Longines Column-Wheel Chronograph Watch

This year, Longines will be launching the Longines Column-Wheel Chronograph watch. While the launch of a new watch is nothing new to the horological world, this particular watch is of interest. The reason is the movement that powers the watch. It is a new movement developed by ETA together with Longines. This is an important development as the movement sits in the field of cheap and intermediary segment.

First the watch. The watch uses the case design from the Longines Heritage collection. The watch has a display back and it is a chronograph. The basic specifications:

Movement: Longines calibre L.688.2

Functions: Hours, minutes, sub-seconds, date, chronograph (30 minutes continuous action counter, 12 hour continuous action counter)

Case: Stainless steel, diameter 40 mm

Crystal: Hesalite crystal front and sapphire crystal back

Water resistance: 3 ATM

As you can see from the photograph below, the watch is beautiful.

Now the movement. The movement is a chronograph with column-wheel which drives the mechanism that measures periods of time. This is the same technical solution that Longines have used since 1878. The movement is designated the Longines calibre L.688.2 (ETA A08.231). It is fitted with 27 jewels and is a self-winding calibre. The movement is 30 mm in diameter and measures 7.90 mm in height.

The fitted column-wheel controls the chronograph functions of start, stop and reset (return to zero). The column-wheel is rendered in blue. It sports a power reserve of 55 hours and beats at 28,800 A/h allowing the measurement of time in quarter-second interval. The chronograph is of the tri-compax design with the small seconds at 9 o'clock, the 30 minute continuous action counter at 3 o'clock and the 12 hour continuous action counter at the 6 o'clock position. The date is displayed at the 4:30 position.

Photographs: Longines