Top 10 Best Longines watches [List & Guide]

Top 10 Best Longines watches [List & Guide]

Longines is a world-famous brand with a long and rich history. Whilst Longines isn’t amongst the top-tier Swiss watch brands, it focuses more on the middle-tier segment and makes high-quality, reasonably priced timepieces that just offer great value for money.

It’s easy to see why Longines is so popular. It ticks all the boxes of what a great watch brand should be and should have. It has an interesting history, uses robust and reliable Swiss movements, has great attention to detail and qualitative products, as well as appealing designs from dive watches to dress watches. And many more reasons of course.

There really is a Longines watch for everyone, and due to the great size of Longines as a company, it has a wide collection of timepieces for everyone. Before we look at some of the best and most popular Longines watches, let’s dig into the history of Longines to get a full understanding of what this brand is all about.

Longines history

Longines was founded in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland by Auguste Agassiz. The company was first named Compagnie des Montres Longines Francillon S.A until it changed to the much easier, shorter ”Longines”. Like all watch companies at the time, Longines started out by selling pocket watches. Over the years, Longines is responsible for a large number of innovations and inventions and has been an important player historically in pushing the Swiss watch industry forward.

Auguste Agassiz was a Swiss watchmaker and started the company together with his brother Louis Agassiz who was a biologist. Later on, Ernest Francillon, the nephew of Auguste Agassiz joins the company and then gradually takes over the family business.

Today, Longines is a Subsidiary of the Swatch Group and has been so since 1983 when the company acquired Longines. The Swatch Group owns a large number of Swiss watch brands such as Omega, Rado, and Breguet.

Over the years, the Longines logo has changed and been revised a large number of times. The core concept of the winged hourglass has always stayed the same, whilst the details have been revised. The logo was registered in 1889.

Best Longines watches

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Longines L3.674.4.50.0 Sports Legends

Starting off this list is the Longines Sports Legends L3.674.4.50.0 which is designed as a sporty everyday watch but with dive-inspired elements. This may not look like your classic dive watch but the rotating bezel that we are used to seeing is actually positioned inside of the dial. The watch is instead equipped with an internal bi-directional rotating stainless steel bezel, allowing you to measure the elapsed time.

The watch has a 42mm stainless steel case and a sapphire crystal on top. Being a dive watch, it has an actually rather good water resistance of 300m/1000 feet, meaning you can take it diving and swimming without any issues. On top of the case, Longines uses a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The thickness is 13.5mm, so with these dimensions, it’s not a huge watch by any means, but it is essentially an average-sized dive/sports watch for men.

Like many of Longine’s watches, it is powered by an automatic movement, of course, Swiss.

The watch is rather simple in design with a black dial with large markers printed on it. At 3 o’clock, it has a date window which can always be practical. The hands are made large with luminescence to provide good contrast and excellent legibility. The dial also features luminescence in many places.

What many people appreciate about this watch is that it is built to be robust and durable and has a dive-watch-inspired design. But at the same time, it is designed to be more sleek and elegant rather than focus 100% on sportiness.

Specifications

• Movement: Automatic
• Diameter: 42mm
• Thickness: 13.5mm
• Water resistance: 300m/1000 feet
• Crystal: Sapphire

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Longines Master Chronograph Automatic L27594783

If you’re looking for an elegant and classic chronograph, the Longines Master Chronograph Automatic is a very popular and good choice.

This watch has a classic chronograph design which is inspired by vintage Longines watches. With that said, whilst many chronographs are perceived as sporty, this one has more of a refined and classic look which makes it more suitable for everyday wear and formal occasions.

It is presented with a stainless steel case with a diameter of 42mm and a thickness of 16mm, and with this size, Longines is definitely more o the bigger side. It’s a very fine balance here, but the larger size ensures that it can remain versatile and suitable for everyday wear and not be too formal. The watch uses a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and is water resistant to 30m/100 feet.

The Master Chronograph is powered by a Swiss automatic movement, which is obviously something that watch enthusiasts will appreciate. What is so great about this watch, in particular, is that it has a simple design, but still, the dial is packed with details. First and foremost, it has a white dial background with a lovely pattern that provides depth. In contrast to this, the dial has three sub-dials with a circular pattern. To go with the classic theme, it has blued leaf-shaped hands. Between 4 and 5 o’clock, it has a date window, which can come in handy. The dial also has large Arabic numerals printed in black.

