Longines Heritage 1935

Longines goes to the heart of its DNA and reissues its Heritage 1935

In 1935, the Longines maison was chosen to design watches for the pilots of the Czech air force. And this was no coincidence.

By Eric Othenin-Girard
Specialised journalist

At the time it was chosen by the Czech army, Longines already had great experience making aviation watches.

Original inspiration

The Longines Heritage 1935 is therefore inspired by a timepiece initially created for aviation but which had been widely accepted by the general public. Nothing surprising there as both back then and today, its steel cushion-shaped case and fluted crown give the timepiece an original look, which reminds us of the first model. Just like in aviation watches, the black matt dial displays big white Arabic numerals and is SuperlumiNova-coated.

Longines Heritage 1935

Concerning the dial, some purists advocated that even if the watch was beautiful, it was not a true reinterpretation because the original model did not feature the date at 6 o’clock. That is correct but that criticism probably goes too far.

When the Longines maison decided to review its past and reinterpret a watch that already had the endorsement of the public, it did not only update the watch’s dimensions like many other brands alas do. Rather than that, Longines is concerned with contemporary needs and market tastes. Thus, when it fixed the date at 6 o’clock, the brand from Saint-Imier obviously thought it would be an added value for aficionados. It was a very good move, since not only did this not alter the dial’s layout but also it made it even more charming by restoring a sort of balance in the dial’s elements. It was an intelligent move even if it did not please die-hard purists.

Longines Heritage 1935

A praised time instrument

At the time, owing to their perfect reliability and robustness, these watches were rapidly made available to the general public. Early advertising campaigns described the pieces as one of the most perfect inventions of modern technology, which not only served the purposes of aviation but also those who had a pronounced taste for sports. These timepieces were then the epitome of technical perfection with their strong movements and crystals known for being unbreakable.

Longines Heritage 1935
Just like the dials of aviation watches, the Longines Heritage 1935 dial is perfectly readable.

Longines Heritage 1935

Big white SuperlumiNova-coated Arabic numerals stand out on a black matt dial. The small second and the date aperture have been set at 6 o’clock. Sandy rhodium-plated skeletonized hands that are SuperlumiNova-coated contribute to its perfect readability. A railway-style minute-track rounds off the dial’s harmony. This piece is equipped with the self-winding L615 caliber, which offers a 42-hour power reserve. Furthermore, each piece is individually numbered. In short, it is a very beautiful piece and one of the purest of those that were presented at BaselWorld 2014. Last but not least, this watch costs less than CHF 2,000 (VAT included) in Swiss stores (an argument not to be overlooked). What could be better?

Longines Heritage 1935

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