The winged elegance that has marked time for explorers and pioneers throughout almost two centuries of Swiss precision.
Founded in 1832 by Auguste Agassiz in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, Longines embodies the essence of traditional Swiss watchmaking. With its iconic logo of the winged hourglass, the manufacture has accompanied aviation pioneers, explorers and athletes on their most memorable feats.
From the innovative vision of Ernest Francillon, who in 1867 established the factory at the site known as “Es Longines”, the brand has been synonymous with chronometric precision and timeless elegance, becoming the oldest registered watch brand in the world.
Ernest Francillon establishes the Longines manufacture in a field known locally as 'Es Longines'. The factory was inaugurated in 1867 and continues to operate on the same site to this day, marking the beginning of an unbroken watchmaking tradition.
The name 'Longines' means 'long meadows' in the local dialect
Longines produces the caliber 20H, its first mechanism designed for precise timekeeping. Chronographs fitted with this caliber, decorated with an engraving of a jockey on horseback, became popular at American racecourses during the 1880s.
The beginning of the historic relationship between Longines and the equestrian world
Developed in Constantinople to convert Turkish time to Western time, this innovative pocket watch featured two sets of hour and minute hands. Longines registered the patent for this pioneering mechanism in 1911.
Longines produces one of the world's first wristwatches, designed specifically for Russian pilots. Fitted with the caliber 19.73N, this early model represented a revolutionary change in the way time was worn and read.
It marked the beginning of the aviator watch era
The caliber 13.33Z, measuring just 29mm in diameter, sets the standard for modern chronographs. Aviator Amelia Earhart wore a similar model during her transatlantic crossings of 1928 and 1932.
Longines introduces its first product family with the Conquest Collection, registered on 3 April 1954. This strategy marked a new approach to product development, creating coherent lines with an identity of their own.
The brand's first official collection
Longines launches the Ultra-Quartz, its first quartz-controlled wristwatch. With an in-house developed movement, this model offered accuracy superior to any other series-produced watch of the time.
Longines achieves a technical milestone with the Feuille d'Or ('Gold Leaf'), a quartz watch just 1.98mm thick. It was the first watch to break the 2mm barrier, representing a feat of engineering and miniaturisation.
A world record for thinness in its day
Every Longines watch carries on its dial the testimony of almost two centuries of watchmaking excellence, where tradition and innovation converge beneath the wings of time.
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