About Longines

Longines is one of the oldest watchmaking companies in Switzerland, the world's center of watchmaking.

It reached its heyday from the late 19th to the early 20th century, becoming one of the first Swiss watchmakers to develop the American market and succeed in mass production using modern manufacturing methods.
By around 1910, it had grown to employ over 1,100 people and was such a leading Swiss watchmaker that a railway station and roads were built specifically for Longines.

Technologically, it was also a manufacture that produced high-quality chronograph calipers in-house.
It won a total of 10 Grand Prix and 28 gold medals at various world expos, earning outstanding trust as the brand with the most awards.

Origins

1832: Establishment of the Agassay Company

Longines dates back to 1832, when Auguste Agassay founded the Agassay Company, a watch manufacturing and sales company.

Auguste Agassay's older brother was Louis Agassay, a famous American naturalist, and through such American relatives, the company achieved international success in the U.S. market early on.

Establishment of the Factory and the Name "Longines"

Auguste Agassay's nephew, Ernest Frangillon, took over the management of the Agassay Company and moved its base to Saint-Imier, Switzerland, in 1852.

Also an economist, he expanded the cottage industry business and, in 1867, established a factory on a piece of land in Saint-Imier known as "Es Longines" (the long field), which became the company's name.
The pocket watches exhibited at the Paris World Exhibition that same year won a bronze medal.

The Winged Hourglass Logo

To prevent counterfeit products from exploiting Longines' reputation, the word LONGINES began to be inscribed on dials from 1867 onward, and the winged hourglass logo was engraved on the movements.

This logo, which is still used today, was registered as a trademark in 1889 and is said to be the oldest registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Golden Age

Transition to American-Style Mechanical Production

In 1876, Longines' technical director, Jacques David, visited mechanized, vertically integrated watch factories such as the American watchmaker Waltham and was deeply impressed.

At the time, Switzerland relied on a highly manual division of labor known as the "établissage system," and was gradually being overtaken by American manufacturers in terms of quality and price.
Longines was one of the first Swiss watchmakers to transition to mechanized production.

Reliability Supporting Sports and Adventures

Longines proved its reliability by providing stopwatches for the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 and watches for the Arctic expedition in 1899.

Furthermore, it solidified its reputation as a top-tier brand by winning awards at observatories around the world and a total of 10 Grand Prix and 28 gold medals at various world expos.

Chronographs and Hour Angle Watches

With the advent of wristwatches, chronographs equipped with flyback mechanisms and the "Hour Angle Watch," a pilot watch completed in 1931 at the request of Lindbergh, who successfully flew across the Atlantic, gained immense popularity, and Longines' brand became widely known around the world.

Present Day

The Quartz Crisis and Joining the Swatch Group

Although Longines boasted top-class recognition and popularity even after the advent of wristwatches, its management deteriorated rapidly due to the quartz crisis of the 1980s.

While the Swiss watch industry was severely hit and bankruptcies followed one after another, Longines somehow avoided bankruptcy, but significantly downsized and survived as a member of the Swatch Group.

Longines had developed the world's first quartz watch in 1954, 15 years before Seiko released a quartz watch in Japan, and set a new record at the Neuchâtel Observatory's precision competition.
It is ironic that its own quartz watch eventually drove Longines into a corner.

Enduring History and Brand Power

Longines' position within the Swatch Group is that of a luxury watch at a relatively affordable price point, and most of its watches are equipped with ETA movements.

It may have lost its former glory, but its illustrious history and brand power remain as vibrant as ever.

Summary

From the era of pocket watches to the era of wristwatches, Longines has manufactured a wide range of watches, from affordable to luxury, and from practical to jewelry watches, making it a brand with a broad collection to enjoy.

In particular, Longines pocket watches were solidly built and highly reliable, making it a recommended brand for the first watch in any collection.