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Tradition, elegance and performance
The watches of the winged hourglass brand illustrate a rich watchmaking tradition. Featuring timeless elegance, these timepieces adorn the wrists of men and women in search of distinction.
The Brand
Based in Saint-Imier in Switzerland since 1832, the watchmaking company Longines wields expertise steeped in tradition, elegance and performance. With generations of experience as official timekeeper of world championships, and as partner of international sports federations, Longines has built strong and long-lasting relationships in the world of sport over the years. Known for the elegance of its timepieces, Longines is a member of Swatch Group Ltd., the world’s leading watch manufacturer. The Longines brand, with its winged hourglass emblem, is established in over 150 countries.
Watchmaking tradition
The history of the Longines company dates back to 1832, when a trading office was opened in St. Imier by Auguste Agassiz. The watch parts were produced in domestic workshops by skilled craftsmen. Auguste Agassiz then took care of the assembly and the sales of the finished products. In 1852, Ernest Francillon joined his uncle Auguste Agassiz and gradually took over the family business. In 1867, the first building bringing together under one roof all the different stages of watch manufacturing was inaugurated. The Longines factory was up and running and the company adopted the name of the location where it had been built. The name Longines – meaning "long meadows" – was born and from then on, all watches that left the factory would bear this name, the winged hourglass logo and a serial number.
Elegance is an Attitude
“Elegance is an attitude” is the slogan that Longines has been using since the nineties and which sums up the brand’s philosophy. Elegance is much more than outward appearance; it must show in all aspects of a deed or a personality. The message, emotional yet simple, has been embodied by the brand Ambassadors from the world of sports and show business. They represent Longines' philosophy and tradition of elegance, which are closely entwined with the brand's watchmaking expertise.
Sports timekeeping
Since its very beginning, Longines has been closely associated with the world of sport, for which it has developed technologies for measuring time with increasing precision: its first chronograph produced in 1878 and used from 1881 on American racecourses; the "broken wire" automatic timing system launched in 1912; the Chronocinégines, which quickly set a long series of precision records as early as 1954. All these inventions made an important contribution to ensuring that the name of Longines would go down in the annals of sport. Today, Longines is closely involved in equestrian sports and alpine skiing, and is the Official Timekeeper of the Commonwealth Games.
Aviators and pioneers
The timepieces that bore the winged hourglass logo would also contribute to the success of numerous achievements, thanks to their reliability, precision, robustness and innovative technologies. They would accompany exploratory missions to the last undiscovered corners of the globe, have to face extreme weather conditions, be a part of the establishing of new aviation routes and records, and navigate through raging seas. Thus many aviators and explorers, including, Charles Lindbergh, Philip van Horn Weems, Roald Amundsen, Amelia Earhart and Paul-Emile Victor, placed their confidence – and to a certain extent their safety – in Longines watches.
Find out more about the brand: https://www.longines.com/