All of these elements come together to create a very versatile watch that seeks design inspiration from the past and works just as great with a suit as with a pair of jeans.

Specifications

• Diameter: 42mm
• Thickness: 16mm
• Water resistance: 30m/100 feet
• Crystal: Scratch-resistant sapphire
• Movement: Automatic

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Longines Master Automatic L27934920

The Longines Master Automatic L27934920 is a sleek, elegant, and stylish timepiece with a masculine yet dressy appearance. It has a versatile design that makes it suitable for formal and casual occasions and works perfectly as an everyday watch.

The watch features a 40mm stainless steel case and has a water resistance of 30m/100 feet. The thickness is only 9.5mm which means it will slide under a cuff without any issues.

Longines has given this watch a simple yet refined appearance with a striking dark blue dial with a sunburst finish and classic leaf-shaped hands which provide good contrast against the background for good legibility. At 3 o’clock, it has a date window, which can be convenient to have for an everyday watch.

Its blue dial paired with its elegant blue alligator leather strap makes it a very stylish and refined watch that will complement your suit perfectly but also look great for everyday wear.

The watch is of course powered by a Swiss Automatic movement for optimum performance.

Specifications

• Movement: Automatic
• Water resistance: 30m/100 feet
• Diameter: 40mm
• Thickness: 9.5mm

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Longines Master Collection L2.773.4.78.3

The Longines Master Collection L2.773.4.78.3 is a more complicated version of the first watch we looked at. This retains the classic case shape and elegant design but is packed with lots of different factions and features. If you’re someone who appreciates mechanical craftsmanship and fine watchmaking and is not only choosing a watch based on its looks, this one is a great alternative. On the same topic, the watch also has a see-through case back, allowing you to admire the mechanical movement inside.

First off, it has a beautiful white dial with a subtle yet visible pattern. It has a date function, which is indicated via a date pointer, chronograph function, moon phase indicator, day, date, and more. Safe to say that in terms of functions, this watch has a lot to offer. But at the same time, it isn’t perceived as being too busy or cluttered, and it’s a very fine balance that Longines has succeeded very well with.

The water resistance is 30m/100 feet, nothing special here, and on top of the case sits a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.

All in all, this is a really impressive watch in many ways, because Longines has successfully turned an elegant and classic timepiece into an everyday watch that works great on both formal and casual occasions, whilst offering tons of different functions.

Specifications

• Diameter: 42mm
• Thickness: 14.5mm
• Crystal: Scratch-resistant sapphire
• Water resistance: 30m/100 feet

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Longines HydroConquest Automatic L37424966

The Longines Hydroconquest collection is one of the most popular mid-tier dive watches on the market. The HydroConquest has become extremely popular thanks to its iconic and instantly recognizable design, but also because it offers great value for money.

It has a clean and sporty 41mm stainless steel case with a thickness of 13mm. Already at first glance, you’ll identify this as a dive watch, and really, that’s why they are so immensely popular. They are amongst the most iconic watch designs ever made.

As a dive watch should, it has a good water resistance of 300m/1000 feet which means you can go diving and swimming without any issues. On top of the case, it has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.

The watch is powered by an automatic Swiss movement and is presented with a unidirectional rotating bezel with a blue aluminum insert. The dial is also blue and of course, has an emphasis on legibility by using large markers and hands with generous amounts of luminescent material on them. The dial has a lovely blue color with a date function positioned at 3 o’clock. There’s not much that beats a classic blue dive watch for everyday wear, and it’s easy to see why this one is so popular.

Specifications

• Water resistance: 300m/1000 feet
• Diameter: 41mm
• Thickness: 13mm

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Longines Flagship Heritage Automatic Calendar L4.795.4.78.2

The Longines Flagship Heritage L4.795.4.78.2  is, as the name suggests, a vintage-inspired timepiece with a classic design.

In Longines’ own words, ”the Flagship Heritage collection makes an exceptional addition to your sophisticated tastes”.

The watch has a classic and elegant design and is very reminiscent of traditional dress watches. It is presented with a stainless steel case and a beautiful champagne dial with applied metal hour markers and a date window at the 6 o’clock position. Right above the date window, it has a discreet sub-seconds hand. The watch uses a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and is powered by the automatic ETA 2895/2 self-winding movement with a power reserve of 42mm.

