WATCH TO WATCH

Longines Heritage 1969: The Latest Reissue from the Brand’s Rich Archives


The pivotal year of 1969 was not short on milestones, some of them recalled fondly (Woodstock, the moon landing, the Miracle Mets), others less so (Chappaquiddick, the Manson Family, Altamont). For watch connoisseurs, the year conjures up a certain era of watch design, one to which Longines pays tribute with its new Longines Heritage 1969, a modern-day replica of a timepiece released in the late 1960s.

Longines Heritage 1969 - original

The Longines Heritage 1969, the newest member of the Swiss brand’s vintage-inspired Heritage collection, is based on a historical watch that now resides in the Longines Museum in the company’s hometown of Saint-Imier, Switzerland. It replicates the cushion-shaped case of the original (pictured above), which was a popular style for watches in the 1960s and ’70s. The original model was available in steel, steel with gold plating, or 18k gold; the modern version comes in a stainless steel case with a brushed, sunray silver dial. The applied hour indices are rose-gold colored, as are the hands. The date aperture is positioned at 4:30, as it was on the historical watch.

At 36 x 36 mm in diameter, and fitted with a box-form sapphire crystal with multilayered nonreflective coating on the underside, the case is modest by today’s standards and thus suitable for both men and women, according to Longines, as well aesthetically true to its predecessor, which made its debut in an era of much smaller watch sizes.

Longines Heritage 1969 - reclining

The movement in the Longines Heritage 1969, however, is decidedly modern — Longines’s automatic Caliber L888.2, based on the ETA A31.L01, which offers a 25,200-vph frequency and a 64-hour power reserve. The watch, which is water-resistant to 30 meters, comes on a black alligator leather strap with a steel buckle. The price is $2,050.

Longines Heritage 1969 - front

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