The New Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 Edition

Few brands can look back on a history in aviation timekeeping as Longines. The brand’s archive is as broad as it is deep, with names like Weems, Lindbergh and Majetek being just the tip of the iceberg. Today, Longines looks back in time yet again to celebrate a century of the Zulu, a name linked to pilots’ watches for very obvious reasons. Called the Spirit Zulu Time 1925, it’s everything we know and love from the Spirit Zulu Time collection, with a little cherry on top!

a century of Zulu time

When it comes to watchmaking for the skies, Longines is a true pioneer in the field. Back in 1908, the company created a pocket watch with two time zones on a single dial. It had dual hour and minute hands to easily convert Turkish time to Western European time (see below, left). This type of display, with split time on a single dial, can also be found in the Weems watch from 1930 (see below, right). A legendary piece in Longines’ archive, the hands could be set independently to yet again indicate the time in two different places on earth.

1908 Longines Dual Time Zone Pocket Watch for Turkish to Western European time conversions.

1933 Longines Weems Watch with dual Minute & Hour hands.

A year later, Longines created special cockpit clocks with the help of aviators Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon (see gallery below). A large pusher on the rim of the clock stopped the movement and synchronised it with a radio time signal. Other stand-out watches or clocks include a 1935 pilot’s watch with an inner rotating bezel, a first on such a watch, and a 1937 cockpit clock with a rotating external bezel and triangular pointer. Such a pointer could also be found on the watches supplied to the Czechoslovakian Air Force in the 1930s, which is the inspiration behind today’s Pilot Majetek collection.

1931 Longines Dual Time 24-hour Cockpit Clock.

1935 Longines Dual Time Pilot’s Watch with inner rotating bezel.

1937 Longines Dual Time Cockpit Clock.

One watch, however, means more to the present-day Spirit Zulu collection than all of these, and that is the 1925 Zulu Time (see below). This was the first wristwatch to display both local time and a second timezone on one dial. Named after the time format as used in military aviation, the Zulu Time had a square case, a double scale dial and a fourth central hand for the second time zone. The little flag you can see below the Longines name refers to Zulu Time, which is the time at the prime meridian, otherwise known as Greenwich Mean Time, GMT, or Coordinated Universal Time, UTC in short. That very watch also served as the inspiration for the current Spirit Zulu Time collection, at least by name. Coming full circle, the new Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 celebrates that milestone watch from 1925. And, a century onward, the use of a GMT watch is still very much alive, as it’s perfect for frequent travellers crossing multiple time zones in their adventures!

The Spirit Zulu 1925

The Longines Spirit Zulu Time collection was introduced in 2022 and has since become a very popular choice for enthusiasts and collectors. The solidly built watches come in multiple sizes, materials and colour combinations, which now expands once more with the Spirit Zulu 1925. It uses the more compact 39mm stainless steel case we’re already familiar with from previous editions. Fitted with a bidirectional rotating bezel, it tops out at 13.25mm in height. The bezel itself has an 18k rose gold capped insert with a 24-hour scale engraved into it.

The bezel’s edge has a finely knurled profile for extra grip. Setting it is easily done in both directions, with a firm sense of feedback and resistance. You won’t easily make a mistake or have it manipulated on the fly by accident. The case is primarily brushed, with polished bevels providing a touch of elegance and contrast, and there’s a sapphire crystal on both sides. The screw-down crown ensures it’s water resistant to 100 meters, more than enough to take it for a dip in the ocean or a pool, or to survive an unexpected shower of rain.

A watch that is designed with a purpose needs a dial to meet that purpose, too, and the Spirit Zulu Time 1925 certainly hits the mark. The matte black dial has applied hour markers, with a gold minute track on the outer edge. Recessed diamond-shaped markers visually connect the two elements, and the 6 o’clock marker makes way for the date indication.

The central sword-shaped hour and minute hands are accompanied by an arrow-tipped seconds hand. The GMT hand stands out thanks to a large triangular tip and a black stem. Like the other hands and markers, this also has a luminescent insert. Telling time at night is a breeze, thanks to the strong glow of the Super-LumiNova. The finishing touches on the dial include the brand’s name, the famous winged hourglass logo, printed “Zulu Time” and “Chronometer” script in the bottom, and the five applied stars. I know that some people would love to see such a dial without the stars, but they do connect the watch to pilot’s watches from Longines’ past.

A Flyer-GMT through-and-through

Technically speaking, nothing has changed under the hood of the Spirit Zulu Time 1925. It still relies on the brand’s Calibre L844.4 which is exclusively produced by ETA for Longines, both part of the Swatch Group of course. This runs at a frequency of 25,200vph and has a very comfortable power reserve of 72 hours. One thing to note is that this movement makes the Spirit Zulu Time 1925 a Flyer’s GMT. It allows you to adjust the local hour hand in one-hour increments through the crown, while the GMT hand indicates the time back at home. This makes it not only easy to set as you touch down in the country you’re visiting, but also easy to tell time where you are.

To mark the occasion of 100 years of the Zulu Time name, the rotor is coated in gold PVD, matching it with the bezel up front. It’s also engraved with a partial map of the world and the prime meridian running from north to south and over Greenwich, in the UK. The caseback itself, fitted with a sapphire crystal instead of being closed, and held in place with six screws, is also engraved with 1925-2025 for the occasion.

The Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 is supplied with both a black NATO-style strap with a pin buckle and a stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp. The bracelet has polished edges where the inner and outer links meet, and a built-in quick-release system. And while the folding clasp has several positions to adjust the length of the bracelet, there’s no micro-adjustability system here.

All in all, it’s a welcome expansion of the Spirit Zulu Time line by Longines. It looks very good, especially considering the more compact case diameter, and feels rock-solid on the wrist. The fit and finish are very good, and it has some interesting details to celebrate a century of Zulu Time watchmaking by Longines, without going overboard. The watch retails for EUR 4,500, which means it’s EUR 1,000 more than the regular models with a closed caseback, and no additional straps as standard. Not too bad, Longines, not too bad at all!

For more information, please visit Longines.com.