Longines

Longines represents an excellent entry point into the world of fine Swiss-made watches. During the brand’s 182-year history, it has served as an official Olympic timer, supplied timepieces to multiple expeditions and to the International Aviation Federation, won numerous Grand Prix competitions, and of course created the famous Lindberg Hour Angle pilots’ watch. Today, Longines offers a broad range of great-looking watches at attractive prices. Here are five we can recommend for new collectors.

Longines Conquest 24 Hours

The Longines Conquest line exemplifies the brand’s spirit for adventure. The Conquest 24 Hour combines the purposeful look of an explorer’s tool watch with an air of elegance that makes it appropriate for all occasions. The dial displays are crystal clear, and the 41-mm case strikes an excellent balance between oversize sports models and undersize dress watches, making it a versatile companion. The crystal is sapphire with an anti-reflective coating. The screw-in crown contributes to the 50-meter water resistance rating. The bright red 24-hour hand lets the owner track a second time zone.

The Longines Conquest 24 Hours is priced at $1, 600.

The Conquest 24 Hours offers sporty good looks that make it a versatile companion.

Longines HydroConquest

With its 300 meter water resistance rating, the HydroConquest is no poseur. To our eyes, the red dial accents give this dive chronograph a strong sporting character. The case measures 41 mm x 15.7 mm, and it houses the mechanical, automatic winding caliber L688 column-wheel chronograph movement, developed exclusively for Longines by ETA. The subdials include a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, a 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock, and small continuous seconds at 9 o’clock. The screw-down caseback, lateral crown protection and sapphire crystal offer protection from the elements, and the luminous hands and Arabic numerals let you read the time in all lighting conditions. Divers will appreciate the unidirectional bezel and double safety folding clasp.

The Longines HydroConquest chronograph retails for $2, 325.