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Some new info and pics about my favorite and yours, the Longines Legend Diver re-issue.
To be made available between September and December 2007 for approximately $1,900 US.
Reference No. L3.674.4.56.2
Mechanical automatic movement Longines L633 (ETA 2824/2) 11½ lines, 25 rubies, 28,800 beats per hour power reserve of 38 hours
Functions: Hours, minutes and second
Case: Round, stainless steel, with internal rotating bezel, two screw down crowns and back "plunger" or diver symbol stamped on the case back 42 mm
Dial: Black dial enameled with index hour markers with luminescence superluminova
Hands: Polished rhodium with luminescence superluminova
Water resistant: Up to 300 Meters
Crystals: Convex sapphire,
Black synthetic Bracelet with Longines signed deployment clasp
Troughout the text below, are pics of an original Longines diver from the 1960's.
The Longines Legend Diver, produced by the pioneers of the sport of diving and their exploits, this Longines line "Sport Legends" pays homage to the pioneers of the sport and their exploits timed by Longines.
The Longines Legend Diver is a re-issue of a diving watch produced in 1960, when marine exploration and the military and sport diving were in their glory. Longines had participated in the record dive of the Bathyscaphe "Trieste" in 1953 by providing on board instruments.
While preserving the typical spirit and the design of the sixties, Longines presents this vintage design with contemporary and powerful new design features: a convex sapphire glass, crown and back screwed down to guarantee a water tightness of 300m; a rotating disc under the top glass.
This watch brings together, in a legendary style, high performance and timeless elegance. From the very start of the 20th century, the symbol with the winged hour glass has been successively associated with the legendary names of pioneers such as the commander P.v.H. Weems, Charles Lindbergh, Howard Hughes and Donald Campbell, in the fields of aviation, of terrestrial and underwater exploration, but also in land speed records on the ground and in water.
The pinnacle of the Longines Sport Collection, this model in the Sport Legends line, the Legend Diver, shows off a highly powerful diving tool matched by the design revival of classic watches. Revisiting a model from 1960 a period in the pioneer spirit of diving records to which Longines took it's rightful share--in particular that of the Bathyscaphe "Trieste" to 3150 meters, in September 1953--it brings back the principal lines and in particular the convex glass, reminiscent of the unavailable at the time technical ideas, but carried out with the then available tolerances and high performances matching the dive watches we see today.
Its stainless steel case is 42 mm and has a screwed back, engraved with a diver.
The two screw down crowns are decorated with a fine criss-cross pattern, which is matched on the loop of the synthetic bracelet, carrying forth the pure spirit of the 1960' S. One of the crowns controls and locks the time lapse disc turning bi-directional under the crystal, making it possible to determine the remaining time of dive.
The luminescent indice hour markers and figures are coated in superluminova of the enameled black dial offer an optimal legibility, increased by the sober and clear typography of the figures 3, 6, 9 and 12.
A genuine dive watch, the Legend Diver is watertight to 300 meters. It is equipped with a mechanical movement, automatic Longines L633 with a power reserve of 45 hours.
Some more pics of the original model
Using Timezone as a launching pad for my critiques, I'm happy to present what I plan to have on my wrist, what I would love to have on my wrist and what I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.
First off, from Jaeger-LeCoultre, a lovely and brilliant new chrono named the Duometre a Chronographe:
Featuring a hand decorated and built mechanical Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 380 movement, this chrono displays a power reserve for the time function, as well as for the chronograph function, both displaying the power in each of the two barrels. Also, the chronograph function features a minute-unit indicator, so you don't have to guess whether the chrono reads 32 minutes, or 33 minutes; it's in there!
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2702490&rid=0
Next up, one that's going on the wish list, the Glashutte original "Sixties". A lovely self-winding model using the wonderful GO 39 movement, cased inside steel and precious metal cases and featuring a no-nonsense dial, with alternating Arabic and index hour markers, a domed sapphire crystal, (I'm not too hot for this feature, but I don't hate it either) and an extra-plat case.
