Longines

Who are Longines?

Longines is a Swiss watchmaker founded in Saint-Imier in 1832, and it is still based there. Since 1983 it has been part of the group now called The Swatch Group. This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a pre-owned Longines in the UK.

The company makes mechanical and quartz watches for men and women, from classic dress watches to divers and pilot’s watches (Longines). It also has a long record in sports timing, from the chronograph pocket watches of the 1870s to equestrian events today (Longines). Its emblem, the winged hourglass, is the oldest valid trademark in the international register kept by WIPO, the UN’s intellectual property agency (WIPO).

The history of Longines

Longines’ history runs from a Saint-Imier workshop in 1832 to a brand within The Swatch Group. The key dates are the founding (1832), the factory at Les Longines (1867), the trademark and winged hourglass (1880 and 1889), the Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch (1931) and the 1983 merger that led to The Swatch Group.

Saint-Imier. In 1832 Auguste Agassiz and fellow watchmakers opened a workshop in Saint-Imier, in the Swiss Jura (Longines). Wikipedia gives the firm’s first name as Raiguel Jeune & Cie, and says the other partners had retired by 1846, leaving Agassiz in charge.

Francillon and the factory. Agassiz’s nephew, the economist Ernest Francillon, took over in 1852 (Longines). In 1867 he opened a factory on a meadow known as Les Longines, which gave the company its name. Its first in-house movement, the 20A, won an award at the Paris Universal Exhibition that year. The oldest known Longines watch, serial number 183, is dated 23 October 1867 (Wikipedia).

The trademark. When Switzerland introduced a trademark law, Francillon registered the Longines name in 1880. In 1889 the name and the winged hourglass were filed with the Swiss federal authorities (Longines). WIPO describes the winged hourglass as the oldest valid trademark in its international register.

Timing and chronographs. Longines made its first chronograph pocket watch for timing sports in 1878 (Longines). It signed its first official equestrian partnership in Lisbon in 1912, made its first wrist chronograph in 1913, and was granted a patent for the flyback chronograph in 1936 (Longines).

Aviation. In 1931 Longines registered the Hour Angle Watch, conceived by the aviator Charles Lindbergh, as an international design under the Hague Agreement. It had a 47.5 mm case, a rotating bezel marked in degrees and a large crown for use with gloves, and was developed with the navigation instructor Philip Van Horn Weems (WIPO).

Post-war. The Conquest name was registered in 1954. In 1969 Longines launched one of the first quartz wristwatches (Longines).

The Swatch Group. Longines’ owner, ASUAG, merged with SSIH, the owner of Omega, in 1983 to form SMH (Wikipedia). SMH was renamed The Swatch Group in 1998 (Wikipedia, The Swatch Group).

Recent decades. The Master Collection followed in 2005 (WorldTempus), the Legend Diver and HydroConquest in 2007 (Mappin & Webb), the Record in 2017 (Fratello) and the Spirit pilot’s watches in 2020 (Longines). Patrick Aoun, who joined Longines in 2007, became chief executive on 1 June 2025, succeeding Matthias Breschan (The Peak).

What is Longines known for?

Longines is known for the winged hourglass trademark, its sports timing, its aviation watches such as the Lindbergh Hour Angle, and classic dress watches. More recently it has fitted silicon balance springs and offered COSC-certified chronometers across whole collections. The details below are each sourced.

The winged hourglass. The emblem has been on Longines watches since the 1889 filing and is the oldest valid trademark in the WIPO International Register (Longines; WIPO).

Sports timing. Longines’ first chronograph of 1878 was made for timing sport. Its timing work since includes an electromechanical start-and-finish system first used at a Swiss gymnastics festival in 1916, and photo-finish equipment in the 1950s (Longines). Equestrian sport has been part of its timing work since its first official partnership in 1912 (Longines).

Aviation watches. Longines worked with pilots and navigators in the 1920s and 1930s. The Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch of 1931 was designed as a wrist tool for celestial navigation (WIPO). Reissues of these designs sit in today’s Heritage and Spirit ranges (Longines).

Silicon balance springs and chronometers. Longines says a silicon balance spring is light, does not rust, and is unaffected by normal temperature changes, magnetic fields and air pressure (Fratello). Longines fits silicon springs to its better movements, and every model in the 2017 Record collection is a COSC-certified chronometer (Fratello). Our guide to COSC certification explains what the test measures.

Movements. Longines calibres such as the L888 are based on movements by ETA, the Swatch Group’s movement maker in Grenchen, but are used only by Longines (Caliber Corner). ETA also supplies movements to other brands, inside and outside the group (Wikipedia, The Swatch Group). Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why buyers care about the difference.

Which Longines collections are there?

Longines groups its current range into five families: Master, Conquest, Spirit, Elegance and Heritage. Within them sit collections such as the Master Collection, Conquest, HydroConquest, Spirit, Record, DolceVita and Legend Diver (Longines).

