LONGINES HISTORICAL HIGH-FREQUENCY INSTRUMENTS

1914:

HIGH-FREQUENCY STOPWATCH (5HZ) WITH SPLIT-SECOND HAND Driven by the Calibre 19.73N with a balance wheel oscillating at 36,000 beats per hour, the chronograph proved very successful in sports, military and medicine. To improve the reading of 1/10th of a second, the chronograph hand rotates once around the dial in 30 seconds.

1916

HIGH-FREQUENCY STOPWATCH (50HZ)

Capable of measuring 1/100th of a second, the stopwatch is enhanced with a balance that boasts an oscillation rate of 360,000 beats per hour. Its chronograph hand sweeps round the dial in just three seconds. An instantaneous minute counter is placed at 12 o’clock and can measure up to three minutes.

1938

HIGH-FREQUENCY SKIING TIMER (5HZ) WITH SPLITSECOND HAND

The timer for ski races ticks at 36,000 beats per hour to measure 1/10th of a second. The chronograph hand makes on rotation in 30 seconds. Equipped with a second splitsecond hand and a 30-minute recorder, this professional instrument gained special notice at the Observatory of Neuchatel for its high accuracy.

1959

FIRST HIGH-FREQUENCY WRISTWATCH OBSERVATORY CHRONOMETER Oscillating at 36,000 beats per hour, hand-made and fine-tuned for Observatory Chronometer Competitions, this technical milestone was built in a series of 200 pieces from 1959 to 1963. The rectangular movement improved the accuracy considerably, with the daily deviation around or below 1/10th of a second.

1968

ULTRA-CHRON DIVER, FIRST HIGH-BEAT DIVING WATCH Driven by the unique Calibre 431 and designed with a bright-red minute hand, this was the first high-frequency diving watch, and probably the most accurate of its time, with a water-resistance of up to 200m. The tonneau-shaped watch is fitted with a calendar mechanism and a turning bezel, which enables divers to determine their immersion times. For optimal legibility, even in murky waters, the markers on the dial, hands and bezel are filled with tritium.

2022

LONGINES ULTRA-CHRON

The new Ultra-Chron was inspired by the aesthetic code and professional dive features of the 1968 model. Featuring a uni-directional rotating bezel and a screwed-in case-back and crown, it offers great legibility and is water-resistant to 300m.

Its instantly recognisable 43mm cushion-shaped steel case is fitted with a diving bezel that boasts a sapphire insert with luminescent accents. The eye-catching black grained dial features a white minute track with alternating Super-LumiNovacoated batons and rhodium-plated appliques. The original Ultra-Chron logo is proudly applied on the dial and embossed on the case-back. The modern edition is distinguished by a red minute hand coated in Super-Luminova for optimal legibility.

At the heart of the timepiece is the Calibre L836.6, a high-frequency in-house movement with its balance spring oscillating at a whopping 36,000 beats per hour (10 beats every second). These movements, which Longines pioneered in 1914 (to time 1/10th of a second) and 1916 (to time 1/100th of a second), improved precision in timekeeping. From 1959 onwards, Longines made use of the high-beat movements to increase the accuracy of its watches. Thanks to a reduction of the disruptive effects of shocks, or of changes in the position of the movement, the high-beat movement proves to be more stable.

Designed to both evoke an emotional response from aficionados of iconic timepieces and win over newcomers who wish to wear a bit of horological history on their wrists, the Longines Ultra-Chron comes in a leather strap or steel bracelet, along with a black NATO strap made of recycled material.