Longines Admiral 5 Star 1967 18ct Automatic

£2,500

100% Genuine & All Original

Fully Restored, Serviced and Guaranteed

Superbly Well Cared for and Lightly Used

Beautifully Restored Gold Dial with Onyx Inlaid Indices

18ct Solid Gold, Large 35mm Case, Excluding the Longines Crown

High Grade Cal.501 Automatic Movement, Serviced in Tip-Top Condition!

Very High Quality Longines Screw-Back, High Quality 2-Piece Watch Case

High Quality Longines Crocodile Leather Strap & Longines Gold Plated Buckle

All in Absolutely Top Grade & Simply Stunning Condition

Offered with 12 Months’ Written Warranty*

Vintage Longines Presentation Box Included

Free UK Next Day Delivery!

Overseas FedEx £45

Sold 7th Nov '18
VGW Reference: L494
Price £2,500

£2,500

Out of stock

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Highly Recommend
The service from Vintage Gold Watches was as per usual Fantastic, the watch arrived when expected and was extremely well packaged as usual. The watch was even nicer than the photos and went straight onto my wrist. Another fantastic acquisition for my growing collection. VGW is the first and so f
Andrew S via Feefo 29/1/2024
Verified Buyer
I have no hesitation in recommending.
From start to finish the service I have received has been excellent. Kirsty has kept me informed all the way and the level of the finished repair to a very old and worn vintage watch was exemplary.
Bryn H via Google Review 23/2/2024
Verified Buyer
Even better in real life
My watch has just arrived and it looks even better in real life! Just wanted to say a massive thank you to John and everyone there for the help you gave me in securing my dream watch. Cannot recommend your company highly enough. Thank you so much. Mike
Mike G via email 29/11/2023
Verified Buyer
New Vacheron
The watch arrived safely together with all its paperwork and looks lovely both on and off the wrist. It is very beautiful and understated. So a definite “yes” from all of us. Happy Christmas to you all Very best wishes Stephen
Stephen R via Email 6/12/2023
Verified Buyer
ABOUT THIS WATCH

Description

Longines is one of the oldest Swiss watch manufacturers with an unparalleled history of invention, innovation, patents and awards. The company is also responsible for some of the most beautiful watches ever made. Here we have a superb example from 1967, when technically, Longines were competing head to head with and beating almost all of the other Swiss watch manufacturers.

The Longines Admiral Automatic was launched in 1960 following the Flagship in 1957. This 1967 example has a top class Longines Automatic movement and an ultra high class 35mm, 18ct watch case.

The Dial

During the 1950s and ’60s, Longines excelled in every aspect of watch design. The company was rightfully held in very high regard for the quality of their movements and close examination of any of their watch cases reveals an equally high attention for case design, quality, purpose and perfection.

We happen to think almost all of Longines classic vintage dial designs are a step ahead, or at least a step apart from the rest, in terms of elegance and sophistication. The design here is a great example of a classic, sophisticated, late ’60s Longines gentleman’s dress watch. The dial has a light vertical cut finish, which picks up the available light beautifully and the applied oblong base hour indices are interesting for being double inlaid with onyx which sits proud of the base. The gold ‘stick’ hands are also onyx inlaid, which along with the applied 5 Stars at ’12’ and applied Longines branding, all add to this highly sophisticated and interesting dial.

This is the original dial which has been restored to the highest standards by our dial restorers which are considered to be the best in the UK.

The Movement

This watch carries the original Longines Calibre 501, 17 Jewel movement, which is in tip-top condition following a thorough overhaul and service by our vintage Longines specialist watchmaker. This means the movement has been completely disassembled, cleaned, inspected and rebuilt using only original Longines parts where required, then carefully calibrated and tested. Upon return, this watch is now running to within +6 seconds per day, which is outstanding for any vintage watch of this age!  When fully wound, this movement has a 44 hour power reserve.

The movement is signed ‘Longines Automatic’ with the Calibre No. 501, the Serial No. 14335434 and 17 Jewels Swiss. This serial number dates this watch to 1967.

These movements are strong, accurate and very reliable, making it completely practical and appropriate for regular everyday use. Our watchmaker has indicated this particular movement is in top condition and with regular servicing every 2 to 3 years, we would fully expect this watch to run very happily for many more decades to come! We are therefore very pleased to offer 12 months’ warranty on this watch movement* and services in the future, as required.

*Our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the full list price is paid.

Please note – our standard advice applies: Vintage Watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Watch Case

The very high grade 18ct watch case has short, straight, swept back lugs, along with a sunken winding crown and rounded case back. These give the case a slight Patek Phillipe ‘Calatrava’ appearance. The case is a highly sophisticated two-piece design requiring a Longines special tool to remove the screw-down case-back. The lens and movement are fitted from the rear of the case as the bezel is fixed, which improves the water and dust resistance as well as the rigidity of the watch case.

This watch has obviously been very well cared for, having seen only occasional use, as indicated by the all round tip top condition of the bezel, case and case-back which show virtually no sign of wear! The case has been carefully inspected, cleaned and gently hand-polished and is in beautiful condition with no scratches, dings or other marks visible to the naked eye. No matter how closely you might wish to examine the case, it shows no signs of anything other than very light and careful limited use.

The case is signed: Longines – Wittnauer with the Longines model reference 2943 -501 and the case serial number 6134280. The case is also marked 18 Karat Gold, internally and externally.

The Strap & Buckle

A Black Longines Crocodile Leather strap has been fitted, along with a Longines gold plated buckle. If a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin, but can also obtain most types and colours at short notice.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, all the numbers and markings on the watch are correct, dating the watch to 1967.

A  detailed ‘Particulars’ document will be included with the sale, along with our detailed receipt and 12 months’ Warranty*. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will also be provided at the time of sale, along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If at any time, this watch proves to be anything less than totally authentic, or not as described, Vintage Gold Watches of London will offer you a full refund at any time”.

The matching vintage Longines presentation box seen in the photographs will be included with this watch.

In Conclusion

We have always been great admirers of vintage Longines and for many years they have been severely undervalued. There is no good reason for this as these watches technically surpass almost all the high-end brands. Whatever the reason, they represent excellent value, even though prices have been increasing by around 20% per year during the past few years.

The watch here is a superb example of a most beautiful and sought after vintage Longines. A rare, usable and highly collectable vintage gold gentleman’s dress watch, from one of horology’s most highly respected names, which is a thing of beauty, to use, to wear, to treasure and to enjoy!

This watch will also make an excellent investment and family heirloom piece. Even though vintage Longines prices have been catching up with, for example, Omega, JLC and Rolex in the past 2-3 years, we are sure fine examples such as this still remain undervalued. As each year goes by and the world market for vintage gold watches continues to expand, availability will become more limited, meaning prices are surely destined to climb ever higher!

A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring them to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach inevitably means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are a number of well known stores in West London which are very successful, charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you wish to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or International Bank Wire Transfer, we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please note we welcome part exchanges and if you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss.

We will be happy to Service your watch, Repair your watch or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions, please call our landline  020 7727 7095   or mobile  07515 949 250 or if calling from overseas our landline number is +44 207 727 7095  or mobile +44 7515 949 250.

We are here, ready, available and awaiting your call! We will be happy to answer any questions and offer advice about this or any of our watches listed for sale. If you would like some general advice regarding any aspect of vintage watches, including buying, selling, or collecting vintage watches, we will also be happy to hear from you.

Finally, please enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine Vintage Gold Watches!

Thank you.

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