Longines Cal.370 9ct 1964/1965

Description

Longines is one of the oldest Swiss watch manufacturers with an unparalleled history of invention, innovation, patents and awards. They are also responsible for some of the most beautiful watches ever made. For a long time, something of a Cinderella among the watch collecting fraternity, Longines is now rightfully returning to the elevated status they once held in the pre and post-war years. It is only relatively recently that Longines vintage watches have returned to the admiration and popularity they deserve, with values rising on average by 15% per year. Certain models however, such as the now legendary Longines Calibre 13ZN chronograph have sky-rocketed.

Here we have a classic example of Longines style and elegance from the early 1960s when technically, Longines competed head to head and on level terms with almost all of the top tier Swiss watch manufacturers. This is a superb example of a 1960s vintage Longines 9ct gentleman’s dress watch with subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock. Notable features of this watch include its unusual vertical grain ‘Explorer’ type dial and its superb Longines Calibre 370 hand-wound movement, plus its overall amazing, fully restored condition.

Please note – the case-back of this watch is thin due to having a previous inscription which has now been removed. A faint outline remains which can be seen when looking closely at the watch, although not in the images. For this reason the price of this watch has been reduced by £500.

The Watch Dial

The silver-grey ‘Explorer’ type dial with restored ‘Index’ hands and sub-dial at 6 o’clock, is a classic design which was also used by Rolex and Omega from the early 1950s onwards. The applied gilt 3, 6, 9, 12 numerals and ‘Baton’ hour indices became known as the ‘Explorer’ dial after Rolex capitalised on the first summit of Everest, having supplied the expedition with watches of a similar design, and subsequently named this the ‘Explorer’ model.

In use, the dial catches the light wonderfully. The subtle vertical graining of the dial is a little less apparent when the watch is worn rather than in the photographs and changes colour subtly, depending on the light, from silver-white to silver-grey. Indoors and under artificial light, the dial can also show very subtle shades of brown and green making this a distinctly more interesting and unusual dial.

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

The Movement

The original high-grade Cal. 370, 17 Jewels hand-wound movement, as with all Longines movements, is highly regarded for its accuracy and reliability. This movement has an oversize balance wheel lever escapement, monometallic balance and Incabloc shock protection. Longines watch movements have always been highly revered among watchmakers and serious collectors and this has driven the popularity of their watches up, among the main collector market in recent years.

Following restoration, the movement is now in sparkling condition. As can be seen from the photographs, the movement could be mistaken for that of a new watch, but we assure you it is the original, as evidenced by its markings. It is signed ‘Longines Watch Co Swiss’, 17 Jewels, ‘370’ with the serial number 14425219 which dates the watch to 1964. The movement has just been fully overhauled and serviced by our watchmaker and it is calibrated to run arrow straight within +6 seconds/day with a 49-hour power reserve when fully wound. This is no exaggeration – we have checked the test results on our electronic watch timegrapher and have no reservations in providing 12 months’ written warranty with this watch*

This watch is perfectly suited for regular daily use and with care and regular servicing, say every 3 to 4 years, depending on use, we are confident this watch will run quite happily and reliably for many more decades to come.

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

The Watch Case

The high quality, 9ct yellow three-piece gold case is of solid construction and measures 33.5mm in diameter, excluding the Longines signed crown. The case was manufactured by D. Shackman & Sons in the UK for Longines and is therefore a very high-quality case, as Shackman was perhaps the best of its time.

The case has been inspected, cleaned and lightly hand-polished to bring it back to the excellent condition seen here.  Inside the case-back, all is as expected and is correctly signed: signed DS&S by Shackman with Baume the British importers and London 9ct UK hallmarks, along with the case ref 41945. The hallmarks are dated 1965**

As mentioned above, the case-back of this watch is thin due to having a previous inscription which has now been removed. A faint outline remains which can be seen when looking closely at the watch, although not in the images. For this reason the price of this watch has been reduced by £500.

As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

**It is not unusual, for a watch movement to be dated the year before the watch case was hallmarked. This watch could therefore be rightfully dated to 1965 or 1965.

The Strap and Buckle

The strap fitted is a high quality blue cocksfoot with a gold-plated Longines 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, or crocodile skin or lizard skin. Please also let us know if you have unusually large or small wrists, to enable us to match the strap accordingly.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with the watch, the numbers and markings are all correct, dating this watch to 1964/1965.

Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt for your interest and security. 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 100% genuine, authentic and original, a full refund will be given at any time”.

A vintage Longines presentation box will be included in the sale.

Payment and Delivery

If you would like to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you. Paying by bank transfer for a 3% saving will not affect your 12 months warranty. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please check the import duties and any taxes your government may apply, these are different for each country and, unfortunately, out of our control.

We understand there may be some ‘loopholes’ that may help you avoid these charges; however, attempting to use these could impact our ongoing ability to serve our growing international customer base.

For those who happen to visit London on occasion, we are, of course, more than happy to store your watch until we can meet you in our offices in Kensington, London, and hand your watch directly to you there.

As with all our watches, this watch will be sold under our 14 days no-quibble sale or return policy.

In Conclusion

Here we have a most attractive and highly individual vintage watch from what is increasingly becoming one of the most collectable and highly regarded vintage watch brands. This watch will make an excellent financial investment as well as be something to treasure and enjoy! It is completely practical for use as an everyday watch and as long as it is well looked after and serviced every 2-3 years it will last another lifetime. It carries a great deal more style, individuality and panache than a new watch and to buy a watch of the same quality today, would cost at least three times the price of this.

Whichever way you may wish to view this, as each year goes by and the world market for fine vintage gold watches grows even larger, the limited supply and high demand mean prices will inevitably climb even higher!

A word on our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before then 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 means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are some well-known stores in West London which are highly 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 like to pay by UK cheque or by UK bank transfer we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

If you have any questions please call us on 0207 727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095. We await your call and we will be happy to help with any questions you may have about this watch or any of our collection.

Please note, we also welcome part exchanges. We will also be happy to service your vintage watch or assist with repairs or restoration as necessary.

Please also take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches.