Longines

Based in St. Imier, Switzerland, since 1832, the Longines Watch Co. Francillon Ltd. can look back on more than 175 years of watchmaking based on tradition, elegance and sport. The horological craftsmanship developed by Longines has been at the heart of a long quest to achieve technical mastery of time measurement. Throughout its various developmental stages from a trading office to a manufacturer, the brand known by its winged hourglass emblem has combined its quest for precision with an aesthetic goal that is, still today, the hallmark of its products.

In 1832 Auguste Agassiz started his manufacturing business by joining a trading office in St. Imier where he soon became the manager and which was then renamed Agassiz & Co. At that time the firm produced timepieces based on the “établissage” system, where watchmakers working at home created and sold their products. Agassiz & Co. set up a commercial network that enabled it to market its watches outside Europe, in particular in North America.

During the 1850s, Ernest Francillon, Agassiz’s nephew, took over as manager and subsequently considered how he could perfect the methods of production used in the local watchmaking sector. As a result, he decided to bring together the various processes involved in achieving the finished product under one roof, which until then had been carried out in different workshops. Francillon wanted to set up a factory where he could assemble and finish the watches as well as using mechanical processes. In order to achieve this aim he bought two adjacent plots of land on the right bank of the River Suze, which flows through the St. Imier valley, in 1866; the meadows were known as Les Longines. Francillon then took on Jacques David, a young, distantly related engineer, to help him develop the machines needed to perfect the manufacture of timepieces.

During the 1870s, the industrial options chosen by Francillon were reinforced and the factory continued to function uninterrupted up until the first third of the 20th century. In 1911 the Longines factory employed over 1100 workers and sold its products all over the world. The different areas of technical research carried out at the Longines plant were rewarded by various prizes thanks to which the brand – already known by it winged hourglass emblem – became the leading prize winner at International and universal exhibitions up until the Barcelona World Exhibition in 1929, having gained no fewer than 10 Grand Prix. Today the oldest unchanged registered brand-name still on the market, Longines was using its famous emblem and name as early as 1867 to denote quality and to deter counterfeit products aimed at taking advantage of the reputation built up by the St. Imier factory.

Thanks to the horological craftsmanship developed within its walls, Longines was able to establish a privileged relationship with the world of sport. The brand devised various ways of timing performance in sport: the automatic timing system involving a “broken wire” that was launched at the Swiss Federal Gymnastics Meeting in 1912; the first mechanism that combined an image and a finishing time, called the Photogines, in 1952; and the Contifort, which brought together a moving image and a time in 1960. It is largely thanks to these inventions that the name of Longines has been recognised in historic sporting records.

Longines has timed a number of world-class events; its mastery of cutting-edge technology has enabled the brand to put its know-how to the test in Formula 1 motor-racing – which led to a prestigious partnership with the leading Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari. By virtue of its long-standing association with the world of sport, Longines is now involved in equestrian sport, gymnastics, short-track, archery, tennis and Alpine skiing – all disciplines which reflect the brand’s basic values of precision and elegance.

It should not be forgotten, however, that Longines’ commitment to measuring outstanding performance has not been limited to competitive sport. As an accredited supplier to the World Air Sports Federation since 1919, Longines has provided the aviation sector with timing instruments that have enabled it to officially recognise many flying records, including Charles Lindbergh’s historical and technical achievement in 1927, when the American pilot flew his famous Spirit of St. Louis single-handed, non-stop across the North Atlantic. Products devised and created by the Swiss watchmaker have thus accompanied many an explorer as well as aviation pioneers on their daring adventures.

As a member of the Swatch Group, the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products, Longines has established a Worldwide reputation for timeless elegance based on a solid aesthetic heritage that it regularly updates and develops in a careful balance between refinement and classicism. The brand’s timepieces are inspired by a history enriched by the technical and aesthetic exploits of its craftsmen who are continually perfecting every detail of Longines’ products. As a Worldwide supplier since it was founded, Longines now has representatives in over 130 countries that ensure that the brand’s traditional values continue to be respected. Elegance – Longines’ fundamental virtue – remains the principle which governs the entire brand’s activities Worldwide.