Presented on a brown leather strap, it gets a refined and classic look that makes it suitable for wearing on formal occasions, or for everyday wear if you enjoy this type of watch with a classic appeal.

Specifications

• Movement: Automatic ETA 2895/2
• Jewels: 27
• Power reserve: 42 hours

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Longines HydroConquest 44mm Diving Watch L38404566

The Black Longines HydroConquest L38404566 is one of the most popular watches from the Hydroconquest collection. The reason is simple – it’s the most iconic and distinctive diver’s watch from Longines. This watch has all of the classic and iconic traits that you would expect from a dive watch. It has a sporty stainless steel case with a diameter of 44mm, so it is relatively big. The large crown is protected by a protruding crown guard.

The watch is powered by a quartz movement for precise timekeeping and as a dive watch should, it has a good water resistance of 300m/1000 feet.

The watch also has a unidirectional rotating bezel with a black aluminum insert with a 60-minute graduation scale and a luminous pip at 12 o’clock. It uses a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal on top.

The dial features the Hydroconquest’s classic large Arabic numerals at 6, 9, and 12 o’clock and has large applied markers for the rest of the dial. At 3 o’clock, it has a date window, and both the hands and hour markers have generous amounts of luminescence which provides good legibility.

All in all, this is a robust and sporty timepiece that makes for a perfect everyday watch.

Specifications

• Movement: quartz
• Water resistance: 300m/1000 feet
• Diameter: 44mm

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Longines HydroConquest Blue L38404966

We previously looked at a blue HydroConquest with a diameter of 42mm, but if you prefer something larger, the Hydroconquest L38404966 is a great alternative with a diameter of 44mm.

The watch has a stainless steel case which is suitable for those who have a preference for large watches. It retains Longines’ classic dive watch design with a sporty case, large crown, and big protruding crown guards.

It features a unidirectional rotating bezel with a blue bezel insert. The dial has a lovely blue color with the classic 6, 9, and 12 Arabic numerals as well as large hour markers and hands. These are also coated with luminescent material which provides good legibility in low-lit conditions as well.

The watch is powered by an accurate quartz movement and has a water resistance of 300m/1000 feet, meaning you can go diving and swimming without any issues. It uses a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal on top.

You can’t go wrong with the HydroConquest in terms of quality and performance, and for its price, it’s a beautiful watch that offers great value for money as well.

Specifications

• Water resistance: 300m/1000 feet
• Diameter: 44mm
• Crystal: Scratch-resistant sapphire

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Longines Conquest Automatic L3.776.4.58.6

This watch is a Conquest watch, but not a HydroConquest watch. What does this mean? Well, in practice, it means that it is a watch that is based on the Hydroconquest design, but it doesn’t have all of the dive watch features.

With that said, it is a sporty every day with a dive-watch-inspired design, but without all of the dive-watch features. This makes it very versatile and suitable for both sporty and everyday use.

Longines has retained the water resistance of 300m/1000 feet but removed the unidirectional rotating dive bezel for a sleeker and more elegant look. At the same time, it still has a screw-down crown and distinctive crown guard.

The dial design has been revised, but still reminds of the Hydro Conquest due to its large hands and markers. But Longines has removed the big 6, 9, and 12 Arabic numerals for a cleaner and less sporty look. The watch is presented with a classic yet sporty black dial. At 3 o’clock, it has a date window.

The case size is also very reasonable with a diameter of 39mm and a thickness of 11.5mm. This means that it will work great for many different wrist sizes and isn’t huge, nor is it tiny. For many wrists, 39mm is the sweet spot.

Specifications

• Crystal: Sapphire
• Water resistance: 300m/1000 feet
• Diameter: 39mm
• Thickness: 11.5mm

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Longines Conquest VHP L37164969

This is one of our favorite Longines watches for a number of different reasons. First and foremost, it has a beautiful design that combines sportiness with elegance. Secondly, Longines has really paid attention to every single detail about this dial that truly makes it stand out and ensuring that you never get bored of it.

At its core, it is reminiscent of the iconic Hydroconquest, but it is not meant to be a dive watch, just a sports-inspired timepiece that works great for everyday wear.

