Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Longines 'Hinged Lugs' Platinum Diamonds, 1930s
- Maker / attribution
- Longines (maker)
- Date
- 1930s
- Historical period
- Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- platinum
- Dimensions
- Case 22 mm
- Stock no.
- 40992816
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40992816)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Longines 'Hinged Lugs' Platinum Diamonds (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40992816), this is a wristwatch by Longines, made in Switzerland, dated 1930s. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: platinum. Recorded dimensions: Case 22 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Analog/Shift
Longines has been undervalued for quite some time - pure and simple. Once you fall down the rabbit hole, you will start to realize how undervalued their vintage offerings are. When compared to its contemporaries like Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin - the value is plain to see. This particular piece dating to the 1930s is a perfect example of what we mean. A brilliant mix of design, watchmaking chops, and enduring appeal, this piece speaks to a bygone era nostalgically, and reminds us why we love collecting historical timepieces. The Art Deco rectangular case of this piece is constructed from platinum, with a fascinating hinged lug case that lets the broad profile conform to the wrist. It measures 22mm x 30mm and the hinged lugs are accompanied by two articulating links on each side. It features incredible applied stylized numerals with factory diamond settings which serve as the flash of the piece, punctuating the dial brilliantly. At the center, a simple handset and railroad minute track complete the package, trying together a lovely early 20th century package. We are huge proponents of vintage Longines for a myriad of reasons - and this example with its quirky details and off-the-beaten-path charm is certainly one of them.
Historical context
Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
The wristwatch displaces the pocket watch; waterproof cases, self-winding and grand complications.
The wristwatch overtook the pocket watch. Military use in the First World War, aviation, water-resistant cases (1926), automatic winding (1923–31), rectangular Art Deco designs and early chronographs and calendars defined the period.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Industrial Revolution
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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