Description

Specialties

1832

• Saint-Imier watchmakers established by Auguste Agassiz.

1846

• Agassiz heads the company and opens the market to the United States to great success.

1852

• Ernest Francillon joins the firm eventually taking it over.

1867

• Es Longines the Longines factory opens.
• Produces the first movement, 20A.
• Wins a award at the Universal Exhibition, Paris.

1876

• Jacques David attends the Universal Exhibition in Philadelphia and returns to inspire the industrialization of Swiss watchmaking.
• Longines pioneers mechanized production.

1878

• By means of its newly mechanized production, Longines produces a simple chronograph, the 20H.

1881

• Longines chronographs produced for Americans are purchased by horse racing aficionados.

1886

• Longines is supplying the majority of New York Sports officials.

1888

• Produces a certified chronometer, the 21.59 calibre.

1889

• Logo is registered.

1893

• Logo registered with the United International Bureaux for the Protection of Intellectual Property (forerunner of WIPO).

1899

• Longines equips Prince Luigi Amedeo of Savoie for his Artic expedition.

1900

• GranPrix at the Universal Exhibition, Paris for La Renommée pocket watch.

1913

• First calibre for a wristwatch.

1916

• Begins development of shaped movements for wristwatches.

1919

• Longines begin development of navigation instruments for aviators.

1927

• Weems Second-Setting Watch for Navigation.

1931

• Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch to be used with a sextant and nautical almanac.

1936

• 13ZN calibre wristwatch patented.

1945

• Longines patents its first self-winding movement, the 22A.

1954

• Longines first quartz clock.
• Used with a 16mm camera to record race finishes for officials.

1969

• First cybernetic quarts calibre – Ultra-Quartz.

1972

• Longines LCD Watch.

• Currently in operation with the same Maker’s Mark.