Longines 'Hooded Lug' Rectangular Dress Watch, Silver 'Art Deco' Dial

Dealer description — Oliver & Clarke

Longines is one of the most well respected manufacturers of the 20th century, full stop. Founded in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, the company built a name for themselves early on as a manufacturer of quality in-house movements right from the start. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Longines also built a reputation for precision timekeeping, earning accolades at international exhibitions and becoming a trusted name in sports timing, particularly in horse racing and aviation — an association with continues until today. By the mid-20th century, especially from the 1930s to the 1960s, Longines was at the peak of its technical and aesthetic prowess, producing a range of high-grade wristwatches admired today by collectors and vintage enthusiasts. The brand was known for its beautifully finished in-house movements, such as the 13ZN and 30CH chronographs, which are considered some of the finest column-wheel chronographs ever produced. The piece that we have here is an incredibly attractive 'Art Deco' rectangular dress watch dating to circa 1937 and simply put, it is offered in virtually new-old-stock condition. The case measures in at 22mm x 34.5mm — roughly the same size as the Reverso from JLC from this era — with fantastic 'hooded' lugs, and a flat crown. Inside, the silver dial is even more reminiscent of a Reverso, with a silver multi-tone silver color-way, stunning silver 'foil' indices, blakc 'Arabic' numerals, and a blued-steel 'feuille' handset. It even comes with a pair of hangtags! As it pertains to vintage collecting, this checks a heck of a lot of boxes; A niche brand with historically important innovations, fantastic sizing, and virtually flawless condition. What more can you ask for?