A Collector Finds the Oldest Longines Watch Known To Date
Thanks to the researches of a passionate collector, Seiji K., it was possible to discover the oldest Longines watch that has been found to date. Its small serial number – 183 – and the indications inscribed in the archives registers, preciously preserved, attest that this pocket watch was manufactured in 1867, the year the Longines factory was created.
Through its museum, the preservation of its archives and the know-how of its watchmakers, or by growing its historical collections, Longines places great importance on honoring its rich past, a source of inspiration to this day. It is in this spirit of tradition and preservation of its heritage that the winged hourglass company passionately seeks to find traces of its oldest pieces.
Current owner of this watch, an American collector of Japanese descent, went to Longines headquarters in Switzerland to authenticate his piece. Thanks to its small serial number – 183 – and to the indications inscribed in the archives registers, preciously preserved, the brand’s historians and watchmakers can attest that this pocket watch was manufactured in 1867, the year the Longines factory was created to replace the original counter founded in 1832.
Housing a mechanical wind-up movement, this “savonette” type silver pocket watch is characteristic of the pieces created by Longines at that time. Emblem of the brand since the very beginning, a winged hourglass is engraved on its movement and inside its cover. An engraving showing two blank crests and a floral motif adorn its cover.
This piece, the condition and proper functioning of which impresses specialists, is a major discovery for the Swiss watch brand.
