Longines Stainless steel WristWatch, Imitation Longines Stainless steel

Longines Master Collection Retrograde (L2.717.8.78.3)

received the item is an beautiful package:-)

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

Review by Brian Blatz, From Australia Wembley, Western Australia

Longines DolceVita 16 Quartz Stainless Steel Diamond Blue (L5.158.0.83.6)

Delivered As Promised!!

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

Review by Herinirina Boussion, From USA Staten Islnad

Longines Evidenza 26 Automatic Diamond (L2.142.0.50.6)

Highly recommend this seller to all! Thanks again!

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

Review by AmyL, From Germany W?rth Am Rhein

Longines has been since 2008 the Official Partner and Timekeeper of the Archery World Cup season. The tour started in May in Shanghai, China then visited Antalya, Turkey and Wroclaw, Poland. Athletes receive points for finishing in the top 32 at each event on the Archery World Cup circuit. At the fourth and last stage of the Archery World Cup in Medellin, Colombia, 32 elite athletes booked their invitations to the Mexico City 2015 Archery World Cup Final.

This sport represents the values that the brand cherishes - precision, tradition and elegance. To succeed, the athletes master bow and arrow through concentration, balance, accuracy, and skill. In Mexico City, the Official Watch of the event was a model from The Longines Master Collection. It features a silver-finished "barleycorn" patterned dial which makes an elegantly contrasting background to the moon-phase display.

To round up the Archery World Cup season, Longines presented the Longines Prize for Precision on Saturday 25, following the compound final. Female athlete Sara Lopez from Colombia and male athlete Mike Schloesser from the Netherlands were the most precise archers of the 2015 World Cup in the compound category. They have scored the most "10 rings" during the qualifications and the tournaments of the season. They each received a Longines Prize for Precision-trophy, a Longines watch and a cheque.

The new season of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Western European League began in Oslo this weekend. Longines, Title Partner, Official Timekeeper and Watch of the series, timed the victory of Penelope Leprevost on Flora de Mariposa. The Official Watch of the competition belongs to the new Longines DolceVita collection, which represents the contemporary elegance of the Longines watchmaking brand worldwide. This lady model is cased in steel, decorated with diamonds and features a silver-coloured "flinque" dial adorned with painted Roman numerals.

The Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping series gathers each year the world's best riders who compete for the most coveted Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final trophy. The Final will be held next year in Göteborg from March 23-28, 2016, where the very first finale took place 37 years ago. The Western European League presents 11 qualifying rounds at the most popular venues on the international circuit. After the first round in Norway, the series will move to Helsinki (FIN), Lyon (FRA), Verona (ITA), Stuttgart (GER), Madrid (ESP), London (UK), Mechelen (BEL), Leipzig (GER), Zurich (CH) and Bordeaux (FRA).

As FEI's Top Partner, Longines is the Official Partner, Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the CSIO Barcelona 2015 and timed the victory of Team Belgium, made up of Olivier Philippaerts on H&M Armb van de Kapel, Judy-Ann Melchior on As Cold As Ice Z, Jos Lansink on For Cento and Gregory Wathelet on Conrad de Hus, at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup^TM Jumping final after several months of intense preparation and thrilling competitions across Europe. The Swiss watch brand is also associated with two other highlights of the event: the Longines Challenge Cup on Friday, won by Team Qatar, and the Longines Cup of the City of Barcelona on Sunday.

Besides, the Official Watch of the CSIO Barcelona 2015 is a lady model of the new Longines DolceVita collection, cased in steel, decorated with diamonds and featuring a silver-coloured "flinque" dial adorned with painted Roman numerals. This timepiece represents contemporary elegance of the Longines watchmaking brand worldwide, which makes it also the perfect illustration of the elegance of this world class competition.

The partnership between Longines and the FEI reinforces the traditional and long-lasting commitment of the Swiss watchmaker in equestrian sports. As part of this partnership, Longines is lending its name to the FEI world ranking for riders participating in the show jumping trials: the Longines Rankings. The brand is the Official Partner of the three indoors series (Western European, Chinese and North American League) and the final of the Longines FEI World Cup^TM Jumping, as well as the outdoors series and the final of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup^TM Jumping.

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.

Boasting a decidedly bold design, the various models of this collection nevertheless remain true to the elegance that characterises the winged hourglass brand.
Shapes and materials derive their inspiration from symbolic elements of equestrian sports with which Longines have been intertwined for over a century. Arches on racetracks evoking horseshoes, stirrups and fine leather of saddles are the b images found in the bold lines of these watches dedicated to female equestrian sports lovers.

