DIVING TO NEWHEIGHTS
Longines keeps up a long and proud tradition by reimagining iconic references from its archives
rare materials and exceptional handcraftsmanship have always been natural crowd-pleasers at Baselworld. But nothing really beats solid, traditional watchmaking. This is certainly an area where Longines excels. This year, the Swiss watch brand introduces new models in its main collections, while also revisiting two of its iconic diver’s watches. Longines has a long and proud history of producing quartz timepieces. At last year’s Baselworld, the brand unveiled a new achievement in the field that combined great precision, high technicality and a sporty look with the Conquest V.H.P. This year, the brand with the winged hourglass logo presents the Conquest V.H.P. Chronograph.
Design wise, the Conquest V.H.P. Chronograph comes in either a stainless steel or black PVD case, measuring either 42 or 44mm. There are four dial options: black, silver, blue or carbon for the dial. As expected for a chronograph caliber, the dial boasts a 30-minutes counter at 3 o’clock, 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock and a small seconds indicator at 6 o’clock. The watch is secured to your wrist with either a bracelet (stainless steel and PVD options are available) or a rubber strap (black or blue).
The V.H.P. designation, by the way, stands for “Very High Precision” and refers to the properties of the movement, which is produced exclusively for Longines. In short, the movement is more accurate than a chronometer (gaining or losing only 5 second a year— which is considerable for an analog watch) and can reset the position of its hands after a strong impact or magnetic interference thanks to its Gear Position Detection system. Introduced last year as part of Longines’ 185th anniversary celebrations, the Record collection is the brand’s first line of timepieces certified as chronometers by the COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres—the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute). These watches are meant to embody the purest traditions of the brand, combining classical elegance with cutting-edge advancements in watchmaking such as the use of silicon balance springs for improved accuracy and resistance.