Trailblazing History: Longines Returns with The Revolutionary Spirit Flyback to Honour its Legacy of Exploration and Adventure
by The Time Place Magazine
A wristwatch can serve more than just as a portable timepiece, and Longines has time and time again proven just how versatile a luxury watch can be. Known for accompanying the greatest explorers of land, sea, and air, the Longines Spirit collection welcomes its latest addition: the Longines Spirit Flyback.
Magnetic resistant and powered by an exclusive self-winding column-wheel movement, the Longines Spirit Flyback honours the brand’s long history of adventure and navigation. With a simple push, the flyback function instantly resets the chronograph’s direct-drive second hand back to zero. To provide even more convenience, this same pusher comes with three uses: to stop, to reset, and to restart, streamlining the functions of a regular chronograph. It’s no wonder the Longines flyback function comes with an extraordinarily rich history.
Coined as one of the most technologically advanced chronograph movements of the time, the 1936 calibre 13ZN was released just one year after the brand filed a patent for the flyback mechanism, which was then registered on 16 June 1936. This makes Longines the very first watch manufacturer to officially own the flyback chronograph in the world. Since then, the esteemed brand has been a trailblazing presence in haute horlogerie.
Aside from being a pioneer in the watchmaking scene, Longines also honours its long history of travel and exploration. In 1929, American aviator and US Naval officer Richard Byrd became the first man to fly over the South Pole, relying on his compass and a Longines chronometer watch as navigation tools throughout his journey. Longines was recognised for “satisfactory service” following that trip, and Byrd subsequently took on three more expeditions to Antarctica, one of which he embarked on wearing the Longines 13ZN with flyback function.
Fast forward to today, the Longines Spirit Collection thus draws inspiration from the brand’s heritage of accompanying legendary pioneers conquering air, land, and sea. With refined aesthetics and meticulous finishes ranging in satin, matt, polished and engraved details, the Longines Spirit Flyback especially celebrates the brand’s love of exploration.
This timepiece comes with a 68-hour power reserve and 10 bar water resistance, along with a blue or black sunray dial with Super-LumiNova® on the hands and numerals of both the dial and bezel. A more balanced design with anti-reflective sapphire crystal, this wristwatch is perfect for those who seek a chronograph with some added functionality and a slightly less busy dial.
The chronograph also comes in a much larger size of 42 mm with a 17 mm thickness which, given its history, is reminiscent of how pilots would wear their accessories during their long expeditions. This also helps the easy readability of the dial and bezel, and with the transparent case back that comes with the flyback functionality, Longines exemplifies its luxurious quality without straying away from the line’s nostalgic aesthetic.
The Longines Spirit Flyback comes with three different straps and one bracelet. The brown leather or blue fabric strap comes with a folding clasp and micro adjustment system, exuding a true look for exploration and adventure. The stainless steel bracelet comes with a triple safety folding clasp and push-piece opening mechanism, a suitable fit to the brand’s high-end luxury signature, while the beige NATO strap with buckle evokes the brand’s pioneering role in history.
Whichever Spirit Flyback design one chooses, each and every look reminds us exactly how far Longines has come in the world of exploration and adventure. The new addition to the Longines Spirit collection reflects exactly what the brand has always been known for: a trailblazer in the watchmaking scene with high-end expertise steeped in tradition.
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