Longines Monopusher Chronograph 18ct 1931

Longines

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.

Description 

Here we have a truly outstanding Longines Monopusher Chronograph in 18ct yellow gold. This original porcelain dial carries 1 – 12 standard Arabic numerals which are swept by the correct and original blued steel ‘cathedral’ hands, making this watch easy to read when on the wrist. Another noticable feature of this watch is the pronounced crown, when the button on the crown is pushed, this starts, stops and resets the chronograph.

Why This Watch Is Important.

Very simply, this is the first chronograph wristwatch, since prior to the launch of the Longines Calibre 13.33Z  all chronographs were pocket watches. This was a huge step forward and achievement in horology as anyone who looks inside the case of a chronograph may see. A typical chronograph contains around five times as many parts as the simple time only wristwatch. So reducing the size of a chronograph movement so that it can be made to work reliably and accurately within a wristwatch case was a massive achievement. These early chronographs were therefore enormously expensive and produced mainly for professional use. Typically, for pilots, military use, sports events and by doctors.

The Calibre 13.33Z was also the forerunner to Longines Calibre 13ZN launched in 1936 and popularly regarded as one of the greatest chronographs of all time.

Lastly, Longines celebrated its 180th Anniversary by releasing the Cal.L788.2 Monopusher Chronograph modelled on the original watch you see here.

The Dial

The perfect, original, unrestored and untouched porcelain dial is simply stunning. As mentioned above, this dial carries black 1 – 12 standard Arabic numerals which are swept perfectly by the blued steel ‘cathedral’ hands.

A pulsations chronograph, often referred to as a Doctor’s Watch, is designed to be used to check a person’s heartbeat as follows; First identify the scale on the dial (usually 15, 30, or 45 beats). Then start the chronograph and count the specified number of beats (15, 30, or 45), stopping the chronograph after the last beat. The seconds hand will now point to the heart rate, in beats per minute.

The dial is correctly signed with ‘Longines’ on the top half of the dial along with ‘Grandue Pour 30 Pulsations’.

The dial is original and unrestored and has been left untouched by our restoration team due to its superb condition. Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however we decided in this case to leave it alone, due to its unusually good condition and to retain its originality and charm for those who prefer this. It also helps to contrast with almost all of the other watch dials you see on our website, which have been restored. The hands, likewise, have also been left in their original condition.

Please note, studio lights, professional-grade digital cameras, and macro lenses can be very unkind to an unrestored vintage watch dial. Also the dial here measures less than 1.25 inches across, so the image you’re seeing may be between 5 – 25 times larger than the watch itself. Therefore please keep in mind you are seeing many tiny flaws which cannot be seen, or will be very hard to see with the naked eye, even under close examination. Suffice to say, on the wrist, in natural light, this dial looks much better and carries a great deal more charm than the photographs portray.

The Movement

The Caliber 13.33Z was first developed in 1913 and featured 18 jewels, and beat at 18,000 bph utilising a Breguet hairspring. It has a crown used for winding the watch as a pusher for the chronograph. The first push starts the chronograph, the second stops it, and the third resets, and the cycle repeats. In the earlier versions of the movement, the crown could not be used in a “pulled-out” or “extended” position – pressing a small stylus at the 2 o’clock position switched the functions of the crown, allowing it to change the time. The movement is now running accurately within +13 seconds per day. We are therefore confident in offering this watch with a 12-month written warranty*.

The movement is correctly signed with ‘Longines’ along with the calibre 13.33Z.

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

The Case

The “Chronographe – Compteur 10 Grand Prix” markings relate to Longines distinguished history in precision chronography, its achievements in sports timing and technological advancements. The “10 Grand Prix” alludes to Longines’ multiple accolades at international exhibitions, emphasizing its commitment to excellence in watchmaking.

The original 18ct yellow gold case measures 35mm in diameter, excluding the correct unsigned crown. This case has got a double push-fit case back which are both in wonderful condition with next to no dings.

The case is in superb condition, indicating the watch has only seen occasional careful use. Only under very close examination can some of the smallest marks be found, commensurate with the age of this piece.

The inside of the case back is correctly signed with ‘Longines’ along with ’10 Grands Prix’ and ‘Chronographe-Compteur’.

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

The Strap and Buckle

The strap fitted is a high quality black leather strap with a plain gold-plated 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 burgundy and black straps in stock, in plain, padded leather, alligator, crocodile or lizard skin.

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 1931.

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”.

This watch comes complete with a Longines presentation box as shown in the photographs.

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.