Category

Longines Hydroconquest

Category

As we all know, watches by Rolex are popular at auction or in the secondary market. You don’t know that status of Longines in watchmaking field was equivalent to one of nowaday Rolex in the 1950s. At that time, Longines has realized in producing in-house complicated chronograph movements and deals of Longines antique chronograph watches at auction can prove it. At that era, many of high-end watch brands, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin included, purchased semi-finished movements from Valjoux and Lemania.

There was a competition between Longines and Rolex in 1960. Auguste Piccard, a famous Swiss meteorologist, had a concrete conception on how to drive a submersible vehicle under 2000-meter deep sea. In 1951, he set about producing bathyscaph he imagined with his son, Jacques Piccard, an oceanologist in Trieste, Italy. And bathyscaph was finished and called “Trieste” in the same year. On January 20, 1960, The “Trieste” dived under the seawater. It took Auguste Piccard and Jacques Piccard 4 hours and 43 minutes to dive it to the deepest place of World Ocean, Mariana Trench. The final diving depth is 10,916 meters. They realized their dream and became the most successful and legendary heroes designing and driving a submersible vehicle. During the diving process, “Trieste” carried chronograph devices by Longines and Rolex under the seawater. Rolex Deep Sea Special was placed on external, and two chronograph timepieces by Longines kept records when elevator chamber started.

In 1959, Longines lunched Nautilus Skin Diver Ref. 6921, 40mm, and its replica edition will arrive the market at the end of 2018. To meet the market’s demand, all details will maintain the original look but the diameter in 42mm. Back then, Nautilus Skin Diver Ref.6921 got good feedback after it arrive the market. One year later, Longines Legend Diver Ref.7042 was born, and it is short of “LLD” by collectors. Longines launched replica edition of LLD and LLD date replica watches in 2007 and 2011, 2012. For 2018, Longines Legend Diver Black PVD displayed at SIHH.

Replica edition maintain 42mm dimension. Black lacquer dial is divided into an outer ring and an inner dial. Antique Arabic number hour markers are printed on the inner dial at 6/9/12 O’clock. Luminescent scales every 5 minutes supply convenience under the seawater. Unidirectional rotating bezel is controlled by the crown at 2 O’clock. Antique Arabic number-15/30/45 and the inverted triangle remind divers of air supply. Also, faded yellow index and convex bubble sapphire crystal highlight historical status of LLD.

Interesting that the case back is engraved on a diver with a fish spear in his right hand. After finishing your diving and taking off your diver watch, the mark leaves on your wrist. It’s an honorable moment. Longines Legend Diver Black PVD looks chic and distinctive. Milan-style rubber bracelet is stout and durable. After replica edition of Nautilus Skin Diver arrives the market, you plan to choose Nautilus Skin Diver Or Longines Legend Diver?