Would You Rather Just Travel or Actually Explore Airspace?

Welcome to Talking Points, a series that looks at what makes certain products worth talking about, brought to you by Gear Patrol Studios.

---

While dive watches and hardy trail watches abound, how often do we see a timepiece built for the air?

Longines’ new Spirit Collection was designed around the Longines Spirit Flyback, an exciting new watch that builds on the brand’s legacy in the airspace, and celebrates the company’s proprietary flyback function invented in 1925 and patented in 1935.

Since then, the technology — specifically used to help pilots time different flight stages — has been trusted by American aviators as they travel all over the globe. Now, civilians, collectors and fans across the country will be able to tap into the ‘spirit’ of their flights, with the Longines Spirit Flyback collection.

Longines

The Backstory

Longines: A Century of Pioneering Flyback Chronographs

For more than a hundred years, Longines has helped pioneers conquer the air, land and sea. Producing everything from pilot’s watches and chronographs to essential on-board equipment, the company has a fascinating heritage to celebrate. Richard Byrd, the first man to fly over the South Pole in 1929, also trusted Longines’ chronometers.

Now, their new collection links this history with ‘innovation,’ by combining the legendary flyback mechanism with more contemporary aesthetic and technical requirements. More than anything, the brand calls the new series a ‘glowing tribute’ to the exceptional men and women who ‘by a record, an exploit or a display of courage, have left their mark on history.’

The Gist

What Makes the Longines Spirit Flyback So Cool?

While buoyed by the brand’s exceptional heritage, the new watch is also equipped with ‘cutting-edge technology.’ The timepiece is powered by a new Longines-exclusive caliber that’s both resistant to magnetism and equipped with a silicon balance spring. On top of that, it’s even officially certified as a chronometer by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC), so you can trust it to remain extremely accurate — at any elevation.

A transparent case back reveals the movement in all its glory, plus a personalized weight engraved with a small, intricate globe, the winged hourglass protected logo with Longines Spirit in letters. Available in a range of different finishes like satin, matte, polished and engraved; each piece features a bi-directional bezel decorated with a ceramic insert and luminescent markers.

The dial is available in black or blue sunray, and arrives topped with bronze-shaded hands and numerals. The 42mm steel case can be worn with an interchangeable stainless steel bracelet, brown leather, blue fabric strap or even a beige NATO strap.

Our POV

Unleash Your Inner Pioneer

While few will ever be able to pilot their own plane, even fewer will bring home this exclusive watch. Fans can customize their build with a variety of specs that allow you to make this piece wholly your own, to ensure it’s up for the journey ahead.

So explore the collection today to join a legacy of pilots and globetrotters that have trusted Longines to pave the way. Then, get ready to totally reimagine your next adventure.

Price: $4,450

Related Topics