Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New 2022 Models in the Longines Elegant Collection (Live Pics & Price)
Simplicity, refinement, classicism and modern technology combined.
While Longines has recently invested a lot of effort in its retro-styled pilot’s collection, the Spirit and all variants – which you can explore here – as well as its Heritage models, the brand also has a pretty consistent portfolio of elegant dress watches that often fly under the radar. Surely, we have a thing for these inspired and cool collections, but not everyone is looking for such models. A relatively significant fraction of future owners is simply looking for an elegant, restrained watch that can easily be worn at the office. And in this field, the Winged Hourglass has something new with some arguments under the hood; the new Longines Elegant Collection 39mm models.
The new models in the Longines Elegant Collection are all about visual discretion and refinement at a fair price, yet with modern, daily-compliant mechanics under the sapphire caseback. It’s not just simple watches to display the time. Longines has made sure that the new 39mm members of the Elegant Collection (but also the same in 34.50mm) are both protected against magnetism but also weekend-proof with an extended power reserve – which, in all fairness, isn’t a bad idea for a watch that is clearly intended to be worn during the week with a suit, and replaced during the weekend by something more casual.
At 39mm in diameter, these new models are classically sized, with a polished steel case characterized by its discretion and overall classism. The bezel is almost absent, leaving space for the dial, the lugs are both thin and short, making sure the watch sits nicely on the wrist, and at 9.75mm in height, the case is thin enough to be hidden under a cuff. It is covered by a sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating and the caseback is also transparent so one can see the proprietary calibre beating inside.
The dial of this collection relies on a matte white base on which some elongated black Roman numerals are printed. The hands are simple silvered polished batons, and the logo is applied at 12 o’clock. Again, nothing too original or visually present on this watch that is dedicated to discretion and refinement. It’s clean, classic, elegant and will go well with business attire. The display consists of two central hands for the minutes and hours, a small seconds that has been moved away from the centre (even if it is still a bit too close to the axis of the hands) and a date at 3 o’clock – which feels appropriate in this context.
Developed exclusively for Longines by ETA – Swatch’s movement production company – the calibre L891.5 is automatic and equipped with several interesting technologies. First, thanks to a revised kinetic chain and a reduced frequency (3.5Hz), it now has 72 hours of power reserve – meaning that you can leave it on your desk on Friday evening, and it’ll still be beating on Monday morning. Second, it is fitted with an anti-magnetic silicon balance spring, which contributes to Longines’ offering a 5-year warranty.
There’s more to these Longines Elegant Collection 39mm watches. While you can order them on a 7-link steel bracelet with a folding clasp, these are naturally offered on straps… but not made from leather. For the first time, Longines offers straps in vegetable material, available either in taupe (our preferred choice) or black (more classic). A responsible alternative, the exterior is composed of an innovative material made from recycled apple waste. The interior of the strap is recycled corn rubber. It shares the same qualities as leather with respect to how it feels to the touch and is said to offer a similar lifespan. In the metal, we’ve been pleasantly satisfied with how they felt on the wrist.
The new 39mm models in the Longines Elegant Collection are now available from the brand’s website and retailers and are priced at EUR 1,870 on vegetable straps and EUR 1,970 on a steel bracelet. For more details, please visit www.longines.com.
6 responses
This date window is a crime ..
All date windows are a crime…
Elegant?
Not with that hideous date window.
X4 on the date window: awful. Accounting have no place in influencing dial design (watches with date windows outselling time-only, blah, blah). Not to mention they could have gotten it even closer to 9mm or increased the water resistance without the date wheel… Or fixed the minute hand length.
I like the simple design and the date window in fact a day/date would be nicer.
I wish this watch was manually wound with no date window. No ugly rotor obstructing the movement, no ugly date window & no “automatic” printed on the dial. That would be elegant.