The models evoking the arch are available in four sizes - 23 mm, 26 mm and 30 mm and 34 mm - while watches drawing their inspiration from the stirrup come in three sizes, 23.50 mm, 26.50 mm and 30 mm.
Their steel cases house a quartz movement and each of these watches also comes in a diamond-set version. The polished black lacquer and mother-of-pearl dials are adorned with diamond indexes, while the silver-coloured flinque dial features Roman numerals and the silver-coloured sunburst dial Arabic numerals.
The stirrup-shaped model with a mother-of-pearl dial is also available in an even more dazzling version, decorated with a double row of diamonds. All the watches in this collection are fitted with overstitched leather straps matching the rider outfit.

For the sixth successive year, Longines is inviting 16 promising young tennis players under the age of 13 - coming from 16 different countries - to showcase their talent in a competition worthy of the very greatest professional players: the Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament.
Held from 28th to 30th May, the 2015 tournament, enhanced by former French tennis player Arnaud Clement as its patron, will pit 16 youngsters against one another on a clay court installed in front of the Eiffel Tower. The winner will be awarded with a Longines watch, the tournament cup and an annual scholarship until his 16th birthday.
In addition, the final of the "Rendez-vous a Roland Garros" circuit, with which Longines has partnered for the first time this year, will be held on the very same court. The winners will receive a Wild Card, allowing them to compete against the best international players in the French Open's Junior tournament.

The visit to Paris for these future champions will start on 26th and 27th May with the Longines Academy, a training camp that will give them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with playing on clay and to receive precious technical tips from two specialists in the sport. Throughout the week, the players will receive encouragement from Arnaud Clement, who the finalists will get the chance to play against in the exhibition match to be held after the tournament's final on Saturday 30th.

The Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament is held during the first week of the French Open at Roland-Garros, of which Longines has been the Official Partner and Timekeeper since 2007. To mark this top-level sporting event, Longines is highlighting a new steel chronograph model, the Conquest Classic Moonphase, housing a self-winding mechanical movement.

This year, Longines has become the partner of the "Rendez-vous a Roland-Garros" tournaments being held in China and Brazil. These competitions aim to identify the best players on clay from their countries with a view to allowing them to fulfil their dream of participating in one of the most prestigious tournaments in the international tennis calendar. The two winners of each tournament (one male and one female) will play against one another in the competition's finals to be held in Paris on May 24, on the same court as the Longines Future Tennis Aces event.

With the Apple Watch on everyone's lips, it's worth remembering that it has taken the Silicon Valley giant forty years to launch its first watch. Longines, headquartered in the sleepy valley town of St. Imier, has been producing timepieces since 1867. And while Apple may currently lay claim to one of the most valuable brands in the world, Longines has the oldest: its winged logo is the oldest valid trademark in the WIPO's International Registry.

The current CEO of Longines, Walter von Känel, joined the company in 1969 and is still there 46 years later. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that he is dismissive of the Apple Watch and smart watches in general. "In my 46 years at Longines I have experimented with digital," he says. "LCD was a Swiss patent, after all. Afterwards we did some LED watches and you can find them in the museum. Later ETA came with its digital/analogue movements and we launched the Speed5.
"I think the watches from Apple, Samsung and the like are complementary to what we do. I firmly believe that the essential objective of a watch is no longer just to tell the time but also to serve as a status symbol. Why do you buy a Patek Philippe rather than a Swatch? Because you want to show it off."

But the gulf between a Swatch and a Patek Philippe in terms of price and prestige is enormous. It took the world's biggest private collection of Swatches (5,800 in total) to make just a quarter of the proceeds of the record-breaking Patek Philippe Graves Supercomplication at auction. So where does Longines fit in to this equation?

"The watch is an emotional branded consumer good," explains von Känel, "which is why we invest millions in sponsorship, ambassadors and such." Indeed, Longines ensures a steady flow of news from its partnerships in the equestrian world, as well as in tennis and skiing. Nevertheless, since Mr von Känel comes from a background in sales, the bottom line is always the top consideration. At his meetings in Basel you will always find him with his four essential items: a heap of plastic-protected sheets of sales figures, best-sellers, breakdowns by country and product category and the like, a pencil, a pencil-sharpener and - somewhat unusually - a set of precision calipers dating back to 1969. Old school. Much to the chagrin of WorldTempus, he admits "I have no computer, my telephone is this old thing and I don't even reply to SMS messages."

