The organization with Longines was perfect and collectors from France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Denmark or Dubai were gathered.
On the program, the visit of the Museum but also the workshop of restoration of the old parts which reserved beautiful surprises to the amateurs of vintage Longines.
The bust of Ernest Francillon, founder of the Manufacture, stands at the reception of the main building:
The reception of the factory was quite incredible. Walter von Känel, CEO of Longines, honored us with a speech during lunch; Jennifer Bochud, our guide during this journey through the history of the brand, as well as Mrs. Mara Celant, Stephanie Lachat and Mr. Bernard Portal actively participated in the happiness of our visit.
Our charming guests:
It's time to tell this adventure!
The museum :
It gathers on two floors the history of the brand. The pieces presented are numerous and the staging is magnificent. The visit of the different rooms can begin with the explanations of our guests.
A mystical place:
Moment of reflection
Archives :
And a historical trilogy ...
Ancient works including the first Longines newspaper of 1942:
Boxes …
The first room refers to the chronological history of the brand:
The calibres produced:
Watchmaking tools:
13.33:
13ZN12:
Lindbergh and Weems:
Ultronic and Dynotron:
Three hands from the Conquest, Silver Arrow and Flagship collections:
Ultrachron:
3 needles caliber 22A (1952):
Flasgship:
And this gold chronograph:
Calatrava Automatic:
Beautiful shape watches:
Longines 360 (chronometer for observatory competition):
And an extraordinary wrist version in a rectangular box (1960):
With Z's Vutilainen:
Vintage buckle:
The second hall is a hymn to the Longines and Aviation Association:
The history of the brand's logos:
Longines Weems:
Small diameter:
Including this particular little Weems with a fourth hand (second fixed time zone):
Longines Lindbergh (caliber 18.69 from 1937 to 1938):
Lindbergh dashboard watch (18.69N caliber from 1931):
Small diameter version:
Longines Siderograph:
With this wonderful version of steel wrist (caliber 37.9 - 1939):
Longines Comet:
Silver watches of the early twentieth century:
Other pilot watches:
Including this rotating bezel watch indicating a second time zone (12.68z - 1935) and this 24h dial version made for the Swissair (1954).
Chronograph 24 hours (18.72 -1957), flyback chronographs (12.68Z)
Large pilot's watch with rotating bezel:
Edge watches:
Other watches of the early twentieth century:
Historical posters:
Marine Chronometers:
Huge mobile hourglass:
The third room is dedicated to the association of Longines and sport (athletics, formula 1, sailing, horse riding ...):
Precision Chronographs:
Longines 30CH:
Longines diving: Diver, 30CH Skin-diver and Ultra-chron:
Conquest:
Shooting watches:
Various equipment and varied logotypes Longines:
Formula 1 lovers ...
Other objects ...
This chronocinine camera (100 images per second with printing every second driven by a quartz clock):
Posters :
The last room reveals the history of Longines and iconic stars of the brand:
Gold bracelet watch worn by Humphrey Bogart (caliber 10.68z - 1941):
The stars in pictures:
Lunch with Walter von Känel:
The lunch was chaired by Mr Walter von Känel.
Around a meal prepared by the brand, the guests, collectors and staffing of the brand present during our visit listened to the speech of the CEO of Longines; the latter accepting all the questions.
The current positioning of the brand was particularly justified (watch segment between 1000 and 5000 euros); the economic success being the most beautiful answer to the questions of amateurs of the brand regretting the position too low in the Swatch group.
Permanent exchanges between collectors and Jennifer Bochud:
The buffet :
The watches shared during the lunch:
A beautiful chronograph:
A 3 hands of the early twentieth century (Pocket Watch format) and a beautiful Big Indian:
Longines Diver:
Longines 30CH Skin-diver:
And the meeting with the reissue (a little body-builded ...) and a Wittnauer:
Longines 30CH Skin-diver and Longines 30CH Conquest, vintage and modern!
Boxes:
And a packed 13ZN12!
And without box ...
The restoration workshop:
Bernard Portal introduces us to the Alibaba Cave of Longines lovers. A room re-arranged to store, index most of the pieces produced throughout the years by the Manufacture, whether for pocket watches and wrist watches.
It includes supplies of all calibres designed and manufactured by the manufacture and aesthetic pieces (dials needles ...) stored in drawers and cabinets ...
Some people's eyes shone!
Especially since we discover 13ZN chronograph parts ...
We discover …
Direction then workshops where watchmakers repair, restore the old parts.
Watchmakers at work under our children's gaze.
We discover parts in SAV like this 13.33 or this incredible 13ZN:
A Longines Weems in spare parts:
Another Weems of the museum:
Collectors were able to present their pieces for a small analysis ...
The photos of our watches are stored by the Longines team to enrich the archives of the manufacture.
But mostly share around the registers from the serial numbers ... A moment quite huge!
Chronographs collectors present ready for consultation?
And not just chronographs with this rare Longines "Nautilus":
At work !
30CH and 13ZN:
This 30CH transparent bottom ...
Monopoussoir:
Micro-file and computerized archive books: Verified authenticity and the watch's history filled in!
Bernard Portal at work:
And other watchmakers on his team:
13ZN and 30 CH on the workbench:
My 30CH 6075:
My 13ZN:
My Diver:
Longines Admiral:
A nice automatic caliber:
A rare bird, a Big Indian:
I personally discovered that my Longines "Calatrava" was equipped with a caliber 30L and had been sold in 1958 in North America via Wittnauer (ref 7165) ...
Jennifer Bochud immortalizes this crazy gathering ...
The dinners:
Two watchmaking dinners allowed the participants to share their passion, to shine the eyes of the most knowledgeable and to exchange around the models present and our visits.
The Longines chronographs were obviously in the spotlight.
These 3 13ZN12 photos put together are quite unique; exceptional pieces!
Others Longines 13ZN:
Longines 30CH:
A Weems:
This three Calatrava hands with a wonderful dial:
Here with two 13ZN12:
Longines divers:
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris and Panerai Mare Nostrum:
Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox:
Vintage chronographs quite incredible:
Mido Multicenterchrono:
Pandi-panda:
Ulysse Nardin N13HQ and Eberhard pre-extrafort 16000:
A trilogy of Heuer Monaco:
Other Heuers 60's and 70's:
A breathtaking Zenith Compur whose size of 45mm makes it a unique piece:
Breitling Navitimer:
Box cushions (Sarda and Jaeger):
Form watches (Omega Marine and Voutilaïnen equipped with a Longines 360):
Chronometers (JLC Geophysic, VC Royal Chronometer, Be-Ba):
Chronographs three black counters (Heuer and Ulysse Nardin):
Orange needles:
Eberhard Contograf Silver:
Patek Nautilus:
Conclusion
An incredible moment where vintage watchmaking was in the spotlight.
I thank again all the team Longines having made this visit an unforgettable memory and our GO, Z 'who organized with a lot of energy and enthusiasm this exit "longinesque".
Thank you also to all the photographers who will have allowed this complete report.
Obviously, beyond the watches, there are meetings, nice meetings.
And there are also other mechanics, all as captivating!
The word of conclusion:
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