Longines And A Jubilee Lindbergh, 90 Years On…

The cheek of it! A mechanical calibre, namely the L699.2, dares to ruffle the course of an otherwise peaceful day. Running at rate of 28,800 beats per hour, it emits a vibratory frequency that quietly perturbs my sedentary everyday existence. This jubilee model has great presence, clearly and unapologetically enjoying its generous 47.50 mm diameter case. It has literally invaded the world of my imagination, occupying the space of my dreams. In the twinkling of an eye, I am whisked away on a journey through time itself. A journey that will last almost four revolutions of the dial thanks to its 46-hour power reserve, during which I remain immobile. I have almost two days to do nothing but consciously daydream, two long days to contemplate the brushed silvered finish of the circular main dial and gaze admiringly into the galvanic depths of the central dial.
 

The wheels were set in motion. Charles Lindbergh had become a star.

Longines, a Swiss watchmaking brand based in Saint-Imier and incidentally official timekeeper for the FAI (the International Aeronautics Federation) participated in approving this historic achievement by timing the event. In agreeing to a sketch made by Lindbergh, it also helped gave birth to a watch that would become a genuine aerial navigation instrument, a watch that Lindbergh could well have done with at a time when his spirit was so eroded by hunger and lack of sleep, that he was pursued by the hallucinatory images of elves clinging to the wings of his plane. A tangible object, a pillar of time, a timepiece that only Longines was capable of developing, a model that grew from a drawing and a few explanations. Lindbergh's simple sketch gave rise to a watch of remarkable functionalities and tremendous reliability that was guaranteed to bring you back down to earth, whatever the cost.
 

All these images and their powerful symbolism are thus channelled into this 2017 piece, which the Saint-Imier Manufacture has very kindly suggested I take out for a test-drive. Noteworthy features, aside from Breguet hands, a perfect study in classicism, and longitude indication (degrees and minutes of arc), include a rotating bezel in black PVD-coated steel, which allows the wearer to manually adjust the equation of time, namely the difference between true time, or solar time and the time officially adopted by the authorities. Keeping my eyes closed, I toy with it, turning it this way and that. My fingers feel their way over the English crown, intentionally oversized to facilitate handling with gloved hands. Brown leather aviator-style gloves, of course, complete with buckles and straps.
 

Take, for example, the pilot sitting next to me now. I've already given him the watchmaking bug and it's highly infectious. So, to get me to join him in his own air-borne adventures, he's offered to take me for a spin in the skies sporting this pure distillation of history. A nifty jaunt through the clouds, touching down at Le Bourget. He can sign me up right away!