This year, Longines is celebrating 175 years of watchmaking heritage. With its rich heritage in mind and with a view to the future, the firm, founded in Saint-Imier in 1832, marked its jubilee by festivities at the Cité du Temps in Geneva. A jewel-watch – the Longines 175 Diamonds – was presented on this occasion, and an exhibition tracing the history of Longines was inaugurated. At the press conference, Nick Hayek Jr., CEO of Swatch Group, and Walter von Känel, President of Longines, presented the new The Longines Master Collection Retrograde timepiece, the flagship of a collection whose distinguishing characteristic is to highlight the horological tradition. Finally, the jubilee provided an ideal opportunity to publish a volume testifying to the extraordinary technical heritage of Longines: “At the Heart of an Industrial Vocation – Longines watch movements (1832-2007) –Tradition, know-how, innovation“.


Factory (1896)


Factory(2006)

175 diamonds for 175 years of history
To commemorate this jubilee – and for the good fortune of ladies above all – the firm with the winged hourglass has designed a special lady’s watch that bears witness to Longines' aesthetic heritage and historic penchant for elegance. Produced in a limited series of 175 pieces, this jewel-watch is adorned with 175 diamonds that celebrate the brand's anniversary with great elegance.



The Longines Master Collection Retrograde
Longines also presented a man's timepiece exemplifying its rich horological heritage and constant striving for elegance: The Longines Master Collection Retrograde. This new watch, which encloses an automatic mechanical calibre developed especially for Longines by ETA, is the flagship model of a collection devoted to highlighting the horological traditions of the firm.



“At the Heart of an Industrial Vocation“
Longines is publishing a volume on the numerous watch movements developed by the company between the first half of the 19th century and the present day. Written by Patrick Linder, a young researcher specialising in the history of watchmaking, this volume analyses the evolution of the ins and outs of the manufacturing of watch calibres through the major phases in the development of the watch industry. This book presents and richly illustrates a survey of little-known facets of Longines’s industrial adventure.



The Musée Longines: a living testimony to the firm's history
To commemorate its 175 years of activity at Saint-Imier, Longines has endowed its Museum with two new rooms. There is now a space presenting the results of 50 years of watchmaking (1957-2007) and a second room showing the development of the firm's advertising; both testify to the rich history of the winged hourglass brand. Longines has also put on display the large factory books listing all the timepieces made in the workshops.

After the festivities of 26th September, the exhibition at the Cité du Temps presenting the 175 years of Longines history will remain open to the public until 14th October.

La Cité du Temps. Located in the heart of Geneva, the Pont de la Machine has been one of the emblems of the city since 1840. Built to supply the new public fountains with water, it has little by little become a symbol of the city's industrial growth. The building on the bridge has been managed by the Swatch Group since 2005 as a home to the Cité du Temps, a unique interactive space used for permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, since 1832, the Longines maison can boast 175 uninterrupted years of watchmaking expertise and more than 125 years of sporting heritage as timekeeper for world championship events and partner of international federations. Located in more than 130 countries, Longines is part of Swatch Group S.A., leading world manufacturer of timepieces.

Source: Longines
www.longines.com
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