Introducing the Longines Heritage Diver collection

Longines’ history is full of highly collectible watches and the brand is clearly aware of that. With its Heritage collection, Longines pays tribute to some of the most important timepieces of its past, as the Heritage 1973 Column-Wheel inspired by 1970’s racing chronographs, the Conquest Heritage that pays tribute to the original 1954 Conquest or the Legend Diver, one of the nicest and most faithful tribute watch that we know. Last addition to the Heritage collection is the Heritage Diver, which harks back to the diving watches that Longines made in the 1970’s.

The Longines Heritage Diver comes in two version, a classical three hands watch and a chronograph, both self-winding and sharing the same case design. The design is pure seventies with a 43mm cushion shape and a sun-ray brushed top, like the original version. Both are resistant up to 300m and have a “compressor-style” case, meaning an inner rotating bezel that is actuated by a crown (at 2 o’clock on the 3 hands and at 10 o’clock on the chronograph), just like the Legend Diver. The Heritage Diver features a synthetic fabric strap (‘sail’ canvas) and the Heritage Diver Chronograph comes on a rubber strap, both made to be used in deep and salty water.

The seventies look is also very present on the dials, which sport a satin black finish. The dials boast several red elements, such as the inner bezel track, the minute hand of the H-M-S and the second hand of the chronograph. Besides the movement, the main difference between the two versions is the way to read the inner bezel. On the 3 hands, it goes from 0 to 60 minutes in order to calculate immersion times. On the chronograph, it’s a decreasing scale that goes from 60 to 0, in order to calculate remaining time, for example during a decompression stage.

Those two watches are equipped with ETA movements, reliable and strong enough to do the job and keep the watch running for many years without troubles. The three hands features a 2824-2 and the Chronograph a 2894-2, meaning a modular chronograph movement. Longines is not using its proprietary movement, the L688, that comes with a column-wheel to operate all chronograph functions. Nothing dramatic however as the caseback is full and engraved with a hunting diver.

Specifications:

• Case: 43mm cushion shape in stainless steel, inner rotating bezel, screwed baseback, bezel and crowns. Water-resistant up to 300m. Sapphire crystal on the top.
• Movement (3 hands): Calibre L633.5 (ETA 2824-2), self winding, 25 jewels, 28.800vph / 4Hz, 38 hours power reserve. Hour, minute, second in the center, date at 3.
• Movement (chronograph): Calibre L651.3 (ETA 2894-2), self winding, 37 jewels, 28.800vph / 4Hz, 42 hours power reserver. Hour, minute in the center, small second at 3, 30 minutes counter at 9, date at 6.
• Strap: Black canvas with pin buckle or black rubber with folding clasp.