The watch is presented with a stainless steel case with a diameter of 41mm and a distinctive crown and crown guar design.

The highlight of this watch is of course its dial which has a beautiful blue striped pattern that makes it very vibrant and full of details. Its striped pattern adds depth and makes it reflect the light beautifully. It has luminescence on the hands as well as the hour markers. At 3 o’clock. It has a date window. The water resistance is ”only” 50m/165 feet, but for an everyday watch, that should be fine.

The watch is powered by a Longines quartz movement known as ”VHP”, as indicated on the dial. This stands for ”Very high precision” and in other words means that the quartz movement is extremely accurate.

Specifications

• Crystal: Sapphire
• Water resistance: 50m/165 feet
• Diameter: 41mm

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Longines buyer’s guide – what to think about when buying a Longines

Longines has a large collection of timepieces that quite literally speak to everyone’s taste. There really is a Longines watch for everyone. Classic dress watches, sporty dive watches, pilot’s watches, and everything in between. With that said, if Longines is a brand that speaks to you, and you are looking to invest in a high-quality Swiss-made watch at a reasonable price, you should be able to find a watch that speaks to you.

When looking for a Longines watch, the same principles for when buying essentially any type of watch applies. Some things to consider are:

• What size do you want?
• What type of watch do you want? Dress watch? Dive watch? Everyday watch
• Do you want an automatic or quartz watch?
• What is your budget?
• On what occasions will you wear your watch and with which types of outfits?

Are Longines watches good?

Yes, Longines is an old and well-respected watch brand that is known for making high-quality timepieces with utmost attention to detail. Longines is a brand that prides itself in fine watchmaking and takes the legacy and reputation of Swiss watchmaking seriously. Longines is known for offering a great relationship between quality and price, which is why it is a popular brand amongst those who are looking to invest in their first “real watch”. The Longines brand gives a sense of luxury and quality without requiring you to spend tens of thousands of dollars. In a way, we could call it affordable Swiss luxury watches, although Longines does have numerous more expensive models as well.

Regardless of which watch you choose, you can be confident that you are getting a high-quality Swiss-Made watch. And I’m saying this from an unbiased standpoint where I genuinely believe that Longines is one of the best entry-level/mid-level Swiss watch brands out there.

Whilst Longines watches are in fact qualitative, it is also a term that is loosely thrown around a lot. Therefore, it’s good to define what actually makes Longines watches “good”.

In-house movements  – Longines invests research and development in making its own movements which is great proof that a watch brand is serious about its watches and is looking to constantly innovate and improve its products. And for those watches that do not use in-house movements, you find movements made within the Swatch Group (which owns Longines), so, to some extent, we could also call these in-house, although correctly, not 100%.

Quality materials – In a lot of Longines watches, you can find more qualitative materials being used which are meant to improve their quality. This includes, for example, ceramic, in some of their dive watches, which is usually aluminum on most affordable timepieces.

Made in Switzerland – Swiss watchmaking has strict quality standards in order to maintain the label of quality that Swiss watches have gotten over the centuries. Longines watches are made in Switzerland and therefore subject to stringent tests and quality controls throughout the production process.

COSC certified– Several Longines watches are certified chronometers (COSC), meaning that the movements have to pass external strict tests in terms of accuracy and durability. This is one of the ultimate testimonies of performance and accuracy.

These are just some of many examples of what gives Longines the reputation of qualitative timepieces.

Which is the most popular Longines watch?

As mentioned, Longines has a large collection of timepieces and numerous model lines to suit every taste and purpose. However, the most popular model lines from Longines are:

• Hydroconquest
• Longines Master
• Longines La Grande Classique
• Longines Heritage

Each of these model lines shows a perfect example of Longines’ diversity and capabilities of making, on one hand, complicated mechanical wristwatches that showcase great expertise in fine watchmaking, and on the other hand, high-quality, well-performing tool watches that are built for a purpose. In my observations, those who are looking for their first “real watch” often gravitate towards the Hydroconquest or Conquest line. This is because these are versatile timepieces that work well on virtually any occasion and are a level above both in quality and luxury feel, compared to the affordable entry-level dive/sport/everyday watches on the market.

Want some more inspiration? Have a look at the video below: