Entering once again into Longines’ excellent Heritage collection, another watch lands on my wishlist. This time, the watchmakers have ditched their recent foray into military-inspired styles in favor of a more stylish approach in the new Heritage Classic Tuxedo model.
Unlike the military austerity of the early 1940s, from which Longines previously drew inspiration, the new Tuxedo model leaps forward five years to the jazzy freedom of the post-war years.
It’s self-explanatory why collectors decided to dub the original model the Tuxedo; the high-contrast black and white pairing is as handsome and elegant as its namesake dinner suit. In the new model, the iconic look is showcased in two very different ways.
The first is a classic, restrained 1940’s dial with white numerals on a black ring around the edge. The rest of the dial is silver-plated, hammering home the classic dress watch look and making room for the small seconds hand, which is adorned with a hint of guilloché for a nice touch of texture, in addition to the main dial.
To stay true to the original, Longines removed the usual “Automatic” from the dial and date window. It’s a subtle change, but one that illustrates why collectors go crazy for the Heritage collection.
Inside the vintage-sized 38.5mm case is the L893.5 automatic movement, which, like many of the Swatch Group’s timepieces, comes with a silicon balance spring to ensure reliability and accuracy.
More interesting is the second variation on the theme, the Tuxedo Chronograph. There’s a lot going on on the dial, with the outer ring dedicated to the tachymeter, sourced wholesale from archived pieces, followed by the black and white numerals before reaching the chronograph counters. The subdials themselves have drastically cut-out Arabic numerals, making for a fancier, more visually interesting dial.
Slightly larger at 40mm, and fitted with the L895.5 (also with a silicon balance spring), I’d stick my neck out and say this is the best Longines Heritage watch to date. And that’s saying something.
Price and specs:
Brand: Longines
Models: Heritage Classic Tuxedo Small Seconds; Heritage Classic Tuxedo Chronograph
Ref: L2.330.4.93.0 (small seconds); L2.830.4.93.0 (chronograph)
Case/dial: 38.50 mm (small seconds) and 40 mm (chronograph), stainless steel
Water resistance: 30 m (3 bar)
Movement: Caliber L893 (ETA A31.501), automatic, silicon balance spring, 27 jewels (small seconds)
Caliber L895 (ETA A31.L21), automatic, modular chronograph, 37 jewels (chronograph)
Frequency: 25,200 vph (small seconds); 28,800 vph (chronograph)
Power reserve: 64 Hours (small seconds); 54h (chronograph) Functions:
Hours, minutes, small seconds (Small Seconds)
Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph with 30-minute counter (Chronograph)
Strap: black calfskin with steel pin buckle
Price: 1,920 euros (small seconds) and 2,880 euros (chronograph)
English 
Russian 
Italian 
German 
Danish 
French 
Swedish 
Dutch