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2590469&rid=0
From Vianny Halter is a tower clock for your wrist. Designed and crafted in 1788 by Antide Janvier, that clock and this particular watch presents the solar time and lunar cycle in a housing that won't crush you like your name was Wicked Witch of the East. Oh! What a world, what a world! The clock may be sitting in the Musée du Temps in Besançon, but this watch can be sitting on your wrist courtesy of Manufacture Janvier (well...not "courtesy", you have to pay for it.)
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2631413&rid=0
From F.P. Journe, comes the Octa Moonphase and Power Reserve. That pretty much sums it all up, natch. Hey, it's from Journe, what else you need to know? What? You writin' a book? Fine. The movement is the Octa 1300-3, with a 120 hour power reserve (woof!) and a new rotor that winds in one direction. Using a ball bearing system, ceramic balls allow the rotor to move in one direction and block it in the other. Apparently, when the wearer is sitting on his lazy...er, chair, the rotor moves back to it's original position and apparently, "...every infinitesimal movement is maximally exploited for an optimized winding of the watch." Now don't you feel useless? Your watch works harder than you do, you slob.
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2641814&rid=0
From another independent maker, the Sea-Gull Tourbillon. Made by a Chinese maker, the case is rose gold, with a hand wind tourbillon movement displaying the time, sub seconds via a dagger on the tourb cage, power reserve, moon phase, date and 24 hour indication. Wow! Even the Asian watches work harder than us shiftless North Americans! Lazy Timex.
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2605934&rid=0
Now, Rolex. I won't go into too much detail, except to say that much like Cadillac, Rolex hasn't made a good-looking product since 1996. However, the new Air-Kings with COSC and heavier cases look sharp. I'll let James Dowling tell you about the Yacht-Master II.
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2682742&rid=0
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2687498&rid=0
From the Omega Museum Collection, we have a rebuild of the famous 1932 divers watch. This case-in-a-case watch was conceived as an elegant designer watch, that was robust enough to withstand the harsh reality of moisture. It flopped. Oh, it worked perfectly, but no one wanted it. Which had the JLC Reverso talking trash about it at all the cool parties. Snap! However, aside from being a snappy little number, it has been updated with modern materials and can be yours. The inner case of rose gold, slides inside the outer case of white gold, living in moisture free sin upon the wearer's wrist. The only unfortunate issue is, Omega decided to enlarge the watch to 33.05 mm wide by 50.50 mm long. I guess size does matter.
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2683044&rid=0
Also from Omega, yet another limited series Speedmaster Pro, this time limited to 57 pieces in precious metal and featuring a hand wind Co-Axial movement. A steel version will also be available in 1957 pieces in a handsome wood box, with ugly dial doodads. But it's still going on my wish list. Ugly watches need love too.
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2683000&rid=0
And now, the one I'll be shopping for, the Longines Legend Diver. It's a re-issue of a 1960 diving watch and damned pretty. With a self-winding Longines caliber L633--ETA 2824-2--25 jewels, a 28,800 beat, a power reserve of 38 hours all inside a 42mm steel case. Although about 4mm bigger than I like my watch to be, (I'm not a size queen,) it's beauty outweighs it's size.
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2687037&rid=0
And lastly, from the bottom of whatever barrel would have them, Paris Hilton has made a punitive foray into watch design. "Paris Hilton timepieces are creative designs with sensual cases and colorful straps." In other words, tarted up timepieces. Much like their "designer", they'll be cheap and easily had for $85-$200 by anyone with more cash than taste. Hey, I'll cut the
lady some slack. She hasn't done anything that all of us haven't done too. The only diff is we don't have video evidence of our debauchery. Most of us don't. Ok, I do. But I didn't know cameras could tape in the dark. Night vision, what the hell is that? What is this, "Mission Impossible"? Mission impossible getting that damn tape back. No copies? Yeah, right. I won't fall for that one a third time.
http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2658757&rid=0