His relentless focus on sales shows in his photographic recall of key statistics: 1.4 million Dolce Vita models sold, the exact split of two-tone models by sales when I question a potential change in strategy. And it is this focus that has led to the creation of a "fifth pillar" at the brand with a new collection dedicated solely to the brand's equestrian associations. "If we are going to invest millions in this area and be present at equestrian events almost every weekend, then we needed something more than the chronograph," he explains. "We needed a new collection, especially for women. But we are also working on a watch designed especially for show jumping."

Even a personal question on his favourite model in the collection comes back to sales. "We are investing heavily in promoting the Conquest Classic this year, which represents 7% of our sales, and we decided that the star model should be the two-tone steel and gold model with the moon phase. And since I have to be consistent I have to lead by example." There is no need to guess, therefore, which watch the Longines CEO has on his wrist.

Even given Walter von Känel's b sales background, it comes as somewhat a surprise when he claims that last year set a new sales record for Longines. Even in the troubled market of Hong Kong, which tourists from mainland China are now avoiding in favour of Korea and Thailand, the brand recorded 10% growth last year. Could it continue this year, despite the uncertain economic climate? "It looks that way," the boss confidently predicted on the opening day of Baselworld.

Longines, Official Partner and Official Watch of IFHA, and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) rewarded the performance of the greatest racehorses of 2014 on 20 January 2015 in London, at the hotel Claridge's.

The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings are established by international handicappers according to the performance of the horses in elite races.
Rated 130, the Japanese racehorse Just A Way secured first position and was crowned as the 2014 Longines World's Best Racehorse. Fellow Japanese runner Epiphaneia, victor of The Japan Cup in association with Longines was rated second at 129. A unique group of horses were rated 127 and placed equal third; Hong Kong's Able Friend, Great Britain's Kingman and The Grey Gatsby, Irish trainee Australia and two-time South African Horse of the Year Variety Club. The owners of the winning horses were presented with elegant Longines watches from the Conquest Classic collection, a line of refined timepieces dedicated to the equestrian world.

Mr. Akatsuki Yamatoya, owner of Just A Way, received the trophy, a chronograph in rose gold fitted with an exclusive column-wheel caliber, and a replica of the vase of the Longines World's Best Racehorse. The vase of the Longines World's Best Racehorse is a crystal vase named Equus, on which the name of the Longines World's Best Racehorse is engraved each year.

The Conquest Classic collection is dedicated to Longines' passion for equestrian sports. True to the brand's values of elegance, tradition and performance, this collection of models, all fitted with self-winding calibres, is at the same time totally contemporary and perfectly timeless.

The was awarded to the two most precise classical archers over the season, Brady Ellison (USA) and Aida Roman (MEX), who also both clinched the World Cup title. Each was presented with a trophy, a Longines watch and a cheque for CHF 5,000.

Longines is proud to have supported the Archery World Cup as its Official Partner and Timekeeper. The Swiss watch brand is also proud to announce the continuation of the partnership with World Archery that it entered into in 2008. "We are very pleased to renew our support for an ancient art and discipline which embodies the brand's long-standing involvement in precision and traditional sports" said Walter von Känel, the President of Longines. "Moreover, the elegance of this sport, which requires extreme skill, concentration, precision, balance and discipline, is a perfect reflection of our core values, summed up in our slogan "Elegance is an attitude".

The Official Watch for the event was a steel chronograph from the brand's Conquest Classic collection. With a diameter of 41 mm, this model features a black dial and houses an exclusive column-wheel chronograph movement. Like all the timepieces in the Conquest Classic collection, the watch is water-resistant to 5 bars and has a sapphire glass, screw-in case back.

As the Title Partner, Official Timekeeper and Official Watch, Longines presented the programme of the event and revealed the name of the Longines Ambassador of Elegance who will be lighting up the Prix de Diane Longines with her presence, namely Kate Winslet.

In all, nine races - including the famous Prix de Diane Longines, the world's top race for fillies - will be held during the afternoon of 15 June, in the unique atmosphere of the Chantilly Racecourse.

Longines' involvement in equestrian sport dates back to 1878, when the brand created a chronograph engraved with a jockey and his horse. For the Prix de Diane Longines 2014, the brand will be promoting a ladies' watch in steel from its Conquest Classic collection. Set with 30 diamonds, this timepiece with its white mother-of-pearl dial and diamond hour symbols is a perfect example of the elegance of this unique race meeting.

This year, the event will be enhanced by Longines' Ambassador of Elegance Kate Winslet. As the embodiment of refinement, the talented British actress will be presenting the "Mademoiselle Diane par Longines" award for elegance during the afternoon to a young lady chosen for her outstanding elegance. Moreover, Julien Dore, will be giving an exclusive concert.

