Having not worn a watch regularly since my high school days, I recently took the plunge and bought my first “adult” watch, a self-winding automatic Swiss timepiece.
I had several criteria I wanted to meet. Firstly I wanted a self-winding automatic, because I liked the idea of owning a Swiss watch and I wanted one that, at least in theory, has a longer lifespan than a battery-powered quartz timepiece. Secondly, I wanted to keep my purchase sub-$2,000. Thirdly, as a watch novice, I was looking for something that would be as multipurpose as possible.
After some research, I settled on a watch from the Longines Master Collection — buying it in a dedicated brick-and-mortar store rather than online, so that I could try it out in person before buying.
Based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, and dating back to 1832, Longines is probably the most affordable entry point to the luxury watch brands. The company’s winged hourglass logo is the oldest registered for a watchmaker. Longines is best known for its “Aviator” watches, designed to help pilots with air navigation. It also provided the timekeeping devices used at the first modern-day Olympics in 1896.
The Longines Master Collection sounds like the company’s top-end offering, but is actually one of its entry-level product lines. This particular model costs around $1,980.
How does it fare? Read on to find out.
Appearance
The L2.629.4.51.6 is a very attractive watch — understated but assured. Unlike it’s clunky model number. It features a black dial, and brushed stainless steel body and bracelet. This particular model sports Roman numerals, although the Master Collection includes models with Arabic numbers instead.
The watch has a 1.5-inch body and a 7-inch bracelet, which can be easily adjusted by taking out or replacing links. It feels pleasingly heavy, but not restrictive, uncomfortable or even all that noticeable within a day or so of strapping it onto your wrist.
It has sapphire crystal glass at both front and back, with the front being slightly domed. At the back there’s a window showing off the internal mechanisms, giving an intriguing peek behind the curtain that also demonstrates that the watch is working as it should.
The watch face features three colors: silver, white and black. The numerals, chronograph dials (more on them later) and words “Longines,” “Automatic” and “Swiss Made” are all in white, while the Longines logo and rings around the chronograph dials are stainless steel. The date window reverses the overall watch face design and features thin black numbers on a white background.
What I like about the watch face is that it is easily legible at a glance, but closer inspection (particularly when viewing at an angle) reveals additional detail. The black background, for example, appears solid when viewing the watch head-on, but is actually textured, with different patterns for both the main face and the inside of the chronograph dials. The numerals are slightly embossed, which makes them stand out against the Longines logo and the background.
If I have a design complaint, it is that the III, VI and IX digits are partly chopped off by the two chronograph dials. To a lesser extent this also affects the II, IIII (rather than IV), VIII and X numerals, all of which lose a piece. It’s a minor quibble that doesn’t make it any harder to tell the time, but seems out of place on an otherwise attractive and well-designed watch face. This is really the first and only time that the L2.629.4.51.6 feels like a budget watch, since I can’t imagine a similar piece of design clumsiness being overlooked on a higher-end timepiece.
To put it in Apple terms, imagine Jony Ive settling for the Apple logo sliced in half by, say, the iPad’s rear camera. Not going to happen, is it? That’s how I feel here.
Features
This is a tech and gadget blog, so we all love features, right? Well, sort of. As I stated up front, I didn’t feel that I had my watch preferences quite “down” at the point of purchase, so I opted for a watch that possessed, for want of a better phrase, a bit of everything. I didn’t want a completely plain face, but I also steered clear of some of the more feature-heavy timepieces which tend to be classified as aviator, diving or sports watches. No moon phases or depth gauges for me!
In terms of added extras, the L2.629.4.51.6 features a chronograph, which is essentially a stopwatch. It’s a nifty tool, and satisfyingly implemented — with one dedicated hand recording seconds, while the chronograph dials record minutes. Press the top button on the watch body and the timing starts; press the bottom one and the time-measuring snaps back into the 12 o’clock position with a satisfying click. The regular time-telling function of the watch works as normal while you’re using the chronograph.
The watch is water-resistant to a depth of 30 meters or 100 feet, although I have not tested this and have so far removed it for activities that might get it wet.
While it’s not technically a feature, I should comment on the watch’s sound, which can’t be heard when the timepiece is hanging on your wrist at waist height. The watch produces a crisp, high-speed ticking that’s audible when you put the timepiece next to your ear. There is no chiming feature.
