From Fratello Watches

Hands-On Review: Longines Legend Diver


We at Fratello Watches are keen on re-editions of vintage timepieces of certain eras, but they need to be very well executed in order to succeed as such. Perhaps this also explains why certain watches that never changed that much are often a brand’s key to success; take the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” or the Rolex Submariner, for example.

You can’t really say that modern versions of these watches are re-editions, because their production has (mostly) never been halted. A good example of a well-executed re-edition is — in my opinion — the OMEGA Seamaster Ploprof 1200M. Another example is the watch that I review here, the Longines Legend Diver.

Approximately 50 years ago, Longines had a very similar diver watch, with an automatic caliber 290 Longines movement inside. This 42-mm Longines Diver watch had dimensions that are similar to the current Longines Legend Diver watch. Longines did a good job in revamping this icon from its own history.

A quick search on eBay tells me that these vintage Longines Diver watches can easily go for up to $8,000. (see below photo of the vintage Longines, captured from eBay).  If you are not prepared to pay that, or don’t want to risk the pitfalls I’ve previously discussed of the buying vintage watches, you can always consider its re-edition: the Legend Diver by Longines.

Vintage Longines Diver - side
Above: a vintage Longines Diver watch; below: the modern Longines Legend Diver
Longines Legend Diver - angle

Longines loaned me the Legend Diver Date model for this review. The Legend Diver was introduced in 2007, without a date feature. In 2009, Longines added a version with a date complication. For some reason, Longines decided to stop the production and delivery of the no-Date version in 2011-2012. Personally, I wouldn’t mind the version without the date aperture, as it comes closer to the original and it doesn’t disturb the otherwise clean dial.

The Longines Legend Diver Date has been on my wrist for a couple of weeks and I have to say that is a very comfortable wearer. The 42-mm diameter is just perfect and matches the current “standard” size for such timepieces. I can only imagine that the original version of this must have seemed huge in the early 1960s!  One of the reasons why it is so comfortable is probably the synthetic strap that comes with the watch. The other side of the synthetic strap has a lining of a felt-like material.  This ensures that the watch is easy on the wrist (no sweating issues) and that it stays put.

The watch has two crowns; the lower one is for setting time (and date) and the upper one is for rotating the inner diving bezel. Both crowns have the same hobnail pattern as the original Longines Diver watches and are easy to grasp and operate.

Longines Legend Diver - front

A “Super Compressor” case like the one on this Longines Legend Diver is not that uncommon, as we’ve seen similar ones from Jaeger-LeCoultre, for example. In the past, companies like Universal Genève (Polerouter Sub), LIP (Nautic Ski), Benrus, and Fortis have used them as well.

The term “Compressor” relates to the case’s seal construction, which ensures water resistance through pressure on the gaskets. “Super Compressor” is similar to standard “Compressor,” but also features a screw-down caseback. (Some people think the term also has something to do with the two crowns, but it doesn’t.)  More information about Compressor cases can be found on the Scuba watch website.

On top of the 42-mm diameter case is a domed sapphire crystal. Although I wouldn’t have minded a plexiglas crystal on this watch, I can understand why Longines chose the more scratch-resistant material. And although most buyers of this watch will almost certainly be so-called desk divers, the watch is capable of handling water pressure at depths down to 300 meters.

The black lacquered dial of the Longines Legend Diver Date is just beautiful. It was one of the things, together with the Super Compressor case and two crowns, that make this watch so interesting to me. The painted luminous (Super-LumiNova) hour markers and hands are a bit yellowish, like patina. The lume of the dial is good and makes it very readable in the dark. The hands are polished and contrast very well with the dial, perfectly readable from all angles.

Longines Legend Diver - flat

Another aspect I like about this watch is that it lacks a lot of needless information on the dial. All you see here is the Longines brand name & logo and the fact that it is an automatic watch. All other information, like the water-resistance level, the reference number, the model name, and even the fact that it is Swiss made is on the caseback, along with a central embossed emblem of a diver holding a harpoon.

Longines is part of the Swatch Group, and one of the advantages of that is that the brand is able to use various movements from ETA. While other watch companies seem to be concerned about developing in-house movements more for marketing reasons than for the sake of creating cool watches, Longines picked the ETA2824-2 for its Legend Diver Date. I really believe that a reasonable price is more important to most consumers than an in-house developed movement. I’ve seen other companies double the price for certain watches after adding an in-house movement to them, which frankly doesn’t make sense to me. Also, the ETA 2824-2 (like many other ETA movements) has a perfect track record of being a solid and accurate movement.