Longines will also be involved in the Prix de La Reine Marie-Amelie Longines, a race for amateur riders of the International Federation of Gentlemen and Lady Riders (FEGENTRI), of which Longines is the Official Partner and Official Watch.

During the 2014 edition, the Swiss watch brand will renew its support to talented young jockeys through the Prix Longines Future Racing Stars, a race in which young jockeys from all four corners of the globe compete against each other. In a similar vein, Longines organizes on Saturday 14 the Longines Ladies Awards which will be presented during a gala evening held in the Grandes Ecuries of the Chantilly Chateau.
 

On Saturday 19 April, the racecourse of Royal Randwick welcomed more than 26'000 persons for the 2014 edition of the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes Raceday. For the first time, Longines was the Official Watch & Official timekeeper of the Australian Turf Club for this amazing raceday. 9 races have set the tempo of the day including the $4 Million Group 1 Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m), the richest weight for age race over that distance on turf in the world. The winner, It's A Dundeel, mounted by James McDonald run the 2'000 meters in the time of 01:59:33. 
 

A guest of honour, Longines Ambassador of Elegance, Simon Baker watched the races and elected the most elegant lady out of the 6 finalists of the Longines Award of Elegance competition. Simon Baker presented the winner, Melissa Hann, with a precious timepiece from the Conquest Classic collection.
 

Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes Raceday was the perfect occasion to discover Conquest Classic, a collection dedicated to the world of horse racing. The event's Official Watch was a steel chronograph from this line. With its 41 mm diameter, this timepiece has a black dial and is equipped with an exclusive column-wheel self-winding movement. As is the case with all models in the Conquest Classic collection, the watch's movement can be admired through its sapphire crystal case back.

The Longines Heritage 1973 displays a vintage look that is true to the original model. The latter, a chronograph produced in 1973 by the brand, was fitted with a Longines mechanical chronograph movement, the 30CH. The Longines Heritage 1973 houses the L688 calibre, a column-wheel chronograph movement developed and produced by ETA exclusively for Longines.

The silvered dial of the Longines Heritage 1973 boasts a fascinating play of contrasts. At 3 and 9 o'clock, two black counters were included. The applied hour symbols are decorated with a fine black line and a dot of Super-LumiNova®. These are interposed and balanced out by a minute-circle, also of fine black lines. A blue tachometric scale surrounds the dial, adding a subtle touch of colour to the whole.

With a diameter of 40 mm, the cushion-shaped steel dial of the Longines Heritage 1973 has retained the lines and mood of the original model. The back is fitted with a transparent sapphire glass cover through which the wearer can admire the movement of the calibre as well as the blue column-wheel. This model is completed by the rounded push-pieces. The whole is mounted on a black alligator strap.

The 29 mm round case is set with 100 Top Wesselton VVS diamonds. On the model with the white mother-of-pearl dial, the baton shape hands are black. The dial is also adorned with 12 diamond indices.
 

The Grande Classique 100 Diamonds features an ultra-slim case - only 4.60 mm. This profile has been achieved through the particular design of the case, which incidentally Longines has patented, whereby the back incorporates the lugs for the bracelet. 

The timepiece is fitted with a quartz movement and is water-resistant to 30 meters. It is fitted either on black alligator straps with buckle or on steel bracelets with folding safety clasp and push-piece opening mechanism.

Tourbillon, chronograph, moonphase? Whichever complication you find the most fascinating, click on the picture above to watch the photo-gallery and make your choice!

Our selection:

A.Lange & Söhne, Saxonia Annual Calendar
Atelier Loiseau, 1f4 Grande Sonnerie Complication
Audemars Piguet, Grande Complication Royal Oak Offshore
Baume & Mercier, Capeland Worldtimer
Bell & Ross, BR 126 Flyback
Christophe Claret, Kantharos
De Bethune, DB16 Tourbillon Regulator
Eterna, Royal KonTiki Two Time Zones
Greubel Forsey, Double Tourbillon Asymetrique
L.Leroy, Osmior Chronographe Monopoussoir Automatique
Longines, Asthmometer-Pulsometer Chronograph
Romain Gauthier, Logical ONE
Vulcain, 50s President Moonphase

Telemeter scales were initially introduced around 1852 to measure the distance travelled by sound. Activated right after the flash of lightening and stopped when the thunder is heard, the hand of the chronograph shows the distance in kilometres of the phenomenon.

