The Longines Saint Imier Chronograph watch completes the pair of Longines timepieces to be featured on Watch of the Week, and it is certainly not difficult to see why it has been chosen. Longines is the only manufacturer of luxury watches to be set up, and still reside, within Saint-Imier. The dedicated Longines Saint-Imier collection has stayed faithful to all of the company’s inherent values of elegance and sporting performance, and each one of these extraordinary wristwatches has been mechanically engineered to a precision that would satisfy even the most stringent of critics.
Longines has been in operation for more than one and a half centuries, and the Saint-Imier family was added to their range in order to create a fresh array of wristwatches that, nevertheless, embraced elements of a previous Longines model that dated back to the Second World War. Several different models have been developed, including versions combining steel with rose gold, and some examples are also studded with diamonds for an added element of flamboyance. Immaculately treading the line between the classic and the contemporary, the Saint-Imier assembly has served to inject a real sense of imagination into Longines’ established range.
The 41mm stainless steel case of the Longines Saint-Imier Chronograph is polished to achieve a glimmering sheen, whilst the rear of the timepiece stands out due to its luxury exhibition caseback. This caseback is made of the same sapphire crystal as that which is resplendent on the front of the Saint-Imier Chronograph and, because of the skilled level of polishing that is carried out on these crystals, they remain largely invisible in order to offer the most extreme standards of clarity. The three hands and various numerals upon the timepiece have also been coated in Super-LumiNova, an invention that can be traced back to the First World War, and that is well equipped to emit consistent light for a period of several hours.
The self winding mechanism within the Saint-Imier is a column wheel chronograph movement that represents a marvel of inspired ingenuity; in addition to being precise to within a few seconds every week. Beautifully created, the rhythmically moving components within this movement conveys the same level of intelligence as would be implied by a living organism, and some of the metal components are thinner than a human hair. However this fine detail is still ruthlessly reliable, and the automatic winding typically avoids the need to manually wind the timepiece using its painstakingly faceted crown.
The Saint-Imier Chronograph possesses all of the details that you would expect from a luxury timepiece of its type, including an innovatively situated date window, a trio of small displays conveying seconds and 12 hour statistics, and a 2 year manufacturer’s guarantee. The stainless steel bracelet is well suited to the ageless aesthetics of the case, whilst the triple folding safety clasp with its push piece opener shows a willingness to keep up to date with more recent watch trends. The blend of large and small links within the bracelet also serves as an intricate visual augmentation, allowing this wristwatch to exude a style that is sufficient for any occasion.
The Saint-Imier Chronograph watch is just one of many opulent Longines watches that are available here at Banks Lyon. The Saint-Imier selection from Longines was intended to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the company, and this historic timepiece is in stock today, and can be yours for a 10% deposit plus £76.12 per month over a 24 period. Please visit our Facebook and Twitter pages for all of the most up to date information regarding our extensive range of luxury wristwatches, or to keep in touch with all of our most recent news.
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