LONGINES

Residents of the French-speaking village of Saint-Imier, like many others in 'The Watch Valley of Switzerland,' abandoned agriculture in favor of more lucrative professions in the watch business in the nineteenth century. The history of the Longines watchmaking firm, or Compagnie des Montres Longines Francillon S.A., has been distinguished by several significant events since its founding in 1832, including its designation as a "Swiss historical site of national significance." In fact, the entire town of Saint-Imier is included in the Swiss Legacy Sites Inventory, which is a regulation that protects the country's cultural heritage.

Auguste Agassiz, a local banker and Swiss watchmaker, formed a partnership with two attorneys, Henri Raiguel and Florian Morel, in 1832. Raiguel Jeune & Cie was their firm name, and they sold pocket watches with crown wheel escapements. The crowned wheel escapement was the first known form of mechanical escapement that regulates speed by enabling the gear train to advance at regular intervals, or ticks. They were often employed in pocket timepieces until the mid-nineteenth century. The three guys were following the same strategy as many others in the neighborhood, which was to start a store and sell things. Auguste, on the other hand, had a vision and desire for something better. He understood that if he was in charge of the entire manufacturing process, he could boost output. The strategy succeeded, and his timepieces were soon being worn on both sides of the Atlantic. He was able to sell his Artisan watches to those who were fascinated by the old nation because of his ties in the American market, which included relatives. As the firm began to expand, Auguste's colleagues Henri and Florian resigned from the watch industry, leaving Auguste as the sole owner.

Auguste enlisted the services of his 18-year-old nephew, Ernest Francillon, to handle the expansion in 1852. Ernest was equally as ambitious, and he will be the driving force behind many of the brand's future advancements. As Auguste's health deteriorated in the 1860s, Ernest rose to become the company's president. In 1866, he made his first important move, purchasing a huge plot of land known as 'Les Longines' with the intention of constructing a factory. The company's new name was born as a result of this.

Ernest hired Jacques David, a skilled engineer, as operations manager in 1867, a position that required him to oversee all industrial equipment and mechanical systems. Ernst created his first movement in the same year. The anchor escapement, as well as a pendant winding and setting mechanism, made the 20A movement a substantial improvement over key-wound pocket watches. Longines was prepared to rise with their new sophisticated production system and enhanced technologies.

The progress of American watch manufacturing began to make headlines. Jacques was dispatched to America's inaugural World's Fair, in Philadelphia, in 1876, by Ernest, who was proactive. His aim was to seek fresh techniques and ideas from the Americans. The technique succeeded, and Jacques returned to write a 108-page report detailing his findings. The investigation went into great detail into the inner workings of American companies, covering the full manufacturing process from raw materials to completed timepieces, as well as the internal structure and quality control mechanisms in place. Longines was at the vanguard of the industry and a pioneer in automated manufacturing thanks to this study, which is regarded one of the most important papers in watchmaking history. As a result, he came to the conclusion that the Swiss watchmaking industry needed to evolve in order to stay up with its American counterparts.His visits to the United States impacted the Longines watch manufacturing, which started in 1867 and continues to operate from the same location today.

The release of the 20H movement in 1878 was the next major achievement. The chronograph function was started, stopped, and reset using a single pusher on this mono-pusher chronograph movement. Because the movement was appropriate for accurate timing in professional activities, the brand acquired publicity by establishing a name in horse racing and jumping. Even today, the name is associated with high-profile events like as tennis' French Open and thoroughbred racing's Kentucky Derby.

As the business developed, the brand was confronted with a real issue: counterfeiters. Longines is attempting to pass off counterfeit watches as genuine Longines. Ernest was once again aggressive, trademarking the Longines name in 1880 and then the iconic winged hourglass emblem in 1889. This emblem is the oldest unaltered and still live registered trademark in the World Intellectual Property Organization's international registrations — impressive, to say the least. To counteract counterfeiters, the manufacturer decided that all watches would include the Longines name on the dial. The movements are additionally etched with a winged hour glass. Longines, in reality, rigorously records the serial numbers of each of their watches. Longines continues to give consumers with a 'Certificate of Authenticity' upon request.

In 1890, Longines introduced the caliber 19.73 pocket watch, a reliable mechanism for sports field timers. Longines began making split second chronographs in 1922, which could measure time to the hundredth of a second. In 1932, the 24 ligne chronograph mechanism was created primarily for athletic events.

Longines won the Grand Prix with their La Renommée pocket watch 21.59 caliber chronograph movement in the 1900 Paris Exposition World's Fair, which took place between April and November of that year. For the brand, this is yet another feather in their crown.

Longines collaborated with US Naval officer Philip Van Horn Weems to develop a set of navigational gadgets in 1927. This invention revolutionized the aviation business by assisting Charles A. Lindbergh in the development of the Lindbergh Hour Angle watch in 1931, which allowed pilots to pinpoint their precise geographical position.

Longines began mass-producing their proprietary 22A automated movements with an improved rotor winding mechanism in 1945. When an automatic watch is shaken horizontally, a swiveling metal, or brass plate swivels on its axis, mechanically winding the watch's mainspring.

Another significant breakthrough for the company was the Chronocinégines, which debuted in 1954. It was a 16mm camera coupled to a quartz clock that was ideal for supplying sports officials with video tape of still pictures recorded at 1/100th of a second.

Longines was bought by ASUAG in 1971. The Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG, the old Swiss watch industry's largest conglomerate, was searching for a high-end brand to add to its portfolio. In 1985, the ASUAG and the SIHH merged to establish the Societe Suisse de Microelectronique et d'Horlogerie, which later became SMH. Nicolas G. Hayek assumed control of the SMH in 1986 and renamed it 'Swatch,' after the iconic watch brand. Everything after that was, as they say, history. The Swatch Watch Company presently generates over $7 billion in yearly revenue. Swatch's primary luxury brands include Blancpain (the oldest watch brand in history), Hamilton (the American brand that produced the first commercial electronic movement), Tissot, Omega, Rado, and, of course, Swatch.

The Longines museum, located at the company's headquarters in Saint-Imier, first opened its doors in 1992. With exhibitions of pocket and wrist watches from various periods, chronographs and other navigation equipment, as well as certain collective promotional materials, the museum illustrates the history of Longines from 1832 to the present. Guided tours are now provided and are free to the public.

In October of 2008, the most valuable Longines watch ever auctioned sold. The famed physicist Albert Einstein had two Longines watches. He also wore a silver pocket watch from 1943 and a gold wristwatch from 1929. The watch, which was inscribed with the words "Prof Albert Einstein | Los Angeles | Feb 16 1931," sold for a record-breaking $596,000USD.

Longines introduced the PrimaLuna series in 2009 to fill a vacuum. To fill a need they thought they were neglecting, they created a brand dedicated just to women. The line has been a big success, combining traditional with elegance, and it is still going strong today.

Longines is still at the forefront of innovation today, ensuring that all of its timepieces provide a distinctive blend of Tradition, Elegance, and Performance. Every timepiece is a premium masterpiece.