The circular steel case with a diameter of 41 mm houses the caliber L688, a self-winding mechanical movement with a column-wheel chronograph mechanism exclusively developed for Longines, which can be admired through a transparent case back. The chronograph is equipped with a date aperture at 4h30, a small second at 9 o'clock, a 30-minutes counter at 3 o'clock and a 12-hours counter at 6.
Besides the appealing technical features, The Longines Telemeter Chronograph also attracts the eye by its harmonious design embodied by a subtle fusion of tradition and a contemporary spirit. The white lacquered dial with 9 black Arabic numerals features the red telemeter scale and a spiral tachymeter scale in the same colour. The blued steel Breguet hands, indicating hours and minutes, add a touch of elegance to this exceptional model fitted on a black alligator strap.

The Longines Tachymeter Chronograph features a technical tool initially introduced around 1811 to measure the hourly pace in assembly lines, as well as the velocity of the first modern means of locomotion: the tachymeter. To measure the hourly pace, the chronograph is started at the beginning of a task and stopped once the task is completed. The hand then shows the average production pace per hour. To find out the velocity of a subject, the chronograph is activated at distance zero and stopped once the distance of one kilometre has been covered. The hand then indicates the average velocity in units measured.

The Longines Tachymeter Chronograph now combines in a very unique way the technical specifications of a tachymeter with the values of the brand, namely tradition, performance and elegance. The circular steel case with a diameter of 41 mm houses the caliber L688, a self-winding mechanical movement with a column-wheel chronograph mechanism exclusively developed for Longines, which can be admired through a transparent case back. The model features a date aperture at 4h30, a small second at 9 o'clock, a 30-minutes counter at 3 o'clock and a 12-hours counter at 6.
Besides its extraordinary technical features, the model stands out with its remarkable design. The white lacquered dial is inspired by the one of a chronograph developed by Longines in 1934 and contrasts perfectly with the black Arabic numerals, the tachymeter scale in blue (1000 m) and red (100 m). A subtle touch of elegance is added to this model by its blued steel Breguet hands indicating hours and minutes and the blued steel counter-weight line pear hand indicating the seconds. To complete the traditional yet contemporary design of the model, it is mounted on an elegant black alligator strap.

Longines awarded its Prize for Elegance to the American gymnast Kyla Ross and to the world champion, Japanese gymnast Kohei Uchimura at the end of the second all-around final on October 4.
World champion for the fourth consecutive time - a record - the Japanese athlete received this prize for the second time. Both gymnasts have been presented with a trophy, a Longines watch and a cheque for 5'000$.
Set up in 1997, the Longines Prize for Elegance is aimed at honouring the most elegant and charismatic gymnasts. Apart from purely technical considerations, the criteria are based rather on grace, harmonious movement and emotion during the performances.
Symbolising the contemporary elegance of the brand, the Longines DolceVita collection has been one of the stars at Antwerp. With its combination of sparkling diamonds, gleaming steel and glowing rose gold, the official watch for the event is fitted with a quartz caliber and features a white dial with ten rose pink hour symbols and one Arabic numeral. This contemporary rectangular timepiece is mounted on a bracelet of steel and rose gold and is set with 32 diamonds - a perfect illustration of the famous Longines slogan "Elegance is an attitude".

After their victory in the Prix de Diane Longines in June 2013, Thierry Jarnet and Treve won the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday 6 October 2013. Longines was partner and official timekeeper of the event for the third consecutive year. The Swiss watch brand was the title partner of another international Group 1 race on the same day, the Prix de l'Opera Longines, won by Christophe Soumillon on Dalkala.
In the frame 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 Official watch of this year's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was Longines DolceVita. This collection has been an enormous success, thanks to its contemporary elegance. These models are a horological interpretation of the easy-going Italian way of life - la dolce vita. The perfectly harmonious proportions of the rectangular timepieces in this collection are its unique characteristic.

Launched in 1997 and inspired by models created in the 1930s, the DolceVita collection is a tribute to the charm of the Italian way of life. The DolceVita L5.155.0.16.6 is in steel. Its rectangular case is set with 32 diamonds. The dial is white with 10 indices and 1 silvered Arabic numeral. A quartz movement, the calibre L178, animates the timepiece.
Longines' three ambassadors of elegance, the Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet, the Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and the beautiful actress and model from the Far East Chi Ling Lin, enjoy their first roles in the Longines DolceVita advertising spot that gives a contemporary twist to the traditional dolce vita. The film uses the particular atmosphere of the streets of old Rome, bathed in sunlight, as well as the natural elegance of the brand's three amazons.
 
