Tuesday 21 July 2015

Longines Twenty - Four Hours: reissue of the famous Swissair pilots watch

Watch brand Longines (Swatch Group), revisits his classics with preview of the 2011 Basel fair, the Longines Twenty-Four Hours. A watch of 47.5 mm design decidedly vintage which incorporates the look and features of the timepiece worn by pilots of Swissair company in the 1950s, namely a dial indicating the 24 hour time. Explanations.

In 2009, Harry Hofmann, retired from the former airline Swiss Swissair, browser visit the Longines Museum. He took advantage of this opportunity to present the brand a Longines timepiece he wore when he was flying for the airline. This watch with the particularity of circumnavigation of 24-hour dial is part of a series produced by Longines in the 1950s to equip personnel of Swissair.

In fact, you should know that in aviation of the mid-20th century, the browser was to responsibility the determination of the position of the aircraft (which is not trivial...) and the establishment of the flight plan Panerai replica watches.

In this context, a reliable timepiece was essential equipment, but the fact of crossing different time zones in both directions or the fact of being deprived of the sight of the Sun, as a point of reference, requested equipment to be immediately within the day. Watches making a tour of 24 hours dial therefore meet this specific requirement of mariners.

The watch worn in flight by Harry Hofmann, browser Swissair on the airliners DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, DC - 8 and Coronado until 1974, was specially manufactured for the airline by Longines in the early 1950s; It has the serial number 8237331.

It is equipped with calibre Longines 37.9N to second at the Center, developed in the 1940s, and used in the Longines watches for pilots. A Swissair trademark is engraved on the bottom of its box steel.

Longines archives reveal that she is part of a series of 70 pieces in manufacturing between 1953 and 1956 and intended exclusively for the Swiss airline. This piece is technically related to the watch for Airmen The Longines Weems Second - Setting Watch, developed in 1927, or watch Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch produced by Longines as early as 1932.

This year, the watch brand of Saint-Imier chose this watch both because of the historical and functional role it played because of the Replica omega watches aesthetic force that it has retained (it in fact, quite in tune with the current fashion vintage watches). She was baptized Longines Twenty - Four Hours.

This Aviator timepiece is equipped with the L704.2 calibre self-winding allowing a revolution of dial in 24 hours. His 47.50 mm stainless steel case houses a Matt Black Dial with 24 white numerals trimmed superluminova while a timer "railway" facilitates the reading of the minutes.

Indicating the time by needle-"also with superluminova-liner, it is equipped with a second at the centre that favours the readability, like the original part. A date window is housed at 3 o'clock. Covered with a Sapphire Crystal, this timepiece has a transparent background, protected with a cover, revealing the beats of his movement. The inside of the lid is engraved with the reissue of mention Longines navigation watch exclusively made for Swissair navigators, 1953-1956 and is numbered.