Accuracy
A self-winding automatic watch is never going to be as accurate as a quartz watch, since its internal mechanisms are the result of mechanical components instead of the battery-driven vibrations of a quartz crystal. With that being said, any inaccuracy I have so far experienced has been so minor that it does not have any impact in real-world terms. We’re talking about changes of seconds rather than minutes over several weeks. Hand movement is excellent, and the hands line up perfectly with the markers.
Accuracy is equally good for the chronograph, although the fact that you’re likely to be running it for minutes rather than months means that the slight gain/loss of time over an extended period is of less importance. Absolutely no complaints here.
Conclusion: Who watches the watchmen?
The Longines Master Collection L2.629.4.51.6 is a watch I like a great deal. At $1,980, it’s not an everyday purchase, and you’ll certainly find quartz fashion watches for a fraction of the price. For a self-winding automatic, however, it definitely represents good value, without feeling like the entry level model that it is.
It’s not a flashy timepiece that will instantly attract attention, but it’s a high-quality piece that adds a certain something to a good suit, although it can just as easily be worn with jeans and a polo shirt.
In a way, the watch is a bit like a 16GB iPhone 6: a perfectly acceptable high-end product that is going to suit a percentage of the population without them having any need to upgrade it. The 16GB iPhone 6 does most of what you would find on the top smartphone configurations, but also leaves you with somewhere to go in the future. Watch a lot of media and wish the screen size was a bit bigger? Get the iPhone 6 Plus.
It represents good value, without feeling like the entry level model that it is.
Find yourself running out of storage? Get a 64GB or 128GB model.
The same is true with the L2.629.4.51.6. If you find yourself drawn to its more showy features, there are other, more ostentatious watches with which to fill your wardrobe. If it’s the ruggedness and/or functionality that you like, however, you may want to explore diver’s or aviator’s watches.
One other question I would have for future watches is between the metal and leather strap options. (Longines produces a very similar watch with a leather strap.) At the end of the day, this comes down to personal preference. The stainless steel bracelet offers a little more flexibility, since removing and adding links is easier than having to order new watch straps to fit the size of your wrist. I went for this option, partly because I’d owned watches with leather straps before and wanted something different.
Going forward I might gravitate toward leather next time, since I feel the inevitable scuffs tend to give the band character — as opposed to making it look scruffy — over time.
Ultimately, that’s what the L2.629.4.51.6 does to you. Prior to getting it I wouldn’t have been talking about “next time” I buy a watch. Now I am. Much like my first Apple product, I now feel myself at the top of a fascinating, possibly very expensive, rabbit hole.
Does it make me want the Apple Watch any less? Not really, although it does make it a much harder decision regarding which one I would wear on a regular basis. It also makes me realize I’ll run out of wrist space long before I run out of compelling watches to buy.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
23 responses to “Gorgeous Swiss timepiece will cure your Apple Watch envy”
Well, Luke, you bought a watch and practice writing PR pieces. Interesting.
That was a completely self indulged article. For the rest of the big boys who already own a decent time piece, you haven’t identified any features in a watch that hasn’t existed for generations already. Welcome to the big boy world!
I realize your response is 100% sarcastic, but thanks for the welcome. I look forward to becoming more familiar with which features to expect and which are commonplace.
Glad this is an Apple news site. Thanks for the random review of your non-Apple watch that nobody cares about.
I care about it. :-)
Why do folks care about such high accuracy time on a wrist watch?
Congratulations on your new watch. In contrast to the previous posters, who prefer to rain on your parade, I’d just like to help you feel better about your purchase. In regard to the auxiliary dials cutting off the Roman numerals, don’t worry about it. It’s actually a convention that I’m sure you will see many times as you explore watches more. Here’s the first example I found, which happens to cost 10 times what yours did: http://goo.gl/pcFczW
Thanks a lot.
Good job Luke. Thanks for sharing. I do not like Roman numerals on my watch and I prefer leather straps all the way. Personal preference I guess. Then what’s up with the water-resistant depth of only 30m, when my “cheap” $200 Seiko watch is claiming 100m depth (so it claims; have not, and will not put it to the test)?
Did they tell you how many years between overhauls, how much an overhaul costs, who does it, and how long it takes? Just curious. My old Seiko automatic that I bought for $110 costs at least just as much to overhaul. So what I thought was a long-lasting purchase turned out to be a disposable watch. Now sporting a Seiko Kinetic which might turn out to be a disposable as well. It’s more accurate than the automatic though.
actually it just makes the Apple Watch look even more Ugly.