 

With this agreement, applied as of 1st June 2013, Longines becomes the Official Partner and the Official Watch of IFHA.
Longines will become as well the official sponsor of the "WORLD'S BEST RACEHORSES RANKINGS" classifying the top thoroughbred racehorses in the World, which is published about ten times a year by IFHA on its website (www.ifhaonline.org).
IFHA and Longines will present an award to the owners of the top three racehorses of the year during the Longines Hong Kong International Races Gala reception in December 2013.
Furthermore, an annual "Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit" will be presented to an outstanding international personality of the horseracing industry; it could be an owner, a breeder, a trainer, a jockey or any person linked with the horseracing industry.
 

Walter von Känel, President of Longines: « Longines is very proud to become the Official Partner and the Official Watch of the IFHA. This partnership represents an important step in our involvement in equestrian sports. One of our first chronographs, produced in 1878, was already made for horseraces. This agreement is true to our tradition and our passion in equestrian sports. As we become as well the official sponsor of the "WORLD'S BEST RACEHORSES RANKINGS" », we support the very important work of the IFHA, that favours the standing of equestrian sports all around the world. »
Louis Romanet, IFHA Chairman: « I am very pleased to have signed such an agreement with Longines which emphasises the role of the famous Swiss watchmaker as the very first partner of the worldwide horseracing industry. Thanks to Longines, we will be able to increase the promotion of the best racehorses and to honour the personality who will have left his mark on the racing season at international level. »

The new models of the HydroConquest line have a round steel case and a diameter of 39 mm or 41 mm. The 3-hands-models are equipped with an automatic or a quartz movement while the HydroConquest chronographs are available either with the L688 column-wheel movement exclusively developed for Longines by ETA or a quartz movement. The dials in black, white or blue feature bright details in red and - depending on the model - 8 to 11 Arabic numerals. The bracelets are made of steel or rubber in black.

Diving watches "par excellence", The HydroConquest series aims to become the preferred watch of divers and aquatic sports enthusiasts. With a screwed crown, a screw-down case back and the lateral crown protection, these timepieces assure a water-resistance of 30 bar (300 meters). All the models are equipped with indispensable safety devices such as a unidirectional rotating bezel coloured in red, black or blue, hands coated with Super-LumiNova® to make sure that the time can be read in all conditions and a bracelet with double safety diving folding clasp and diving extension.
Here is the HydroConquest Chronograph, mechanical self-winding movement, cream dial and black bezel.

The Swiss watchmaker will be Title Partner and Official Timekeeper of the Longines Global Champions Tour, opening an exciting new chapter in equestrian sport.

The Longines Global Champions Tour announcement comes at the start of the biggest season so far for the premier show jumping series. Longines Global Champions Tour 2013 will include dynamic debut events in Madrid, London and Shanghai. For the first time the Championship Final will take place at the magnificent Al Shaqab equestrian facility in Doha, Qatar.

The announcement marks a major commitment by Longines to the high calibre 5* show jumping events that are the hallmark of Global Champions Tour. The partnership brings together shared traditions of speed, precision, elegance and a passion for horses.
Jan Tops, President and Founder of Global Champions Tour, said: "This partnership is a significant milestone in our history and I look forward to a successful collaboration that will bring many benefits for the future of our sport. Longines has a truly impressive heritage in equestrian sport and I am delighted by the decision to strengthen our relationship with a long-term commitment."
Longines' President Walter von Känel said: "The Longines Global Champions Tour and our brand share common values such as precision, tradition and especially a passion for equestrian sports. We are proud to support this extraordinary series of events in show jumping with our timekeeping expertise. True to Longines' slogan - Elegance is an attitude - we are delighted to witness the world's best riders and horses competing in exciting contests."
The Longines Global Champions Tour season kicks off in Madrid from May 2-5 when the world's top riders and horses will go into battle for championship points and prize money.
Longines can draw on a long-lasting and vast experience in sport and has been an active timekeeper in show jumping since 1926. Today, Longines' involvement in equestrian sports includes show jumping, flat racing and endurance competitions.
 
Around 21 million international viewers tuned into last year's events on Eurosport. Almost 300,000 spectators watched the events live in some of the world's most beautiful destinations. Longines was official timekeeper at four events last season.

After having completed studies in advertising, sales and after having attended business administration classes at New York University, Kurt Kupper started his professional career at Umdasch (shop interior design) and then moved on to being president of the US brand of Feldschlössen.

