In 1832, in the Swiss town of Saint-Imier, Auguste Agassiz, along with his two sons-in-law, Henry Raiguel and Florian Morel, founded the company Raiguel Jeune & Cie., which collected components for watches and sold them to individual watchmakers. At that time, they operated as a trading office. Soon, the partners moved away from this model and established their own assembly production for creating pocket chronometers with spindle escapements, which they sold.
Their products quickly gained traction in the international market. Agassiz leveraged family connections in the United States, and the brand became extremely successful on the North American continent.
By 1846, Raiguel and Morel left the business, and Agassiz became the sole owner of the manufactory. Before retiring in 1852, he brought his nephew, Ernest Francillon, into the business, who continued to foster the company's progressive spirit.
Francillon, an economist by education, purchased land for a new manufactory south of Saint-Imier in 1867. This area was known as Les Longines or "Long Meadows," which eventually became the name of the company that is globally recognized today.
In the same year, the Longines manufactory introduced its first movement – the caliber 20A, which featured an anchor escapement and a winding crown for winding and setting the hands. The caliber 20A won first place at the 1867 World Exhibition in Paris.
From that year onward, Longines officially adopted its logo – an hourglass with wings, which it displayed on every watch movement alongside the name of the manufactory.
In 1876, Longines' chief engineer, Jacques David, as a representative of the Intercantonal Society of Industrialists, presented the American method of industrialization after returning from the World Exhibition in Philadelphia. Jacques David, along with Ernest Francillon, mechanized the production of Longines watches.
In 1878, the company developed and patented a chronograph movement – the caliber 20N. By 1880, it had created production facilities to design and manufacture all movement components independently.
By the end of the 19th century, Longines had established itself in the equestrian sports world in America. By 1886, the brand's chronographs became the timepieces of New York's sports figures associated with horses and racing. During this period, the brand focused on innovation:
- 1888 – the first certified chronometer movement caliber 21.59;
- 1900 – Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris for the pocket watch La Renommee featuring this movement;
- 1913 – the first caliber for a wristwatch single-button chronograph 13.33Z with accuracy to 1/5 second.
In 1889, Francillon registered the Longines logo, and in 1893, the brand name. Thus, Longines became the oldest brand registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
In the 1920s and 1930s, the manufactory specialized in navigation instruments, becoming the official supplier to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and the United States Navy. In 1927, U.S. Navy officer Philip Van Weems and Longines created the Longines Weems Second-Setting Watch based on the Weems Navigation System. These watches synchronized the second hand with the precise time signal from Greenwich.
In 1931, the manufactory, in collaboration with pilot Charles Lindbergh, developed the Lindbergh Hour Angle chronometer, based on the Weems model from 1927. The Lindbergh chronometer facilitated aviators' calculations of longitude and latitude to determine their exact location. Longines received a patent for this development in 1935.
In 1945, Longines introduced an automatic movement – caliber 22A. In 1954, the brand impressed fans by releasing its first Conquest collection, followed by the Flagship collection three years later. Both collections remain popular to this day.
In 1969, during the quartz crisis, former Swiss Army Colonel Walter von Kanel joined the company's sales department. Firm and determined, he redirected the brand towards creating quartz movements. The company released its first quartz caliber for wristwatches, the Ultra-Quartz, and digital watches Longines LCD.
Longines' digital watches with LCD screens received the IR100 award at the Annual Industrial Research Conference and Awards in 1972. Walter von Kanel not only successfully navigated through the quartz crisis but also expanded product markets and elevated the company to sales leadership during his 51 years of management. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Longines shifted its focus to developing ultra-thin mechanical and quartz calibers. In 1977, the manufactory introduced the thin mechanical caliber with automatic winding L990, measuring 2.95 mm in thickness. In 1979, Longines released the ultra-thin quartz watch Feuille d'Or, measuring 1.98 mm thick. The company frequently served as a partner and timekeeper for competitions. For instance, in 1954, using the Longines Chronocinegines, Longines recorded a world land speed record. Donald Campbell crossed Lake Eyre in Australia in the Bluebird II at a speed of 648.565 km/h. In 1982, the brand became the official timekeeper of Formula 1 for a period of ten years. Since 1985, Longines has been the official timekeeper for gymnastics competitions organized by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). In 1983, Longines was acquired by the Société Suisse de Microélectronique et d'Horlogerie (SSMH), now known as Swatch Group. Since 1988, Longines has been led by Walter von Kanel. The head of Swatch Group, Nicolas Hayek, along with Walter von Kanel, decided to cease the production of their own movements and work exclusively with ETA movements. This move allowed Longines to invest significantly in brand recognition and the final product rather than in movement creation.
In 2007, Longines became a partner and official timekeeper for the French Open tennis championship and alpine skiing competitions. Since 2011, it has been the official partner of the Prix de Diane Longines at the Chantilly Racecourse in France. Subsequently, it became the timekeeper for prestigious races: Royal Ascot, the Melbourne Cup, the Kentucky Derby, and the Dubai World Cup. Since 2013, Longines has been the main partner and timekeeper for the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).
Since its presentation in 2005, one of Longines' most classic collections, the Master Collection line, remained largely unnoticed until its relaunch in 2022, coinciding with the brand's 190th anniversary. The updated models feature textured dials with engraved numerals in the Breguet style. Over two years, the collection has gained three limited-edition novelties. This year, the Master Collection is set to receive a significant expansion with 15 bi-color models in two sizes.
The highlight of these models is the matte dial with sandblasted finish. The secret to the attractive appearance lies in the engraved Arabic numerals, which add depth and elegance to this distinctly classic design.
The numerals, presented in anthracite color as well as yellow or rose gold, come with a set of polished leaf-shaped hands made from blued steel or yellow/rose gold. The beautiful retro aesthetic is complemented by the italicized historical Longines logo and a neat minute scale on the matte inner bezel.
The case, measuring 34 x 9.20 or 40 x 9.35 mm, is made of steel, which can be combined with yellow or rose gold. The golden accents can be seen on the bezel, crown, and the middle links of the bracelet. In addition to the bracelet, most of the new models will also be available on straps made from alligator leather