Longines Updates Its Spirit Pilot Collection with Refined Designs and a New Movement

Longines has a long history in aviation, supplying timepieces to pilots and explorers since the early 20th century. From transatlantic flights to polar expeditions, the brand’s watches have been designed to perform under demanding conditions. The 2025 Spirit collection updates this heritage with the new Longines Spirit Pilot and Longines Spirit Pilot Flyback models, which retain the distinctive design of the collection which was introduced in 2020 while incorporating technical improvements aimed at modern aviators. These watches reflect both the historical roots of pilot instruments and contemporary developments in watchmaking.

Spirit Pilot

The Longines Spirit Pilot is a refined evolution of the collection’s three-hand model, now presented in a redesigned 39mm stainless steel case with a closed case back. The matte black dial emphasizes clarity and functionality, removing the five stars and date indication seen in earlier Spirit models and refining the minute track for improved legibility. Gold-colored hands and applied Arabic numerals with Superluminova coating provide great contrast and echo the vintage charm of early pilot watches. 

This timepiece is powered by the Longines caliber L888.4, a self-winding mechanical movement equipped with a silicon balance spring and innovative components that provide magnetic resistance ten times greater than ISO standard 764. The movement offers a 72-hour power reserve and holds official chronometer certification from the COSC, ensuring reliability worthy of professional aviators.

The Spirit Pilot is offered with versatile wearing options, including a stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp, a brown leather strap with folding clasp, or a new green rubber strap with textile-style texture and pin buckle. Both the bracelet and leather strap feature micro-adjustable elements. 

The model with a textile strap is priced at $2,700, while the version with a leather strap is available for $2,850. The bracelet variant has a retail price of $3,100.

Spirit Pilot Flyback

The Longines Spirit Pilot Flyback continues the brand’s proud tradition of flyback chronographs, a complication the brand pioneered in the early 1930s and patented in 1935. The new model features a 39.5mm stainless steel case, just 13.4mm thick, providing a sleek profile without compromising functionality. The diameter is 2.5mm less than the 42mm of the previous automatic executions. The bidirectional rotating bezel now incorporates a countdown timer, while the box-shaped sapphire crystal and matte black dial with bicompax layout evoke the aesthetic of vintage aviation instruments. Gold-colored hands and applied numerals treated with Super-LumiNova ensure optimal readability in all conditions.

There's also a first within: The new Longines Spirit Flyback is powered by the hand-wound caliber L792.4, visible through screw-down sapphire case back. With a silicon balance spring and column-wheel chronograph mechanism, it delivers exceptional precision for consecutive time measurements. The movement offers a 68-hour power reserve and is COSC-certified. The Longines Spirit Flyback is available with a leather strap for $5,350 and a bracelet for $5,500.

To learn more, visit Longines, here.