His professional path led to luxury watches when he began working for Hublot as the CEO of their US branch, and for Binda (watch-maker and distributor of Longines and Breil). He was then asked to come back to Hublot to become their CEO in Nyon. His last position before coming to Reuge: director of a Swiss company which exports watches mainly to African markets.
Throughout his career, Kurt Kupper demonstrates his unique ability to review and improve the economic status of companies in peril

This summer, Longines announced that the newly crowned European Vault Champion and silver medallist at the World Championships was to become its latest brand ambassador. Ariella can currently be seen in the international advertising campaign for the new Longines PrimaLuna Ladies Collection.
Autumn 2009 has been an exhausting though very rewarding time for Ariella. As always, the young athlete trained diligently and untiringly for the climax of the international gymnastics season - the World Championships in London. Since she sensationally took silver in the vault, the buzz around this young woman has grown ever louder. The first Swiss female gymnast to win a medal at the World Championships found some time in her busy schedule to pay a visit to Longines' headquarters in Saint-Imier.
Ariella was welcomed by Longines President Walter von Känel before good-humouredly answering questions from the waiting media. She then signed autographs for the young members of the local gymnastics club, to their great delight. This was followed by a tour of the Longines' watch and timekeeping museum, as well as its production facilities. At the end of her visit, she chose a watch from the collection "La Grande Classique de Longines", which will accompany her on the road to even greater success.
Although she is only 22 years old, Ariella has already scooped the 2008 Swiss Sports Personality of the Year award. Her talent has delighted the viewing public, and the precision, harmony and elegance of her every movement has won over the professional judges. With her elegance, natural charm, flair and exactness, Ariella perfectly personifies the Longines core values and philosophy of "Elegance is an Attitude".
„My coach has always encouraged me to execute my gymnastic exercises in a precise way, just like clockwork. That's why Longines and I fit together perfectly."
Ariella Käslin.
Longines has long enjoyed close ties with gymnastics, dating back to 1912 when it was the official timekeeper of the Swiss Federal Gymnastics Meet in Basel. During the 80-meter sprint event, it unveiled its new revolutionary electromechanical timekeeping system with start and finish tapes. A world-first, this automatic timing system would mark a turning point in Longines' already longstanding partnership with the world of sport. Thanks to its technological breakthroughs Longines has been the official timekeeper of all artistic and rhythmic gymnastics competitions organised by the "Federation Internationale de Gymnastique" (FIG - the gymnastics world governing body) since 1985. This enduring partnership was bolstered further in 2009 when the FIG extended Longines' contract for an additional four years.

Longines has celebrated the 120th anniversary of the registration of a logo that the famous St. Imier watchmaker still uses today. Protected since 1889 in Switzerland (FOIP), this factory trademark comprising a winged hourglass and the name Longines is the oldest of its kind still active, in its original form, in the international registers kept by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). To mark the 120th anniversary of its logo, the brand has organised a themed exhibition in the Cite du Temps in Geneva, published a study about the symbol and created two exceptional limited series of timepieces numbered from 1 to 120.

During the event held in the Cite du Temps in Geneva, speeches were given by Brigitte Bolli Jost, Brand Registration Responsible at the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property and by Francis Gurry, the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, at a press conference on the subject of national and international challenges, intellectual property and the need to protect trademarks in a globalised world.
When it registered a factory trademark in 1889 that is still used today, Longines took a decisive step to protect its name and signature, as Walter von Känel, President of Longines, reminded those present during a press conference attended by representatives of the international watchmaking press. Registered in 1893 with the original organisation on which the World Intellectual Property Organisation was based, the 1889 trademark is the oldest of its kind still active in its original form in the registers kept by the United Nations special agency.

Longines has organised an exhibition at the Cite du Temps in Geneva that explains the context in which this trademark was adopted and protected. The exhibits include historical models as well as original documents and follow the development of a logo, its symbolism and the creation of a watchmaking tradition. The exhibition is open to the public every day from Friday 2 October until Sunday 1 November, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The St. Imier watch manufacturer has also published a short study of the history and the challenges involved in creating the Longines brand from the point of view of the registration of a logo dating from 1889 that is still in use today. Finally, Longines has created two limited series of watches, under the designation Longines Heritage Retrograde, each numbered from 1 to 120, as a fitting tribute to a logo that has been protected since 1889.