I can see both sides of the argument as to Luke’s ‘non-apple’ post, but if he just integrated his post more with apple’s up-coming watch, it wouldn’t have been so one-sided. The only place you mentioned Apple is in the title; perhaps pick an angle and play off that? In this case – why is your watch better? Food for thought.
Really nice watch by the way. Some day I’m getting a TAG :)
At $2,000, it’s a pretty expensive bauble if you ask me; Unless you’re a luddite and don’t own a smartphone, watches are not functional anymore. They’re pure fashion, like jewelry. Why not simply buy a gold chain, which doesn’t require cleaning every two years for $400?
Spoken like a person who has never owned a fine timepiece. Watches are more than just fashion – I’ve purchased a nice watch to commemorate different achievements in my life and they are a nice way to reflect. They are also things that you can pass down to your children or even grandchildren if you take care of them.
Besides that, there is something that makes you feel very put together and maybe even powerful when you strap on a watch that costs a few grand or more. It’s not a feeling you can recreate with a Seiko or some disposable smartwatch.
Wrong, unless you think IWC isn’t a fine timepiece. If you want to commemorate something, take a picture or buy yourself a pinky ring.
Jony Ive is right: Switzerland is F**ked.
Yeah, just like the camera killed of fine art painting, like the wheel killed off all the horses, like the computer killed off the pen and paper, like the ahhh, shit you get my point.
I wore my grandfather’s 1960’s Longines gold watch today for the first time in months. You are spot on.
That’s what tattoos are for. Shave your eyebrows and put messages below them. Every time you shave your eyebrows you will remember different achievements in life.
It’s an interesting position to be in as a man. Unlike women who have a wide range of jewellery to choose from to make them selves feel a bit special, bloke generally have only a couple of options, the primary being the premium brand watch (swiss or otherwise).
I found myself being ill a while back and stuck in hospital for a few weeks. On getting out I decided I actually wanted to treat myself and buy something that would both be a good investment and also be something I could enjoy every day. I decided I wanted a Rolex Sub. On a trip to Dublin I was browsing the big jewellers on Grafton street and got talking to a salesman who wanted to sell me an Omega Speedy, I had a look at it and it was nice but not my thing, so off the cuff I asked him if he had any Rolex Sub Kermits (the green ones to celebrate their 50th anniversary of the model). His answer was a big fat no. Then about 20 mins later he came back up to me and said he had one in the safe if I wanted to have a look at it. Not for sale but I could at least try it on. So off we went into the secure Chopard viewing room and out came the box and I fell in love.
And then he asked the question. If you want it I have been given permission to sell it as the buyer who ordered it hasn’t been into the shop for over 6 months. Taking into account that this one had a 2+ year waiting list I snapped it up there and then. Hasn’t been off my wrist since. I got the watch of my dreams.
And the point to all of this is that a watch to a bloke is an opportunity to enjoy a bit of indulgence. Yeah, you can spend thousands on new iMacs and iPhones and you love to use them but a fine watch is a different thing. It’s rarely a tool that does anything more than tell the time and in a lot of cases it’s not even meant to be looked at by you but by other people. Like diamond ear rings, you see them on other people and it communicates a message and it makes you feel good.
Enjoy your watch Luke. And remember to service it every 5-7 years or so and it will last a lifetime.
Amazing article. Amazing that you got that much waffle out of something so basic. Bravo.
Casio Oceanus (OCW-T2000C-2AJF)
Water resistant to 100m (never take of for rain, swimming, showering),
Solar powered (never replace batteries, charged it runs 7 months in complete darkness),
Radio controlled (never adjust it, and it will never be wrong) – it adjusts automatically for DST (“Summertime”),
Titanium (no allergic reactions, very lightweight)
Shows world time, alternate city, weekday, date, AM/PM, has Alarm and a Stopwatch…
The Perfect watch…
… and stupid Casio only sells them in Japan….
With shipping and import costs 800 USD ….
Get a Raymond Weil
Circles don’t work for smart watches. It’s not a natural way to display information. Remember all those circular books from ancient greece! /s
Hope Samsung release a triangle watch though so that the office can be vindicated.