The collections table on this page gives the year each began, where it is sourced, and a one-line description. A few points help when you are reading listings:

• Conquest and HydroConquest. These are different watches. Conquest is a sports watch family whose name dates from 1954; HydroConquest is a dive watch range launched in 2007 (Longines; Mappin & Webb). Conquest Heritage, in the Heritage group, is a reissue of the 1950s design.
• Reference numbers. Longines references take the form L followed by digits, for example L2.821.4.72.6 for a Record model (Cicala). The reference identifies the exact model, size, dial and strap; the serial number identifies the individual watch.
• Calibre.4 versions. On some calibres, a “.4” suffix, as in L888.4, marks the version with a silicon balance spring and chronometer certification (Caliber Corner). That matters if you want the five-year warranty, which applies to silicon balance-spring models (Longines).
• Older names. Several names in the current range, such as Flagship, Evidenza and La Grande Classique, have been used before; the Evidenza, for example, dates from 2003 and was based on a 1925 tonneau design (Longines; WorldTempus). An older watch with one of these names may be quite different from today’s model.

Who owns Longines?

Longines is owned by The Swatch Group Ltd, a Swiss company based in Biel/Bienne and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. It has been part of the group since 1983, when its owner ASUAG merged with SSIH to form what became The Swatch Group.

The Swatch Group was created in 1983 from the merger of ASUAG and SSIH, both then in financial difficulty, and took its present name in 1998 (Wikipedia, The Swatch Group). Nayla Hayek chairs the group and Nick Hayek is its chief executive. The group owns 16 watch brands, including Omega, Breguet, Blancpain, Tissot and Swatch, and its subsidiary ETA makes movements for its own brands and for others (Wikipedia, The Swatch Group).

Longines has remained in Saint-Imier. When it marked its 180th anniversary there in 2012, the Swatch Group described it as the brand’s home village and said the group spends money there to keep the brand’s Swiss identity (Swatch Group). In the UK, the group’s company, The Swatch Group (UK) Limited, was incorporated on 26 October 1921 as S.S.I.H. (UK) Limited and was renamed SMH (UK) Limited in 1988, then took its present name in 1998 (Companies House).

Buying a pre-owned Longines in the UK: what to check

Check that the reference and serial number on the watch match its papers, that the papers and any service records are genuine, and that the watch is not recorded as stolen. Then check whether any of the Longines warranty is left: five years applies to silicon balance-spring models.

1. Papers and the full set. Ask exactly what comes with the watch: box, warranty card, booklet, receipt, any spare links, and whether each is the original. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves and what it does not.

2. Reference and serial number. The reference and serial number should match the warranty card and any receipt. Look up the reference on the Longines site to confirm the case size, dial and movement. A listing that describes a quartz watch as automatic, or the other way round, is a sign the seller has not checked.

3. Authenticity. Fake Longines watches exist, and fakes can come with forged papers. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

4. Stolen-watch check. Before you pay, check the serial number against a stolen-watch register and ask the seller to confirm the watch is not reported lost or stolen. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers and how to use them.

5. Servicing and condition. Ask when the watch was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. For a quartz watch, ask when the battery was last changed and whether the seals were checked at the same time. Ask whether the dial, hands or crown have been replaced. On a vintage Longines, a replaced or refinished dial changes what you are buying, so ask directly.

6. Warranty. Longines extended its warranty to five years on all models with an antimagnetic silicon balance spring, including the Spirit collection, in September 2020 (Longines media centre). Time+Tide reported that the five-year term applies to watches bought from 1 January 2021. A dealer’s own warranty is a promise from the dealer, not from Longines. See watch warranties explained.

7. Who you buy from. There are three main routes in the UK:

Sources: Longines media centre, five-year warranty; Time+Tide (checked 29 October 2026).

We could not find a Longines certified pre-owned programme in the UK. For how independent dealers compare with appointed retailers, read grey market versus authorised dealer.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Where was Longines founded?

In Saint-Imier, Switzerland, in 1832, by Auguste Agassiz and fellow watchmakers (Longines). The company is still based there.

Where does the name Longines come from?

From Les Longines, the meadow where Ernest Francillon opened the factory in 1867 (Wikipedia).

Who owns Longines?

The Swatch Group Ltd, a Swiss company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Longines has been part of the group since the 1983 merger of ASUAG and SSIH (Wikipedia).

Are Longines and Omega owned by the same company?

Yes. Both belong to The Swatch Group. Omega’s owner, SSIH, merged with Longines’ owner, ASUAG, in 1983 (Wikipedia).

Does Longines make its own movements?

Longines calibres such as the L888 are based on movements by ETA, the Swatch Group’s movement maker, and are used only by Longines (Caliber Corner).

What is the Longines winged hourglass?

The brand’s emblem, filed with the Swiss authorities in 1889. WIPO describes it as the oldest valid trademark in its international register (Longines; WIPO).

Are Longines watches chronometers?

Some are. Every model in the Record collection, launched in 2017, is a COSC-certified chronometer (Fratello). Check the dial and papers for the word “chronometer”.

How long is the Longines warranty?

Longines gives five years on models with a silicon balance spring (Longines media centre). Check the warranty card for the purchase date to see how much is left.

Can I buy a pre-owned Longines without papers?

You can, but without papers you rely more heavily on the seller’s written guarantee, an independent watchmaker’s check and a stolen-watch check. Agree in writing that you get a full refund if the watch is later found not to be genuine.

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Longines or The Swatch Group.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.