Introducing the Longines Avigation GMT

Longines introduces a new edition in the Heritage line, a vintage and military inspired watch that takes place next to the recently revealed Heritage 1935, Heritage Diver and Conquest Heritage 1954. This collection of watches is certainly the most interesting  from Longines, with vintage inspired designs and useful complications. And that’s what the Longines Avigation GMT brings: a robust watch with an old-fashioned style and a useful display. 

The Longines Avigation is inspired by a 1949 timepiece produced for the British Army. ‘Avigation’, that stands for Aviation and Navigation, refers to the time Longines was supplying many Special Forces and Armies with robust and highly legible tools, such as the original ‘Majetek Vojenske Spravy‘ made for the Czech Air Force. The original Avigation was made up to military forces specifications: resistance, legibility and antimagnetic capacities. 

Alongside the matching dimensions of its round 44mm stainless steel case, the main common features is a technical one. The new edition of the Longines Avigation also comes with an antimagnetic ‘Faraday Cage’ (a soft iron case) that protects the movement against magnetic fields and thus makes it suitable for pilots and navigators. The dial is also an ode to vintage pilot watches, with its black face and large contrasting arabic numbers painted in white (all are luminous for a good nighttime legibility). The central part of the dial features a red 24h scale that matches with the GMT hand, also painted in red.

The dial is adorned with the old Longines logo and a ‘broad-arrow’ shaped symbol at the top. This symbol was used in the United Kingdom to denote government property, including military equipment and therefore the watches used by the British army.

Inside the 44mm case, with its classical pilot shape, and behind the soft-iron cage ticks a self-winding movement, the Longines Calibre L704. This movement indicates hours, minutes, seconds and date, as well as 24 hours. It is based on a ETA A07 171, meaning a movement from the Valgranges collection that measures 36.6mm x 7.9mm and that boasts 48h of power reserve. This is a smart choice considering the size of the watch, as the date aperture is not lost in the middle of the dial but on the far side of it. And once gain, it is a highly robust, reliable and accurate engine that will do its job for many decades, without any issue. It comes on a black Alligator strap with pin-buckle.

The Longines Avigation GMT (ref. L2.831.4.53.x) is a nice addition to the collection, however less “inspired” than the other ones recently revealed. It is more classical, featuring a typical pilot watch design, when the Heritage 1935 or the Conquest Heritage are based on strong iconic models, which are easily recognizable. It is priced at € 1.600 EURO and already available.

Specifications:

• Caliber: Mechanical self-winding movement. Caliber L704.2 (ETA A07 171). 16^1/2 lines, 24 jewels, 28’800 vibrations per hours. Power reserve: 48 hours
• Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date at 3 o’clock, second time zone
• Case: stainless steel, diameter Ø 44 mm. Screw-down case back. Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with several layers of anti-reflective coating. Anti-magnetic soft iron protection around the movement
• Water-resistant: To 3 bar (30 meters)
• Dial: Black lacquered and polished, 11 Arabic numerals, with Super-LumiNova, red 24 hours scale
• Hands: Rhodium-plated, skeleton baton hands with Super-LumiNova. Red 24-hour diamond-shaped skeleton hand, with Super-LumiNova
• Strap: Black alligator with buckle

More info: www.longines.com