Jewellery & Watch News
Longines is a watchmaker with a rich history in many fields, but their relationship to aviation is above all others. The Longines Spirit collection celebrates the aviators that have relied on Longines pilot’s watches throughout their history, delivering high-precision COSC-certified automatic movements, robust cases and luminous dials. The luxury watch brand with the winged hourglass logo now adds a new flyback chronograph into their vintage pilot’s watch collection named the Longines Spirit Flyback Chronograph watch.
Longines & the Flyback Chronograph
What exactly is a flyback chronograph? Like a conventional chronograph, a flyback chronograph allows you to time an elapsed event using a stopwatch function. However unlike a standard chronograph, which requires you to press both the stop and reset functions before restarting the timing function, a flyback chronograph pares down the process to just one step. With just one press of the pusher, all three operations (the stop, reset and start) will reset. As you can imagine, flyback chronographs have been essential tools for pilots over the years, allowing them to measure elapsed time more efficiently and as you’d expect from an aviation legend like Longines, they are no strangers to the flyback function. They equipped their first watch with a flyback chronograph back in 1925 and later filed a patent for it in 1936. This watch made history as the first serial chronograph with flyback function and became one of the most technically advanced chronograph movements of that time.
The Longines Spirit Flyback Chronograph Watch
Longines’ aviation legacy and history with the flyback chronograph complication continues today with the launch of the Longines Spirit Flyback Chronograph watch. The function is powered by the freshly released Longines L791.4 self-winding, column-wheel movement which can be viewed through the case back of each model. The oscillating rotor is engraved with the globe representing the Longines Spirit collection and lettering reading “Longines Flyback”. The L791.4 calibre promises high levels of anti-magnetism and is equipped with a silicon balance spring for increased accuracy while the five golden stars on the dial of the Longines Spirit Flyback watch marks the movement’s chronometer certified status. We’re also assured of a 68 hour power reserve and a frequency of 28,800vph.
Other than its new movement and flyback function, the new Longines Spirit Flyback Chronograph has much of the same presence on the wrist as any other Longines Spirit watch. The stainless steel case measures to 42mm in diameter and 17mm in height, so it’s a fairly large watch for those with smaller wrists, and is finished to a high standard with satin, matte and polished details, a large screw down crown and statement chronograph pushers. The bi-directional bezel is equipped with a blue or black ceramic insert and adorned with a white 60 minute scale which sits beside a layer of sapphire crystal glass with multi-layered anti-reflective coating. The Longines Spirit Flyback also guarantees a water resistant rating of 100 metres.
The dial of the Longines Spirit Flyback watch is very similar to the previous chronograph iterations, offering a sunray blue or sunray black display dressed in bronze-shades numerals and hands. There’s two snailed counters, coloured in black or blue depending on the dial you pick, for the small seconds and 30 minutes which also have their own bronze-coloured hardware. The two central hands for the hours, minutes and seconds and large Arabic numerals are adorned in glow in the dark Superluminova.
Last but not least, the Longines Spirit Flyback Chronograph is available on wide range of straps. There’s a three-row link stainless steel bracelet with a triple folding clasp, a brown leather or blue textile strap secured by a folding buckle with a micro-adjustment system and a beige NATO strap with a standard steel pin buckle. You can order all of these variations on the C W Sellors website here or by contacting of team of luxury watch specialists. Speak to us about the new Longines Spirit Flyback Chronograph by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at sales@cwsellors.com.
Specifications:
- Case Size: 42mm x 17mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Bi-directional with black or blue ceramic insert
- Glass: Sapphire crystal with multi-layered anti-reflective coating
- Crown: Screw down
- Case Back: Exhibition
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: Longines L791.4, self-winding, column-wheel with silicon balance spring
- COSC: Yes
- Power Reserve: 68 hours
- Jewels: 28
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial; Sunray black or blue with bronzed numerals and hands, Superluminova inserts
- Strap: Stainless steel bracelet, brown leather, blue fabric or beige NATO
- RRP: Starts from £4,100
- Limited: No
- Release Date: March 2023
