing), he was entrusted with Longines' General Management.
In 1990, Nicolas G. Hayek, Chairman of The Swatch Group Ltd., requested him to join the Group's enlarged management. The many years that Walter von Känel served in the Swiss Army as an officer in the militia have enabled this former Major in an Infantry Regiment to acquire ground expertise in the fields of human resources management and general organization.Biography of Walter von Känel, President of LonginesDate of birth: September 1, 1941, in Schwerin, Germany
Nationality: Swiss
Marital status: Married, 2 children
Education: Commercial studies and apprenticeship with Nussle SA, La Chaux-de-Fonds
Many proficiency and advanced training courses in Switzerland and abroad 
Hobbies: Target shooting, running, long distance skiing, regional historyProfessional Career 
Federal Authority in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Bienne and Brigue
Customs technical officer
Jean Singer Ltd., La Chaux-de-Fonds
Various duties in the Industrial Accounts, Logistics and Sales Departments
Longines Watch Co. Francillon Ltd., Saint-Imier
Sales Executive
Sales Department Manager
Sales and Marketing Manager
Longines Watch Co. Francillon Ltd., Saint-Imier
President
The Swatch Group Ltd.
Member of the Group's enlarged management

This award recognises the athletes that have demonstrated the most remarkable elegance in the course of an international competition at world level.

Longines was also proud to present its new Ambassador of Elegance Ariella Kaeslin, the European vault Champion as well as all-around bronze medallist.

Furthermore, the press has been provided for the first time with competition data in real time handled by Longines.

In gymnastics, the challenge of movement not only demands flawless execution but also grace, beauty and harmony known as "elegance". At the 41st Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, all participants in the individual all-around finals held in the O2 on Thursday October 15th and on Friday October 16th, 2009 were nominated for the Longines Prize for Elegance.
The athletes under consideration for the prize have been evaluated according to a number of complementary criteria. In addition to technical considerations, each athlete's performance has been judged with respect to emotional appeal, beauty, charm, charisma as well as grace and harmony of movement. Clearly, each juror has interpreted these criteria individually, yet the result is often unanimous, as it was again on this occasion.
The jury of the Longines Prize for Elegance brought together Dr. Bruno Grandi, President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), Annika Reeder, former Olympic gymnast and former British Champion, Katrina Jones, Longines UK Brand Director, and Walter von Känel, President of Longines.

Elsa Garcia Rodriguez Blanca, born in 1990 is coached by Antonio Martinez in the City of Monterrey where she's living. In the Regio Club Gimnastico she's training every day with the assistance of her coach Teresa Lopez and choreographer Alejandra Rodriguez. The Floor is her best apparatus, on which she performed to the music entitled Mano a Mano. Her best achievements were the first ranks in Cottbus (GER) on Uneven Bars and Floor.

Daniel Keatings turned into the star of the 2008 Junior European Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland (4 Gold medals, including the victory in the All-around) and took the 20th place in the Senior All-around event in Beijing 2008. Born in 1990, Daniel took up gymnastics at 5 years old. He is coached by Paul Hall at the Huntingdon Gym Club. Pommel Horse is his best apparatus.
The Longines Prize for Elegance is presented in the form of a trophy created especially for Longines by the Swiss artist Jean-Pierre Gerber. In addition, Elsa Garcia Rodriguez Blanca and Daniel Keatings each received a cheque for US$ 5,000 and the official watch of the 41st Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, a model of the Longines Sport Collection.

Longines also took the opportunity to give a Conquest watch to its new Ambassador of Elegance, the Swiss gymnast Ariella Kaeslin, the European vault Champion as well as all-around bronze medallist.

Press accredited for the 41st Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in London have been provided with competition data in real time by the watchmaker Longines, official timekeeper of the FIG. This technological achievement allows the media to consult online with a live link to the scores as well as final rankings of athletes during the competition. Launched in gymnastics at the Stuttgart (Germany) worlds in 1989, the service is known in media circles as CIS (Commentator Information System).

A silvery moon on a spring night; a star that glistens reaches its peak and then disappears. A symbol of passing time, living time and the moon that entrances us with its rounded, delicate lines the new Longines PrimaLuna is a tribute to this silvery star. Its soft silhouette is enhanced by the exquisite purity of the dial and the whole is illuminated by a play of sparkling diamonds. Graceful, magical, this is a model that will seduce women who appreciate contemporary, sophisticated elegance.
The Moon has been used to measure time by every civilisation; this night star is feminine, cyclical and eternal. A star that produces dreams! In many cultures the New Moon is a symbol of renewal when it marks the beginning of a new year or the arrival of spring. To pay tribute to this mystical star, the famous Saint-Imier watchmaker is launching an exquisitely fine interpretation of the magic of the Moon this year: the Longines PrimaLuna.

The subtle mystery of spring, the Longines PrimaLuna emerges from a wakening world. The Moon is no longer pale but iridescent, opaline, masterful. Sheherazade moves elegantly into position under the stars...
The delicate gleam of stainless steel, the rich hue of rose or yellow gold, or the blend of rose gold and steel. A sleek bracelet of steel, gold or steel and rose gold or a leather strap. A selection of heavenly dials: white, silvered or mother-of-pearl decorated with hour symbols, Arabic or Roman numerals or diamonds. And finally, three hands, blued, gilded or rose, that marks the passing of time. As multifaceted as the modern woman, the Longines PrimaLuna range offers a selection of models in four sizes.
This ladies' watch is at the same time a piece of jewellery. The pleasing curves of the case are enhanced by a play of diamonds. Precious pieces of pure carbon that glitter with fascination... so feminine! Similarly, the white mother-of-pearl dials of the most sophisticated models are also decorated with sparkling teardrops that will seduce any woman who appreciates diamonds.

The CHIO Falsterbo, where Longines was the official partner and timekeeper for the first time, lived up to the expectations last weekend. We would especially like to congratulate the Swiss rider Pius Schwizer on taking the first place in the Longines Grand Prix on Sunday.

At the fifth stage of the Longines Press Award for Elegance, the following horseriders were the most performing female and male riders in Falsterbo:
Female horserider: Tina Lund
Male horserider: Jur Vrieling

The following two riders are leading the intermediate global ranking of the Longines Press Award for Elegance, which will be awarded at the CSIO Dublin on 9th August, 2009.
Female horserider:  Laura Kraut
Male horserider: Jur Vrieling
Each winner will receive a trophy, a set of two Longines watches and a cheque for CHF 20,000.