And the previous paragraph brings us to the price of the watch.  As with the Longines Saint-Imier Retrograde Moon Phases (read my review on it here), the price is one of this watch’s most attractive features. This Longines Legend Diver Date has a retail price of $1,900.

At first, I couldn’t believe that this was the actual price tag. It is very (very!) competitive with a lot of similar watches out there.  For that kind of money, you could probably buy a nice vintage piece from certain other brands, but there are always a number of things to consider (possibility of expensive repair or maintenance costs, very small case diameter) with that option. If you don’t want to deal with these issues and would prefer a cool modern watch (with interesting heritage), the Longines Legend Diver Date might do the trick for you.

Longines Legend Diver - reclining

To sum up, here are my pros and cons, followed by detailed specs:

Pros
– interesting heritage
– competitive price
– pretty dial
– “super compressor” case
– finish of dial and case
– comfortable strap

Cons
– date aperture disturbs dial design (you can find a No-Date on the pre-owned circuit)

Longines Legend Diver Date L3.674.4.50.0 Specifications:

Case:
Type: Super Compressor
Diameter: 42 mm
Material: Stainless steel
Water resistance: 300 meters/30 bar
Crystal: domed sapphire with nonreflective coating

Dial:
Black lacquered
Polished hands
Super-LumiNova on hour markers and hands

Strap:
Black synthetic fabric, felt-lined; stainless steel buckle with Longines logo

Movement:
Longines Caliber L633 (ETA2824-2), 28,800 vph, 38-hour power reserve

Functions:
Hours, minutes, seconds, date, inner rotating divers’ bezel

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No Responses to “Hands-On Review: Longines Legend Diver”

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  1. Doug Fenn

    Is this article in one of the Watch Time magazine issues? If yes – which one?

    Reply
  2. Marvin Anthony

    Since having the watch it has gone back 3 times in 2 years First the strap started to disintegrate, then it kept looking time, both too fast and too slow. And if you do need to speak to customer service all you get is a standard response that does not acknowledge the problem. Better of buying a £50 watch for what this does although it is beautiful!

    Reply
  3. Larry Slaz

    Nice watch! Since outer bezels are the most vulnerable part of a watch to wear, scratches and dents, it is nice to see when manufacturers protect the dive-time or tachometer indications under the crystal instead. Most makers put these indications on an outer bezel solely for looks which is obviously not a good idea for the longevity of the watch. That said, anything exciting to report about the mechanism powering this beauty?

    Reply
  4. 2 mos ago i bought the legend with a date after not being able to find a no date version. well i just lucked out last week and found a no date, i probably way overpaid $2900.00 but i scored on the dat version for 1250.00 only a couple mos. old .so it kind of balanced out. my son wears the date ,hes 15 and i wear the no date. i feel like a kid with a rare baseball card. they are both awesome watches,i am generally a rolex guy,but these are keepers for now.

    Reply
  5. Jack Cupka

    Bought the LLD used, like new from a very reliable vintage (and used watches) dealer here in Connecticut. So far, I like it. The original band the watch came with is sort of ‘cheesy’ and does not appear to be of high quality. However, I placed a carbon-fiber Hirsch band on the watch (with yellow backing) and I think it now looks terrific. With the Hirsch band, it fits and feels excellent. I also love the look of the watch; this attracted me to it.

    Reply
  6. Eric Miller

    I own this watch from Longines as well as their 1935 Belgian airforce re issue. I love this watch, I agree that with the comment on the date aperature and would like the previous no-date version better. The only fault is the hands which do no look up to the fit and finish of the rest of the watch. In person they look flat (they are) and look like they were stamp pressed and not finished. I mention this because the hands on the heritage 1935 from Longines has such nicer hands.

    Reply
  7. One key question I have is whether you can use the inner-bezel while in a wet environment, since the crown to rotate it must be unscrewed and twisted to the precise value – and thus water could enter it (although I have heard it has multiple layers of protection for waterproof-ness (super-compression,etc..).

    Reply
  8. Like all Longines watches, this is a lovely piece. I like the clarity of the dial (no clutter), the date stands out well for those of us who require reading glasses, and the idea of the timing bezel being under the sapphire and controlled by an additional crown is superb. It makes the watch more suitable for formal wear without detracting from its ability to function while diving or swimming.

    The felt-backed band is a great idea, especially for those of us who live in hot climates (Central Australia) where watch bands can lead to rashes on one’s wrist.

    The RRP is excellent also and very competitive.

    Reply
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