Longines Celebrates its 175th Anniversary

Data: Jun 14, 2007

In 2007 the Longines company has celebrated its 175th anniversary. It has marked the occasion by opening two new rooms to the brand's museum in Le Sentier, Longines' home since the day of its foundation.

The first museum room drops the light to the past 50 years of the Longines watchmaking. The visitors of the room will have an opportunity to see such models as the Longines Flagship introduced in 1957 and the L990 launched in 1977, the last automatic caliber developed by the brand.

The second new room is devoted to the brand's advertising activities from the end of the 19th century till nowadays. The room displays about 50 panels, including the factory engravings and the Longines latest advertising campaign - 'Elegance is an Attitude'.

Longines has also unveiled a new book titled - A Region in Time. The book keeps track of the crafts and industry development in St.-Imier and its suroundings since 1700 till the present day.

The Longines anniversary year has witnessed the appearance of the Weems Second-Setting Watch. The creation of the timepiece is based upon a remarkable story from the field of watchmaking. The story started in 1927 when Capt. Philip van Horn Weems, working as an instructor at the US Naval Academy, introduced the Weems System of Navigation.

Capt.Weems managed to synchronize a watch to the closest second while using a radio time signal without moving the hands. He utilized a rotating center dial with a minute track. Weems joined efforts with Longines and received a patent for the watch. Charles Lindbergh, a Weem's pupil, applied his teacher's idea while developing his Hour Angle watch also manufactured by the Longines company.

Today the Weems Second-Setting Watch tips its head to Weem's invention. In the heart of the timepiece there beats a self-winding mechanical movement. The mechanism offers 46-hour power reserve. The watch is provided with a moving silvered opaline center dial with black painted minute track and steel hands of the blue tint. Based upon Capt. Weems idea, the center dial enables the synchronization to the second using a radio time signal.

The watch's stainless steel case measures 47.5 mm in diameter. The owner of the watch will have an opportunity to lift the case's engraved and numbered back cover to see a transparent sapphire plate and observe the mechanism's work . The Longines Weems Second-Setting Watch goes on a genuine brown alligator strap provided with 'Charleston' clasp and extension.