The much-anticipated Longines Heritage
Military watch is officially landing in U.S. stores this month, and collectors
can purchase at select retailers and on the official Longines e-shop. Shoppers will receive this historically significant reissued timepiece
in a collectible wooden box, complete with two distinct strap options and a
strap changing tool.
A Historic Timepiece with a Story to Tell
Longines designed the original 1940s watch model for the British Royal Air
Force (RAF) during the 1940s. During the Second World War, a highly-decorated
radio telegraph operator named Stanley Turner wore the original model on his
wrist while serving aboard an RAF aircraft. The vintage watch once owned by Mr.
Turner offered to Longines by a young English collector, and it was this
recovered vintage model that inspired the new reissue. Vintage Style, Fine Contemporary Craft
With its minimalist design and 38.5 mm diameter, The Longines Heritage Military
flawlessly adheres to the refined aesthetic and spirit of the 1940s period
timepiece which, at the time, measured 32.5 mm. It faithfully preserves the
oversized winding crown, originally designed for ease of handling in the
original model, as well as the blue hands that stand out in strong relief
against its silver opaline dial. Longines also replicated the oxidized patina of
the original model with a subtle mist of fine droplets in black paint. This
process, a first for Longines and performed entirely by hand, makes every piece
wholly unique.
Though it carries an automatic movement, this timekeeper is the only piece in
Longines’ current collections that does not carry the “Automatic” label on its
dial, in keeping with the 1940s model. Remaining true to the watch worn by
Stanley Turner and his RAF colleagues, The Longines Heritage Military features
a curved, fully polished bezel and box-form sapphire crystal. The steel
casing that houses the automatic movement (L888.2) comes presented in a special
case complete with a green, aged leather watch strap, a Nato strap in the same
tone, and a convenient strap replacement tool.
