Longines’ New Limited-Edition Diver Has a Hidden Canada Connection
With the prospects for the upcoming Beijing Olympics looking less than ideal and two years to wait until the next summer games, fans of international multi-sport events have something else to look forward to: the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. With 70 participating nations and territories, and 286 events across 19 diverse sports — from international fan favourites like aquatics and hockey to more obscure events like squash and netball — the Commonwealth games promise as much world-class competition as any olympiad.
As the games’ official timing partner — an association going back to the 1960s — Longines didn’t wait for the games’ opening ceremonies on July 28th, however, to release their tribute to the international competition, the Longines HydroConquest XXII Commonwealth Games. A special limited-edition version of Longines’ popular stainless steel diver, the watch pays tribute to the games’ palette of bright primary colours with a ceramic bezel insert that transitions from green to yellow to blue. Limited to just 2022 pieces, this 41mm automatic version of the HydroConquest also comes with a Birmingham 2022 logo engraved on the case back.
The Longines HydroConquest is already one of the best values around in terms of a mid-range steel Swiss diver, and thanks to its subtle-yet-colourful design, the XXII Commonwealth Games edition successfully pays homage to the games without sacrificing the watch’s easy wearability (who wouldn’t appreciate a little extra colour on their wrist on a gloomy February day?) What might endure the watch even more to Canadians, however, is the games’ unique connection to Canada. Not only has Canada competed at every Commonwealth Games ever, but we also hosted the first edition of the event, where 11 countries and 400 athletes competed, in Windsor in 1930.
As one of just four nations (along with England, Australia, and New Zealand) to have brought home a medal at every single Commonwealth Games (our medal count at the last event in 2018 was a very respectable 82 — including 15 gold) Canada has played an outsized role at the game over the years. The Longines HydroConquest XXII Commonwealth Games edition doesn’t have any affiliation to a country of course (it’s made by the ever-neutral Swiss after all) but anyone in Canada who manages to score one will still be entitled to feel a little tinge of national pride.
