Longines Spirit 40mm L3.810.4.93.6
Longines, a brand established in 1832 in St-Imier, Switzerland, has kept alive a passion for their long-standing heritage despite growing to one of the world's largest watchmaking companies.
Pioneering aviators have placed their trust in Longines due to their precision, stability, and reliability. Longines watches have been faithful companions to such giants as Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes, and Elinor Smith. The Spirit collection is dedicated to all the pioneers who continue to inspire with their bravery and skill.
Longines is well known for creating historically inspired collections or thoroughly modern designs. With the tagline, "The pioneer spirit lives on," the Spirit collection stands out as a combination of traditional design and legacy values on one hand and modern details and elegance on the other, blurring the lines between the past and present. The Longines Spirit collection was launched in September 2020.
The 40 mm Longines Spirit watch integrates the functionality of a sports watch with timeless vintage elegance.
The Look
The 40 mm stainless steel diameter case has an elegant satin finish. In contrast, the sloped angles are polished, as well as the crown. This combination of different textures breaks up the sections of the case and provides visual interest. The sunray blue dial gives off a refined look that complements the case perfectly. It is comfortable for everyday wear or special occasions, thanks to the 13 mm height and lug-to-lug measures at 50 mm, ensuring a snug fit on the wrist.
The buckle on this piece is also stainless steel, with a triple safety folding clasp and push-piece opening mechanism. The width between the lugs is 21 mm, and the gorgeous blue dial accents the simple uniform look of the case and bracelet.
The functions of this Longines Spirit watch include hour, minute, second, and date.
The watch hands are delicate and have a pencil-shaped tip. The second hand is fascinating because of the diamond-shaped cut-out at the top, dyed red halfway through. They’re treated with Super-LumiNova, along with the numerals and handset, making them visible in low light conditions. Besides the apparent practicality, the coating radiates with a gorgeous electric blue color in the dark, maintaining the visual impact. In full light, the color is a subtle light cyan. The glow-in-the-dark feature, together with the design of large Arabic numerals, is a nod to aviation heritage; Longines watches have been celebrated for legibility, which is crucial during flights.
The minute track is somewhat raised above the center of the dial, creating compelling depth and reinforcing the attention to detail. To conserve space, the date dial replaces the 3 o'clock mark.
On the lower half of the dial, there are five delicate silver stars. These are not just a fun detail; they are entrenched in the premium watchmaking company's long history. The five stars demonstrate the highest internal rating Longines gives to its movements.
This piece has a luxurious domed sapphire crystal protected by several layers of anti-reflective coating on both sides. The case back is made from stainless steel and engraved with the winged hourglass logo, which has belonged to Longines since 1889. It’s the oldest registered trademark of any watchmaker in the world.
The robust crown is one of the key details of this elegant piece. It's satin on top and polished on the sides, with a delicate engraving. The prominent screw-in crown pays homage to vintage pilot watches, and it's consistent with the aviation theme.
Performance
This piece features an L888.4 caliber. The chronometer is COSC certified. The self-winding mechanical movement beats at 25'200 vibrations per hour and produces 64 hours of power reserve with monocrystalline silicon balance-spring. The movement is specially built and manufactured for Longines. It is made to be more durable and lighter than any traditional balance spring and is inspired by the delicate balance of airplane wings.
The spirit of adventure at the root of this Longines collection is reflected in the fact that this piece is water-resistant up to 10 bar or 100 m.
Highlights
The Longines Spirit L3.810.4.93.6 is modern and elegant, with a hint of old times and legendary aviation pioneers, whose spirits inhabit this collection. The color scheme is very straightforward but invites the observer to notice the simple flow of textures, details, and pops of color. The COSC certification and exceptional mechanism centered around the silicone hairsprings set this timeless piece apart from the crowd.
