With this watch featuring a revisited scenographic design, the winged hourglass brand is going off the beaten track with a remarkable aesthetic evolution of its chronographs.
In homage to the timepieces of 20th-century adventurers, the Spirit collection currently includes three models. There is a 3-hand watch, a GMT, both with a sporty-chic look, and a chronograph with traditional lines. This year, Longines has breathed new life into the design of the latter with the help of contrasting combinations that add excitement to the dial. The hour circle of the Spirit Pioneer Edition, with its bright green luminous Arabic numerals, hour and minute hands finished in the same Super-Luminova®, stands out against the flat black background. While a small seconds hand and two counters for measuring time intervals in trigonometric positions can be found, this reference is also notable for the lack of a date. This choice makes it more readable by freeing up space in the layout. Less is more!
The same approach also applies to the case, which has a diameter of 42 mm. Although the dimensions remain similar, the use of grade 5 titanium has allowed the weight of the timepiece to be significantly reduced. The weight is reduced from 123.1 grams to 92.8 grams.
As for the movement, Longines keeps the L688.4, which still offers a 66-hour power reserve. This self-winding movement, equipped with a silicon monocrystal balance spring, excels in terms of precision. As a result, its chronograph has been certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). To further enhance its modern personality, the Spirit Pioneer Edition comes with a black synthetic fiber wrist strap secured by a titanium buckle.
At the Watches & Wonders trade show in Geneva, the manufacturer presented this new unmarked variant of its iconic watch collection with pure beauty.
At the exhibition, which took place in London from May 19 to 25, Patek Philippe CEO Thierry Stern stressed the importance of design to explain the interest of businessmen in the manufacturer’s timepieces. “The dial is the image of the watch. The first thing you see in a watch. It’s its color, its beauty. Then you notice the case and, finally, you discover the movement. Every creation rightly benefits from a particular attention to the periodization of time-related information. The new Calatrava 5226G is no exception. Here, the textured anthracite grey dial is embellished with Arabic numerals and hands coated with beige luminous material. The date window at 3 o’clock is perfectly aligned with the hour circle. The decidedly vintage design offers exemplary legibility.
The case is made of white gold with a diameter of 40 mm and the middle of the 8.53 mm case is embellished with the “Clous de Paris” guilloché pattern. This refined case houses the 26-330 S C movement, equipped with a stop-seconds system that ensures precise time setting. The automatic movement offers a power reserve of 45 hours. This mechanism stands out for its gold oscillating weight, which can be admired through the sapphire caseback. To enhance the vintage look of the Calatrava 5226G, it comes with two wrist straps, one in matching nubuck calfskin and the other in black calfskin.