Though we’ve spoken about it before in the pages of SHARP, it’s always worth reiterating that Longines holds a unique position in the luxury watch industry. The storied brand has been in operation for nearly 200 years now, its founders Auguste Agassiz and Ernest Francillon launched the company in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, and watchmaking operations have continued in its original location ever since.
Though the facilities have grown over the years, the fact that the brand never went dormant or had to move its general base of operations has afforded it several advantages, including the rich archives of the brand’s heritage and restoration division. On a visit to Longines HQ earlier in the year, it was remarkable to see the extensive archives on site, both in terms of historically significant watches and movements, as well as in the countless cabinets of vintage watch parts being used by the restoration division.
Speaking with Patrick Aoun, Longines’ new President and CEO, his enthusiasm for the brand’s unique background echoed my own. “There are so many fascinating stories in Longines’ history that many people don’t know,” said Aoun. “One I particularly love is our pioneering work in high-frequency watchmaking. As early as 1910, we were creating instruments that could measure 1/10th of a second, and by 1916 we had reached 1/100th of a second for sports competitions. In 1959, we introduced high-frequency movements in wristwatches, culminating in the first Ultra-Chron in 1967. Today, this pursuit of precision supports our role as official timekeeper in professional sports, from equestrian events to alpine skiing, where every fraction of a second truly counts.”
Aoun, though new to the position, has a very clear vision of where the brand is heading. When asked about what the watch community should expect from Longines in the years to come, his answer was laser focused. “My priority is simple: to strengthen our position as a leader in our price segment while staying true to our identity and our slogan, Elegance is an attitude. This involves strong collections, cutting-edge quality, close collaboration with our partners, and impeccable customer experience.”
Having seen this year’s roll-outs thus far, Longines’ collections reinforce the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship and innovation. The all-new Ultra-Chron Classic was recently revealed to the public, bringing with it an elegant and period-correct design in both 37- and 40-mm case sizes. Offering both size variants is a smart move on the part of Longines to open the model up to a wide variety of wrist sizes. The new watch is powered by a high-frequency automatic caliber running at 5 Hz, which is fitted with a silicon balance-spring for accuracy and resistance to magnetic fields.
Longines’ collections consistently run the gamut from refined elegance to more robust and sporting pieces, and 2025 has also brought some welcome additions to the latter half of the portfolio. Alongside some minor updates to the Legend Diver collection, the big news of the moment is the launch of a new Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback. The 3-hand pilot has been significantly updated over its predecessor, both in design and construction, while retaining its reliable L888.4 self-winding caliber with official COSC chronometer certification and a 72-hour power reserve.
Perhaps biased due to my personal soft spot for chronographs, but I’d be quick to argue that the new Spirit Pilot Flyback is the brand’s best work of the year. Its overall design is smart and uncomplicated, but it’s the move to more compact case proportions that make the new reference a home run. 39.5mm in diameter and 13.4mm thick, the new reference hits a certain sweet spot that will find fans across the watch collecting spectrum. Previous versions of the Spirit Pilot Flyback — while not oversized at 42mm — are just large enough that slender-wristed collectors would find them a bit oversized, but with this gap now bridged, Longines is once again offering something for everyone.
With a remarkably strong offering and new leadership at the helm, the future is feeling very bright for Longines — not that there was ever any doubt. In the more approachable end of the luxury watch spectrum, few players in the market are as effective at hitting all the right notes, and from a historical standpoint there really isn’t a brand out there that can hold a candle to this Saint-Imier mainstay.
Explore the new Longines collections here.
