Past Perfect: Release of Record Heritage Marks 190th Anniversary of Longines

A work of art — be it a film or a book or a watch — can be termed a ‘classic’ when it has stood the test of time and will continue to be admired by generations to come. If we look at the world of horology, we can see how vintage watches continue to be revered by watch enthusiasts, both young and old. And makers of such watches continue to command respect because of their efforts to preserve heritage and adapt to modern times with spectacular innovations. Take Longines, a brand that needs no introduction — a classic of the world of Swiss watchmaking. Steeped in history, the brand is now celebrating its 190th anniversary with the launch of a new chronograph.

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Founded by Auguste Agassiz in 1832, Longines is known for its close association with various kinds of sports timekeeping - aviation, horse racing and so on. Part of the Swatch Group since 1983, the watchmaker has just introduced its new chronograph, Record Heritage (Ref. L2.921.4.56.2/6), its first tachometer chronograph. 

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Adding a COSC-certified complication, the Record Heritage is a dress watch sitting on a 40 mm stainless steel case. The watch gets tapered lugs and a polished round bezel with a vintage-inspired dial. The matte black dial gets golden accents with Arabic hour markers for even numerals, overlaid indexes for odd numerals and a rail minute track on the outer periphery. The vintage-inspired dial gets a 30-minute subdial at 9 o’clock and a 60-second subdial at 3 o’clock with golden markings and a concentric pattern. The golden tachometer scale is positioned on the outside of the dial for better visibility. 

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The watch features a silicon hairspring and two pushers to start, stop and reset the chronograph at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock respectively. The pushers are oval shaped, with a knurled crown at 3 o’clock to set and wind the movement. On the dial, there are leaf-shaped central hour and minute hands. The winged hourglass logo sits at 12 o’clock while ‘Automatic Chronometer’ can be seen at 6 o’clock. Turning the watch over reveals the sapphire crystal caseback with the ‘Record’ engraving and a stainless steel oscillating weight.

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Powering the watch is a mechanical self-winding Calibre L895.4 movement with 59 hours of power reserve. The new Longines Record Heritage chronograph is worn on a cognac-coloured brown leather strap with a steel pin buckle or on a stainless steel multi-link bracelet with a folding clasp and brushed and polished finish. 

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It is not an ideal diving watch as it has a water resistance of 30 metres. 

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