Longines Flagship Cal.30LS 18ct Pink Gold 1960

Description

Est. 1832 in Saint-Imier, 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, however it has been something of a Cinderella among the watch collecting fraternity until recently. Longines is now rightfully returning towards the elevated status it once held in the pre and post-war years when it successfully competed head to head with all the best Swiss watch manufacturers. It is only within the past four or five years that Longines vintage watches have become favoured again in the eyes of collectors, regaining the admiration and popularity they rightfully deserve, with vintage values rising by as much as 15 – 20% per year. On certain models, however, such as the now legendary Longines Calibre.13ZN chronograph, prices have sky-rocketed.

The Longines Flagship was launched in 1957, to compete directly with the Omega Seamaster and Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Each of these highly desirable watches came with automatic movements and had waterproof cases.

The mint 1960 example we have here, has a rare 18ct pink gold case and is a large sized 35mm in diameter, excluding the signed Longines crown. The watch is fitted with a very high-grade Longines Calibre.30LS hand-wound movement which is very highly regarded for its accuracy and reliability. Furthermore, this watch also carries one of the most elegant and beautifully understated watch dials, which having no date window, is beautifully elegant and well balanced.

The Dial

During the 1950s and 1960s, Longines excelled in every aspect of watch design. The company was rightfully held in very high regard for the quality of its movements and close examination of any of its watch cases reveals equal high attention to design, quality, purpose and perfection. We also firmly believe Longines ‘Classic’ vintage dial designs were generally a step ahead in terms of elegance and sophistication. The silver-white starburst dial design here is a great example of Longines ‘less is more’ approach to dial design. Everything is in perfect proportion and in perfect balance and the dials just work so well.

The restored original pink gold ‘Index’ hands are matched with applied tapered and faceted ‘Baton’ hour indices and pair beautifully. The Longines name sits perfectly over the applied Longines ‘Winged Hourglass’  logo, which is actually the oldest registered trademark of any watch manufacturer, and the vertical grain catches the light beautifully as we have tried to show in the photographs.

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

The Movement

The original Longines Calibre 30LS, 17 Jewel hand-wound movement here is a real gem with gold chatons, large balance wheel, Swiss lever escapement, Incabloc shock resistance and subsidiary seconds. This is all much admired in watchmaking circles, particularly the large, screw-weighted balance wheel which provides for greater accuracy and finer adjustment. Everything else being equal, the larger the balance wheel, the more accurate the watch.

If ever one wished to highlight a great example of a top quality classic hand-wound watch movement, this movement could easily be chosen. The quality of finishing and build is exceptional and better finished than anything offered by Rolex of the same period. Note, for example, each jewel is held in its own threaded gold sleeve, which is then in turn screwed into the plates. This is a much more sophisticated method than those which simply fitted their jewels into drilled holes in the bridges, such as was the practice of Rolex and Omega of the same period.

The high grade 30L series hand-wound movement is one of Longines most successful, remaining in production, in-house, for over 12 years from 1955 onwards. The movement is fitted with an “incabloc” device which protects it against shocks and magnetic fields. Thanks to its large balance, the movement can be regulated with great precision.

Following its restoration, overhaul and service, the Calibre 30LS movement here is in immaculate condition. The movement has been completely disassembled, cleaned, inspected and rebuilt using only original Longines parts where required and when tested and calibrated, this watch was running to within +3  seconds per day, which is outstanding for a vintage watch of this age! When fully wound, this movement also has a 42-hour power reserve.

The movement is signed ‘Longines Swiss 17 Jewels’ with the Calibre 30LS, and the Serial No.10906086. This serial number dates this watch to 1960.

These movements are strong, accurate and very reliable making the watch appropriate for regular everyday use. This particular movement is in top condition and with regular servicing, every 3 years or so we would fully expect this watch to give faithful service for many more decades to come! We are pleased to offer a 12-month warranty on this watch movement* and regular servicing in the future, as required.

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the full list price is paid.

The Watch Case

The rare 18ct pink gold case is of a classic 1960s design with a thin bezel and straight swept back lugs which raise the case slightly on the wrist and emphasises its presence. At 35mm in diameter, excluding the Longines crown, this watch is large for the period. Pink gold watches of this period are much rarer than yellow gold and so increase the exclusivity of this beautiful watch.

This watch has evidently been very well cared for and seen little use. The case has been professionally cleaned and lightly polished and is in superb condition and the crown is, of course, an original unsigned Longines crown. The case is in immaculate 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.

Inside, the case-back is signed ‘Longines’ and carries the French Eagle brand along with PF, the initials of the French watch case makers.

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

The Strap & Buckle

A new high quality black Lizard strap has been fitted, along with a gold-plated Longines buckle. However, 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. We can also obtain most types and colours from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs. Please take a look at their huge range of 17mm straps if you wish here.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating this watch to 1960. Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt and 12 months warranty*. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If 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”. As with all our watches, this watch will be sold under our 14 days no quibble sale or return policy.

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

In Conclusion

We have here a rare, usable and highly collectable vintage gold gentleman’s dress watch from one horology’s most highly respected names which is something of beauty, to use, wear, treasure and enjoy!

This watch will also make an excellent investment and family heirloom piece. Even though vintage Longines prices have continued to rise markedly in the past 2-3 years, we still feel fine examples such as this are undervalued.  As each year goes by and the world market for vintage gold watches continues to expand, availability will become more limited, so prices are surely destined to climb ever higher!

This is a wonderful example of one of the most beautiful and sought after vintage Longines available.

We have been great admirers of vintage Longines ever since the 1960s and for many years they have been very undervalued. It is difficult to reason why, 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.

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 would 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 on us on: 0207 727 7095 or if calling from overseas, on +44 207 727 7095.

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.