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Longines 1939 14K reference 4100 curved/curvex “drivers watch”

Shakespear
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I had been a collector of Hamilton and other vintage; watches Many decades ago I purchased a Longines watch
because I had a attachment to Driver style vintage watches. Besides Gruen and Hamilton I located sn unusual Longines watch…it has matching case and movement serial numbers. I haven’t seen a matching Longines watch.
I checked with the Longines ‘Branding and Heritage’ and they gave me dome basic information.
“”The original serial number 5'596'463 identifies a wristwatch in 14ct gold bearing the reference 4100. It is fitted with a Longines manually wound mechanical movement, caliber 8.68Z. It was invoiced on 18 February 1939 to the company Kohn, which was at that time our agent in Prague.””
I have seen curved Longines watches, but this watch has a additional built in addition to make the curve almost feel like it was made for a side wrist mount.
Please, if you have some details ..let me know.. I’m getting old and it’s time to sell but I need some background information that could assist me Thanks
 
37A228FD-2C46-4790-B6AF-C3FC1B73CE10.jpeg 6EE6BFBD-EA7D-4046-879C-FE5F16D0E0BA.jpeg F90EB30C-ACF8-460F-A281-998D8C4075BC.jpeg EB30E55E-76D6-4A13-8967-6A83AE4C1726.jpeg 74325966-D39F-4CD3-BB3D-7AAC8966AC91.jpeg 811B4230-D8B7-4219-8D51-42402A237ECA.jpeg 8218BFA6-B4A5-4BEE-B774-1F88854DE939.jpeg
BlueHands
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Hi, this is a very nice watch with a wonderful double step case, Is the minute hand missing? I can tell you that ref. 4100 is a rare ref. The movement is origin to the case, you see the movement number on the case back is the same as on the movement. Caliber 8.68 is common to this ref. Another steel cased example ist shown in the large Goldbergers book with the same movement. This watch was invoiced 1938 to London. Your watch has a sector dial which are en vogue in these days. I'm not sure about the crown, maybe it should be more flat. Hope this informations are somehow useful for you.
 
Shakespear
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BlueHands BlueHands
Hi, this is a very nice watch with a wonderful double step case, Is the minute hand missing? I can tell you that ref. 4100 is a rare ref. The movement is origin to the case, you see the movement number on the case back is the same as on the movement. Caliber 8.68 is common to this ref. Another steel cased example ist shown in the large Goldbergers book with the same movement. This watch was invoiced 1938 to London. Your watch has a sector dial which are en vogue in these days. I'm not sure about the crown, maybe it should be more flat. Hope this informations are somehow useful for you.
That’s terrific, I had for years assumed it was a rare bird…yes I have the minute hand…yes, I agree. The crown looks slightly oversized.
I remember when I purchased it in the early 1970s the seller was someone I knew..and he said the crown was original…
so BlueHands, do you think it was a drivers watch design as I suspect…it does have that extra shape added to the case that makes the curve more exaggerated. And it actually is very comfortable fitting on the side of my wrist… thanks for your assistance…Robert…
 
BlueHands
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Some Longines gold watches, especially chronographs have similar crowns, but I can tell exactly if it belongs to the watch from the beginning.
You can tell it drivers watch, the case design looks a bit like that. Some drivers watches were more curved to put them around the wrist so you needn't change the position to read the time. I love this Longines design, the case is great and unusual.
Surely other experts in the forum can tell more about the crown. I'm quite sure that the dial and the hands are origin to the watch.
 
Shakespear
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BlueHands BlueHands
Some Longines gold watches, especially chronographs have similar crowns, but I can tell exactly if it belongs to the watch from the beginning.
You can tell it drivers watch, the case design looks a bit like that. Some drivers watches were more curved to put them around the wrist so you needn't change the position to read the time. I love this Longines design, the case is great and unusual.
Surely other experts in the forum can tell more about the crown. I'm quite sure that the dial and the hands are origin to the watch.

You have been so kind, I appreciate your help & response. I hope others will chime in …as you mentioned there are some experts..
so I’ll sit back and wait. You had mentioned that the only example that matches mine is one other but that was a steel watch?
Would Longines just make a few watches in one style and not produce anymore… I have watches that there was a few hundred made especially in the Hamilton limited production ones… The Otis, the Flintridge etc. I just can’t fathom a company making a couple of watch cases. Why no references to a 14K 4100?
 
Waltesefalcon
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That's a gorgeous driver's watch. I would say that the dial and hands are correct; I also believe the crown is correct, though someone more knowledgeable may chime in about that. Why is the minute hand not on the watch? What is its service history?
 
Modest_Proposal
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Shakespear Shakespear
…it has matching case and movement serial numbers. I haven’t seen a matching Longines watch.

Although not all Longines watches from that period had matching case and movement serial numbers, it is common enough and a welcome sight.

