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Longines Steel Dress Watch, 1970s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Longines (maker)
Date
1970s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
steel
Dimensions
Case 35 mm
Stock no.
40991089
Credit line
Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40991089)
Catalogue title (original)
Longines Steel Dress Watch (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40991089), this is a wristwatch by Longines, made in Switzerland, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: steel. Recorded dimensions: Case 35 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

In our opinion, Longines doesn't quite get the respect that they deserve. That isn’t to say that they aren't held in high regard. But the level of innovation, craftsmanship, and design that Longines has demonstrated over the course of their history simply cannot be understated, and certainly extends to a wide variety of timepieces across the board. Take this vintage dress watch, for example: Dating to the 1970s and housed in a 35mm stainless steel cushion case with an acrylic crystal, a signed crown, and a polished bezel, it features a lovely sunburst grey dial with painted indices and a matching white ‘pencil’ handset. Powered by a hand-cranking movement, it comes paired to a stainless steel ‘Milanese’ bracelet with a signed clasp. In excellent condition throughout, this is the type of versatile piece that can be worn everyday, or slipped onto a leather strap for dressier occasions. Perfect for both men and women, it features a dial that simply isn’t found on many modern timepieces. We already love it. Check it out for yourself!

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

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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