Longines GrandeVitesse Chronograph 24h (L3.637.4.50.0)

This year, the famous Swiss watchmaker reprises its role as the official timekeeper for the International Ski Federation's (FIS) Alpine Ski World Cup and World Championship races.

Longines will be celebrating its return to Kitzbuhel and is extremely proud to be responsible once again for timing the Hahnenkamm races. Longines will also partner with the 16th KitzCharity Trophy. This season the brand launched the Longines Rising Ski Stars prize, which reflects the company's commitment to supporting young athletes. The official watch for the season will be the Longines Saint-Imier Collection chronograph, a model that exemplifies the links that bind the brand to the town where it was founded in 1832 and where its headquarters remains.
Longines' longstanding association with competitive skiing started in Chamonix in 1933. The Swiss watchmaker began timing the Hahnenkamm races in Kitzbuhel in 1948 and has carried out this task more than 50 times since then. In 2013 Longines, which is the official timekeeper for the International Ski Federation's (FIS) Alpine Ski World Cup and World Championship races, will be back in the popular Tyrolean resort. Kitzbuhel is well known for its demanding Streif piste - renowned as the most difficult and fastest on the circuit. Many great champion skiers have tackled this legendary piste where Longines has helped to develop the technical side of the competition for several decades, introducing a number of innovative ideas to improve the timing and the public's enjoyment of the race. In 1993, for example, Longines introduced a new technology whereby the racers' intermediate times could be shown on television alongside the time of the fastest competitor for comparison.

In addition to its role as official timekeeper, Longines will partner with the famous KitzCharity Trophy, a race where professional skiers compete against celebrities on a section of the Streif piste. In order to help the event raise funds to improve the life of local needy mountain farmers and their families, Longines will compete in the race with its own team of skiers, made up of Richard Strohmeier, Longines VP Finance and two Austrian celebrities, Armin Assinger and Matthias Lanzinger.
At the end of the 2012/2013 ski season, Longines will present its Longines Rising Ski Stars prize to the two leading young skiers who take part in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. The best female skier under 21 years-old and the best male skier under 23 will each receive a trophy, a Longines watch and a cheque for CHF 20,000. This new award reflects Longines' continued commitment to supporting young athletes. The brand already shows its commitment through the Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament in Roland Garros for children under 13, as well as the Longines Future Racing Stars at the Prix de Diane Longines for promising young jockeys from France, the UK, Germany, Ireland and Italy.

Launched in Adelboden at the beginning of 2013, the Ski Live - Live Alpine Skiing by Longines app offers the possibility of watching races in real time thanks to the live timing feature. At the same time, users can catch up on the latest news concerning the World Cup and the World Championships, receive alerts and exclusive information on skiers and consult the results and rankings, including those for the Longines Rising Ski Stars.
The official watch for the season - the Longines Saint-Imier Collection chronograph - features the L688.2 column-wheel movement developed and produced exclusively for Longines. The 41 mm diameter case is made of steel and the black dial displays the hours and minutes with a small seconds at 9 o'clock, a calendar between 4 and 5 o'clock and of course the chronograph functions: a centre sweep seconds, a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock and a 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock. This model is mounted on a steel bracelet with a folding safety clasp.

Finally, Longines would like to wish its ambassador of elegance Aksel Lund Svindal the very best of luck in his future races. The Norwegian has already got off to a b start this season.