nside the arena at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Uricas sailed over obstacle after obstacle. This was the last round before victory for the horse and his rider, Harrie Smolders, but as tension mounted, the dark bay stallion clipped a fence, picking up penalties for the Dutch team and leaving Germany, with twelve points, to take first place in the Longines League of Nations Final, one of the most prestigious showjumping competitions in the world. The winners were showered with flowers and champagne on this Sunday 6^th October.

The event — a two-round format that pits the ten best national teams from around the globe as part of the FEI Jumping Nations Cup — is the first of its kind but Longines’ ties to the equestrian world go far back. As early as 1912, the Saint-Imier brand developed its first electromechanical sports timing system. This new device, which debuted at the Lausanne Horse Show in June 1912 and the Lucerne International Horse Show the following month, was accurate to one-fifth of a second. Timing was triggered by breaking a wire, thus eliminating the fractions of a second delay caused by manual operation of a stopwatch. That same year, Longines established its first sports partnership with a showjumping event in Lisbon.

In 1949 the brand’s Timing division developed the Chronocamera. Fitted with a quartz oscillator, this revolutionary device printed a time-stamped photograph, accurate to one hundredth of a second, four seconds after a competitor crossed the finish line and was used with great success on running tracks and racetracks. The Chronocinegines, accurate to two hundredths of a second a day, raised the bar. A quartz clock coupled to a 16mm camera, it photographed the finish line and gave times to one hundredth of a second. Introduced in 1956, the Contifort printed a film strip marked with a white line to indicate where a horse’s nose (or a bicycle wheel) had crossed the finish line.

This robust legacy confirms the Swiss watchmaker’s pre-eminence in equestrian sport. In 2013 Longines became Top Partner, Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the international governing body for equestrian sport. Now a system of light beams captures the start and finish times of horse and rider, to the nearest thousandth of a second. And there is more to come, as Bernardo Tribolet, Longines Vice President Marketing, revealed. He answered our questions from the grandstands at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona.

Europa Star: From the nineteenth century and its very first watches, Longines specialised in timing equestrian competitions. What made the brand choose this sport over another?

Bernardo Tribolet: Then as now, the equestrian lifestyle has always been one of elegance. The horse’s majesty is paired with the rider’s skill, this synergy and dedication are perfectly suited to a world of elegance. Longines’ first chronograph, in 1878, had a jockey and his mount engraved on its case. Our first partnership with a jumping competition was in Lisbon in 1912. This has particular resonance for me personally as I’m Portuguese, hence I immediately felt a connection with the brand. My uncle rode horses, so I was used to seeing Longines watches from an early age.

I think there’s also an interesting link between aviation – another area often associated with Longines – and the equestrian world. As I mentioned, my uncle, who was a captain in the Air Force, also rode and had his own club, and I noticed that his pilot friends all rode, too. With just the instruments available to them, these aviation-mad pioneers would put their life on the line in an era when precision was a matter of life or death. I think Longines was quick to see how these two worlds overlapped and produce instruments especially for them. It’s also a question of values, tradition and performance. Passion is an important pillar for the brand and the equestrian world is inscribed in its DNA.

From the Chronocamera to the Chronocinegines, Longines has been at the forefront of sports timing technology. What are the latest advances and where is technology heading?

The latest developments regarding showjumping, one of Longines’ centres of interest, are aimed at further improving and optimising the existing technology to achieve even more accurate timing and provide spectators with a wider range of information. One of the biggest attractions is to be able to see total time, the height of a jump, etc. Similar to skiing, we’re working on a “ghost” system that will superimpose other riders’ position on a televised image in real time.

We’re also developing a tracking system that will provide a range of information on horse and rider. For example, the rider’s position can be visualised and compared with data for the leading rider. You could say we’re using advances in technology to bring more emotion and excitement to sport. Later stages will count the number and average length of the horse’s stride. We’ll be able to measure jump height and show the curve of the jump. This technology will enable greater understanding of the horse’s and rider’s performance.

Another thing we’re developing is an RFID tracking system. A tag embedded in the saddle shows where the horse is at any given time, particularly when events take place in multiple arenas.

How do you choose Longines’ equestrian ambassadors? What human and sporting values do you set out to highlight through these partnerships?

Our ambassadors must convey our values of elegance, precision, tradition and performance. Most of all, they must demonstrate empathy towards other people, of course, but more importantly towards the horses. Obviously this is an important conversation today. The horse must be our main concern. We don’t focus solely on the top-performing athletes; we are also interested in young talent whom we can help progress in the sport to hopefully one day rank among the best in the world. We help them and they help us. There is a synergy between partners.

You sponsor events in Dubai, Hong Kong and Japan. How important are the Asia and Middle East markets for Longines?

Putting aside the current situation in China, which is quite complex, Asia is a growing market. The beauty and prestige of equestrian competitions appeals to all these markets. Events have a strong following and we’re there to provide the best analyses. Riding and showjumping are a lively tradition in these countries. Other markets are taking their first steps in the equestrian world and Longines is there to accompany them, to help them develop in terms of competitions. Longines has been present in Greater China for more than 150 years.

You spent ten years at Swatch. What has the move to Longines changed for you?

When people ask what brought me to Longines, I tell them it was this watch [he shows us the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve]. If elegance is an attitude, this is the one! This Longines timepiece carries a distinctive heritage. The Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve is the perfect conversation starter over dinner. There is a real story behind its original dial. In fact all our watches have an amazing story to share. Longines was first to create a dual-timezone wristwatch, in 1925, as well as the inventor of the rotating bezel and the flyback chronograph. I consider Longines as the most “Swiss” brand. Our products are the epitome of quiet luxury. We don’t need to make a lot of noise to be noticed. We prefer a pull strategy over aggressive push tactics.