Top 5 Longines Watches from the Classic Collection

There are some assignments that cause me to leap up and down with excitement (figuratively — my knees can’t take that kind of sudden activity anymore); there are others, however, that give me pause for concern. This task was of the latter camp.

It isn’t that I dislike Longines. It’s almost worse: I barely have an opinion anymore. While I do like the Spirit line, and think it’s a very solid model family, well-made and “okay” on the pricing front, it’s deeply unremarkable. The best edition the brand has turned out in that heavily promoted range is, in my opinion, the 300-piece limited edition launched with Hodinkee.

When it comes to the Classic division (which comprises ten sub-categories), I’m often left wanting. When I started working for the Swatch Group in 2009, Longines was an incredible value proposition. Price-wise, it was more on a par with Hamilton than it is these days and was my go-to pick for dressier watches that offered incredible specs and reputation for the money.

Now, though, the Swatch Group’s intention for Longines to creep its way up to the price bracket Omega has swiftly and indecorously vacated is clear. That makes it a harder sell and has resulted in me mostly ignoring new releases for fear of being disappointed.

However, this task gave me the chance to reevaluate this somewhat neglected arm of the brand, and by its conclusion, I was glad to have a reason to mine through the collection, because, lo and behold, there are still some gems to be found... 

Kicking off with a chronograph in one of my favourite colourways (which people of a similar age might refer to as the “John Player Special”), is the Longines Record (reference L2.921.4.56.2). A 40 mm watch with solid specifications, this stainless steel piece with its black dial and gold accents is surprisingly versatile. It could be dressed up or down, is an unexpected strap monster thanks to it mixing metallic colours without any further embellishment, and sits comfortably at the £3,500 mark. Although it would be lovely if this watch was priced £1,000 lower, one could say that about anything. This is the reality of the brand’s pricing now and, in that context, it’s just about palatable. 

Another chronograph priced slightly higher (£3,700), but with bucket-loads of character. This “tuxedo” dial timer with its classic compur layout is handsome and chromatically neutral. It has a similar throwback vibe but benefits from modern manufacturing techniques and the high degree of quality you can expect from any mass-produced Swatch Group product.

The Flagship Conquest pieces used to be my favourite dress watches on the market, bar none. I’ve moved away from the now, because I feel at £3,050 they offer less than they once did in a crowded marketplace that has many great options from smaller that fulfil the same function.

What I will say, however, is the style of dial and indices, and their execution is top-drawer. It’s a delicious call-back to an era in which domed dials and elegantly aggressive hour markers were more commonplace. It’s beyond me as to why so few brands dare mix it up when it comes to dressier watch design. My only real criticism when it comes to the watch’s looks is its proportions. At 38 mm, it’s a tick too large for my liking, and I feel strongly that this watch would look better at 36, or, at least, 37 mm.

This pick surprised me. I’m not a massive fan of Breguet numerals generally (and feel a lot of the more affordable watches of recent times that have plumped for that style have missed the mark horribly, despite being widely praised), but here, they elevate the watch and suit the brand exquisitely.

While it’s clearly not a Breguet (or the even more exciting Naoya Haida), it doesn’t feel like a cheap imitation. Instead, it feels like its own thing, perfectly on-brand, brilliantly realised, and extremely competitively priced at £2,650.

Of all the watches on this list, this one is easily the best value play, in my opinion. It looks like it could command at least twice the price with ease (especially when compared to the rest of the watches I’ve chosen), and paints the brand in an excellent light.

At 38.5 mm and just 10.2 mm thick, it is at the limit of appropriate sizing for a watch of this style but pulls it off thanks to the space that slightly larger-than-necessary diameter affords the sub-dial and the leaf-shaped blued hands.

This watch alone made this exercise extremely rewarding and it left me with a satisfied smile on my face and a renewed reason to keep up-to-date with Longines less-publicised releases.

An odd pick for the top spot? Maybe. But what I like about the Mini Dolcevita line (aside from the fact it looks like the love child of an Hermes Cap Cod and a Cartier Tank), is that serves a serious need at this price point.

This quartz timepiece is priced at £1,750. That’s not cheap but it’s considerably cheaper than both the Tank and the Cape Cod, which I see as its direct competition. The “multi-wrap” strap option is a no-brainer as it adds a touch of Haute Couture to the watch that is very welcome from an otherwise conservative brand.