Longines Flagship 18K Pink 1962 Automatic

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 1962 when technically, Longines were competing head to head and beating almost all of the other Swiss watch manufacturers.

The Longines Flagship was launched in 1957, to compete directly with the Omega Seamaster and Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Each of these were designed to be waterproof automatic watches, with threaded case backs which screw down tightly on to the case body, utilising a rubber seal and a waterproof crown.

The 1962 example we have here has a rare 18ct Pink Gold case and is a large size 35mm, excluding the original Longines crown. The watch is also fitted with the best Longines in-house made automatic movements ever made. Furthermore, this watch also carries one of the most elegant and beautifully understated watch dials, which having no date window, is beautifully 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 their movements and close examination of any of their watch cases reveals equal high regard for design, quality, purpose and perfection.

We happen to think almost all of Longines classic vintage dial designs were a step ahead, in terms of elegance and sophistication.  The design here is a good example of Longines ‘less is more’ approach to dial design. Everything is in perfect proportion and in perfect balance and the dials just works so well. Restored Pink Gold ‘Fils’ hands and matching applied ‘Spearhead’ faceted hour indices over a gently brushed, silver dial. The Longines, name sits perfectly over the applied Longines ‘Winged Hourglass’ which is also in Pink Gold.

The Movement

This watch contains its original Longines Calibre.340, 17 Jewel movement which is regarded as the best ‘in-house’ automatic movement, Longines ever made!

Following its restoration, overhaul and service, as seen in the photographs, the movement is now in sparkling condition. This movement has been completely disassembled, cleaned, inspected and rebuilt using only original Longines parts where required. When tested and calibrated, this watch was running to within +12  seconds per day, which is outstanding for a vintage watch of this age! When fully wound, this movement has a 43-hour power reserve.

The movement is signed ‘Longines Automatic’ with the Calibre No. 340, the serial No. 12019199 and 17 Jewels Swiss. This serial number dates this watch to 1962.

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 2 to 3 years we would fully expect this watch to run very happily for many more decades to come! We are pleased to offer a 12-month warranty on this watch movement* and servicing in the future, as required.

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

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

The Watch Case

The rare 18ct Pink Gold case has 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.

This watch has obviously been very well cared for with only occasional use and this is proven by the distinct Longines Flagship relief on the case-back which shows virtually no signs of wear! The case has been professionally cleaned and lightly polished and is in superb condition and the crown is, of course, an original 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.

The case is signed Longines, FAB SUISSE, and SWISSMADE. Also on the inside of the case-back are Swiss Geneva 18K, 0.750 18ct hallmarks and ‘Flagship’ plus the Longines  model ref.2404.

Please note – the case back screws down onto a rubber seal which, along with the seals in the crown/stem, have been replaced by new Longines original parts.

The Strap & Buckle

A new high quality, Brown Crocodile leather strap has been fitted, along with a pink gold plated Longines buckle. Please note 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 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 between 1962.

A  detailed ‘Particulars’ document will be included in 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 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 also something of beauty, to use, to wear, to 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.

This is a rare and highly collectable vintage gold watch from one of horology’s most respected names which will be certain to provide an excellent financial investment as well as something to treasure and enjoy!

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 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.