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Longines Legend Diver

takashi

Legendary Member
4/4/06
11,500
7
0
I believe this timepiece is worth considering. Pricelist is 2000CHF, backorder for 1 year. Reissue edition. IWC and JLC are doing it too but the sweetest deal goes to this Longines.

LONGINES_Legend_Diver.jpg
 

R2D4

Admin
Advisor
15/4/07
14,905
42
48
Yep, I have had my eye on that one too Taka. I have their catalog and keep going back to it. :D
 

takashi

Legendary Member
4/4/06
11,500
7
0
@R2: please post here or keep us informed if you know more info. Especially on the waiting time. I have yet to check out my local AD on this watch but seen it at Baselworld... Seriously, it's a very good bang for bucks.

Look at IWC and JLC reissue watches (aquatimer)... they are going for a lot more.
 

moggio

I'm Pretty Popular
25/3/06
2,788
4
0
I've been eyeing for this JLC ..since it showed this year..looking good ..very elegant in his own way

1968b-1.jpg


1968a-1.jpg


pola65.jpg


pola652.jpg


polaadd.jpg
 

Dan_Gerous

Known Member
26/5/08
129
0
0
I've been eyeing the Longines Legend Diver myself. Great looking watch at a fairly reasonable price.
 

R2D4

Admin
Advisor
15/4/07
14,905
42
48
Congrats Taka, that's a beauty. How is the lume?
 

takashi

Legendary Member
4/4/06
11,500
7
0
Cost in USD will be around 1600USD. I have seen online retailers selling it for lower price (1495USD) but I wouldn't want to risk it. Just get it from an AD. Discount was given without much haggling but the price can't come down further.

Anyway, the lume is great it's Superluminova C3 on the triangle on the bezel, hands and dial.
 

lan61t

Renowned Member
7/4/08
838
2
0
sorry about my noob question.....but this is a gen watch isnt it?

it's a beautiful piece of timekeeping :)
 

takashi

Legendary Member
4/4/06
11,500
7
0
Yes, this is the real deal. Thank you. In my opinion, this is how a modern classic should look like.
 

R2D4

Admin
Advisor
15/4/07
14,905
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How is the turning of the bezel? Does it click or is it loose? I like it.
 

Pizzanooo

Renowned Member
17/3/06
570
5
0
Thanks for the pics taka, best I have seen on it yet.. :D
You have excellent taste in watches, that`s a beaut.
 

takashi

Legendary Member
4/4/06
11,500
7
0
@R2: The inner turning bezel is controlled by the crown at 2 o clock position, it's a screw down crown so you won't turn the bezel accidentally (the safest way is this way IMHO). It works bidirectionally with no resistance/clicks (if you put your ear near the watch, you will still hear fine clicking sound).

@pizza: You are most welcomed and thanks for the compliment.
 

cybee

Legendary Member
Supporter
23/11/06
11,134
28
48
That is a cool looking watch in every respect. :p
 

takashi

Legendary Member
4/4/06
11,500
7
0
I shall give a little bit more information about this watch. The watch is a re-issue of 1960 Longines Divers. It was an event happening at the bathyscaph “Trieste†in which Longines participated. It broke a deep diving record of -3150m in September 1953.

True to its original design, this watch features a domed saphire glass (think of it like Rolex tropic dome in Sapphire or Fiddy's crystal but much thicker) and inner rotating bezel. These are well executed with the help of modern machinery to achieve today's high performance mechanical diver's watch. This watch is rated to 300m water resistancy.

Movement wise, it uses just a decorated chronometer grade ETA2824-2 (Longines calls it cal. L633) with Glucydur balance wheel. I have yet to see enough resources what movement does the original watch uses. Nothing wrong with this movement, it achieves pretty good accuracy of +3 secs a day (again, need some breaking in time to tell you exactly). Talking about in house movement, this is actually an in house movement. Longines is owned by the Swatch Group and so is ETA.

This is a very simple 3 handed watch without extra complications. Perhaps the one that is considered an amazing design is its inner rotating bezel. The inner rotating bezel can be adjusted via screw down crown at 2 o'clock position. IWC uses similar design too. What I like about it is, it's not necessary to have unidirectional bezel because it's actually protected by the screw down crown. Crown unscrews and screws smoothly, no wobbly feeling. Same goes with the crown near 4 o'clock position. It is another screw down crown. This is for time adjustment with hacking function. Date function is not present.

The dial is really well made and printed. It's finished in piano glossy black (like the Submariner/Seadweller) with printed, raised indices in off white colour to mimick tritium colour. I can assure you, this is as close as it can get. The aging tritium colour is not overdone and blends very well with the deep black colour of both the bezel and the dial. On top of that, application of Superluminova C3 on hands, dial and inner rotating bezel is not distractive at all and blends very well with the overall look of this vintage watch. In other words, it's discrete enough at the same time really functional. It glows brightly as you can expect.

The caseback (not shown in the pictures) is domed screwed down, more like Breitling divers. It's engraved and comes with a logo of a diver with aqualung. Pretty nice with glossy finishing too.

Another strong point is the packaging. It comes with matte black (huge) wood case. It is as elegant as if not more than a Panerai watch box or even a watch box for more expensive IWC.

Well, I would say that this watch offers really good value for money. I know the movement is not as fancy as the more expensive Omega Seamaster or Breitling Aeromarine series. The brand is also associated more for ladies/quartz/entry level Swiss made watches. However, looking at a different perspective, there were only 3 reissues recently. Apart from this watch, JLC with that Tribute to Polaris and IWC Aquatimer vintage. Both are limited series and priced about 8-10x more than this Longines.

I declare this watch as a big winner, as poor man's version of this vintage divers reissue category.
 

kitersoze

Active Member
26/11/08
488
39
28
takashi said:
Yes, this is the real deal. Thank you. In my opinion, this is how a modern classic should look like.

that is a real looker, taka. you did n chose well...