Swiss watchmakers Longines have a long tradition of excellence, and a strong sense of their legacy, which is amply displayed in their Heritage collection. Drawing on classic designs from their past, they offer an excellent range of updated designs which combine the original beauty of their older products with updated technology. The latest of these is the Longines Heritage Military COSD watch.
Based on a piece of equipment used by British Special Forces in the 1940s, this timepiece boasts a classic military look, with a robustly sized crown, stout stainless steel case and khaki green NATO strap – although you can choose the option of a black leather strap if you prefer.
The case itself is 40mm, slightly sized up from the original 35.5mm, with a distinctive broad flat bezel and a choice of either an opaline dial face with blued steel hands or a matt black dial face with rhodium plated hands. Both faces feature SuperLumiNova markings on the hands and at the hour marks, allowing for easy visibility in any light, with large painted Arabic numerals providing excellent clarity.
Inside, the piece is powered by an L619.2 self-winding calibre which offers a beat of 28’800 vibrations per hour and provides 42 hours of power reserve. In addition to the hours, minutes and seconds displayed by the original timepiece, a date display has been added at the 3 hour mark.
Compared to the 1940s version, the re-issued piece is remarkably faithful. Aside from the case size and date display already mentioned, the main difference is in the case material – solid stainless steel compared to the wartime issue plated brass – and the updated calibre.
Some may, however, wish for a little less faithfulness in specific areas; the Longines Heritage Military COSD offers water resistance to 3 bar, equivalent to approximately 20m, which may be a little on the low side for an otherwise robust and practical watch.
Visually, this watch offers some interesting features, including the broad arrow below the Longines logo. This is a mark used to signify British Government property, frequently appearing on military equipment including the original timepiece upon which the Heritage Military COSD is based. It is actually a protected mark, which cannot be used on any goods without appropriate permission, which adds to the unique character of the piece.
In past interviews, Longines CEO Walter Von Känel has admitted some reservations over offering watches with a nylon strap, however in this case it is arguably the stronger design, offering oodles of military personality that you simply don’t achieve with the leather strap version.
If you’d like further information on this or any of our range of Longines watches, please contact us on 01524 384858, or visit us in our Lancaster store. You can also keep up with our horological and jewellery updates on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.