History

In 1867 Ernest Francillon founded the Longines factory by bringing out-workers employed by his trading office (which had been set up in 1832 by Auguste Agassiz) under one roof and introducing new manufacturing technology. At the same time he adopted the name Longines (from the local name of the site of his new factory) and chose a symbol to represent his company, the winged hourglass. This symbol has been continually used by Longines, albeit in various forms, since the company was founded to identify and characterise its products, and is still in used today.
On 27 May 1889 Ernest Francillon registered a factory mark consisting of a winged hourglass within a double circle which contained the signature EFCo (Ernest Francillon & Compagnie) and the name Longines. This mark was registered with the Swiss authority that dealt with the protection of trademarks at the time, namely the Federal Office for Intellectual Property (FOIP). For Longines the 1889 registration was the start of an important tradition of graphic and symbolic signatures. Since, for the first time, a trademark whose use and protection in its original form was to continue beyond the 21st century was legally recognised. The protection of the trademark was ensured at an international level in 1893 and makes Longines the oldest trademark still valid in its original form in the international registers of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
The registration of this logo was part of the industrialisation of watchmaking in Switzerland in the last third of the 19th century, in which Longines played a leading role. Initially, the trademark chosen by Longines - the winged hourglass - served to authenticate the company's products. But it quickly became a means of fighting against counterfeiters who hoped to take advantage of the excellent reputation built up by the St. Imier watch manufacturer. Subsequently, the factory mark was used in other contexts apart from on the product itself and began to determine the visual identity of the brand. This logo, registered in 1889, has therefore been part and parcel of the development and construction of the Longines brand which, in line with its watchmaking heritage continues to use it to this day.
To highlight the context of adoption and protection of this trademark, Longines has organised an exhibition at the Cite du Temps in Geneva which includes both historical articles and original documents. It reveals the development of the brand, the symbol that embodies it and the creation of a watchmaking tradition. Longines has also published a study that analyses the history and the challenges of creating the Longines brand in relation to the registration of the original logo, still used today, in 1889. Finally, Longines has created two limited series of watches under the name of Longines Heritage Retrograde, each numbered from 1 to 120, as a tribute to a logo which has been protected since 1889.

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.

Press release

Kwok plays the starring role in this film based on a famous story from the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). The great heritage of the Chinese movie reminds the Swiss watch brand of its horological development and long-standing relationship with China during the same period as the story in time. Chronological records of an invoice states the shipment of the first Longines watch to China dates back to 1867. Longines was happy to congratulate Aaron Kwok on his new exciting movie and to sponsor the after film Party in Berlin by presenting him the brand's latest watchmaking achievement: The Longines Master Collection Retrograde watch, which summarizes the brand's legendary watchmaking development since the Qing Dynasty.
Aaron Kwok, Longines Ambassador of Elegance since 2005, is one of the most popular artist's in Asia. His outstanding performances as a dancer, singer and actor have earned him more than a hundred awards since the beginning of his career. With his many creative talents it was naturally not long before the film industry approached him. Success came immediately as Kwok won the award for best leading actor for his film "Divergence" at the Golden Horse Award in 2005. Only a year later he repeated this achievement by winning for the second time the award for his extraordinary performance in the feature film "After This Our Exile". Now his success story has brought him to his second European Film Festival (after the Rome Film Festival in 2006) here in Berlin, where he will disclose his latest movie "Empire of Silver" as a World Premiere.

In this movie, Aaron Kwok embodies "Third Master", an idealistic and hedonistic young man. Heir to a banking empire, who, despite his father's pressure, struggles to find his own way in life. The Father and son's relationship is complicated by their antagonistic sense of moral and ethical values. Moreover, "Third Master" is deeply in love with his beautiful stepmother.
Embarking on a metaphysical journey, "Third Master" must decide whether to follow his father's path or find his own way. Greed, deception and jealousy surface under the pressures of war and the impending change from silver to paper bills.
This wonderful historical Chinese movie reminds the Swiss watch brand of its rich history of over 175 years of watchmaking craftsmanship and especially of its long-standing relationship with China. In fact, China was one of the first countries where Longines exported its watches to from its manufacture in Switzerland. The record of an invoice shows that the very first Longines watch has already been sold and shipped to China during the Qing Dynasty in 1867.

 
It was a great pleasure for Longines to offer the after film party and to hand over The Longines Master Collection Retrograde watch in rose gold, the elegant flagship piece to Aaron Kwok during the party as symbol of respect and congratulations on his outstanding performance. This very special timepiece, highlighting the horological traditions of the brand, encloses a new calibre, especially and exclusively developed for Longines. Offering retrograde functions (day, date, second, second time zone on a 24-hour scale) in a movement with automatic rewinding, The Longines Master Collection Retrograde combines a mechanical horological complication with simple usage.
Based in St. Imier in Switzerland since 1832, the watchmaker Longines can look back on more than 175 years of non-stop craftsmanship, as well as a solid heritage as timekeeper for world championships in various sports and collaborator with different international sports federations. Known for the elegance of its timepieces, Longines is a member of the Swatch Group Ltd, the World's leading manufacturer of horological products. With the winged hourglass as its emblem, the brand has outlets in over 130 countries.