(below, both have serial number: 5356456)


IMG_1746.jpeg IMG_8873_zpscn7cdk5i.jpeg
 
Syrte
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Welcome to the forum, it’s a beautiful watch, I haven’t seen the one in Goldberger but indeed a redialed steel one surfaced on the market a few years ago- which was purchased by collector / dealer based in Poland.
Unfortunately I can no longer find my documentation on it, suffice it to say there’s a Patek Philippe model that looks just like it.
I agree the crown is probably a replacement but I think it looks fine.
 
Shakespear
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Syrte Thanks, you have an excellent mind and memory… Now, that you bring it up…I do remember a Patek Philippe model that was
A close or exact duplicate to this model…That was at least 20 years ago that I remember seeing that watch. I am still shocked…I had a suspicion that my watch was unique but I just assumed I just didn’t know the facts.
I’m embarrassed to share that I payed an exorbitant amount for this watch in the 1970’s.. I believe it was $1090.00.
B3B84D62-7E87-4A9E-9760-CC7D58F8E303.jpeg
 
Shakespear
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Waltesefalcon Waltesefalcon
That's a gorgeous driver's watch. I would say that the dial and hands are correct; I also believe the crown is correct, though someone more knowledgeable may chime in about that. Why is the minute hand not on the watch? What is its service history?
Falcon: my hands shake lately, so I when I have the watch serviced and polished. I have the minute hand put back correctly.
 
Shakespear
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Modest_Proposal Modest_Proposal
Although not all Longines watches from that period had matching case and movement serial numbers, it is common enough and a welcome sight.

(below, both have serial number: 5356456) Beautiful case..
8342A32A-3E15-4A20-B2E9-227ED4436CC7.jpeg IMG_1746.jpeg IMG_8873_zpscn7cdk5i.jpeg
 
Shakespear
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gatorcpa gatorcpa
I was able to find the corresponding US market model, called the Inclinex:

upload_2022-8-2_21-14-19.png


https://vintagewatchresources.com/watches/me-inclinex/

The major difference here is that the US model is gold filled, rather than solid 14K or 18K gold.
gatorcpa

Thanks, great find. Not an attractive name…
Interesting , we have a gold plated/washed and a unusual steel version and mine a 14k gold style. It seems that we all have only seen one of each version…it seems unusual..this style and shape was very popular watch.
Yet there seems so few.
There was the popular Bulova-Curvex,watches and also a popular Gruen-curved-drivers watch styles and now the Unpopular Longines curved/driver watch. All in the late 1930’s.
 
gatorcpa
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Shakespear Shakespear
Interesting , we have a gold plated/washed and a unusual steel version and mine a 14k gold style. It seems that we all have only seen one of each version…
I have “seen” exactly zero of these. I just posted a reference site that looked at US magazine advertisements for Longines between the 1920’s and 1960’s.
Shakespear Shakespear
There was the popular Bulova-Curvex,watches and also a popular Gruen-curved-drivers watch styles and now the Unpopular Longines curved/driver watch. All in the late 1930’s.
My thought on these watches is that they were somewhat of a fad just prior to WWII. Clocks in cars were not really common at that time, so the idea had some merit. We really have no idea how many of the Longines version were originally sold or survived.
gatorcpa
 
Shakespear
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gatorcpa
Your correct America was coming out of the depression and a new energetic young crowd were into a exciting new car culture and those small sports and roadsters.
The popular curvex models was a short lived fad and the US watch companies had caught fire.with these styles..it became so nuts a
Bat-Wing watch for the side of the wrist was actually sold.
 
Shakespear
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I
Syrte Syrte
Welcome to the forum, it’s a beautiful watch, I haven’t seen the one in Goldberger but indeed a redialed steel one surfaced on the market a few years ago- which was purchased by collector / dealer based in Poland.
Unfortunately I can no longer find my documentation on it, suffice it to say there’s a Patek Philippe model that looks just like it.
I agree the crown is probably a replacement but I think it looks fine.


I just spent a few minutes doing some research on your insight and memory of the similar style you remembered from Patek Philippe company.
I came across a ‘Gold Mine’…..Pateck watch company seems to be the originator of this style watch and maybe Longines was just testing a copy of the Pateck watch. .Maybe, to see if it was popular for them to produce.
Look at the many varieties they made of the watch style
PHILIPPE PATEK VINTAGE 524 WATCHES INDEX
https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/patek-philippe/patek-vintage/ref-patek-philippe-524/lpi
 
DirtyDozen12
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Neat watch, thanks for sharing. The 14K case looks to be in good condition. The marking that looks like a key indicates that it was made by a manufacturer in Geneva for Longines, which was somewhat uncommon. The dial is lovely, as well. It is a variation on what some would call a "sector dial", though the term is overused these days and has sort of lost its meaning/specificity. I am not certain if the crown is correct or not. The style is not typical for a late 1930s Longines.
 
Shakespear
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DirtyDozen12 DirtyDozen12
Neat watch, thanks for sharing. The 14K case looks to be in good condition. The marking that looks like a key indicates that it was made by a manufacturer in Geneva for Longines, which was somewhat uncommon. The dial is lovely, as well. It is a variation on what some would call a "sector dial", though the term is overused these days and has sort of lost its meaning/specificity. I am not certain if the crown is correct or not. The style is not typical for a late 1930s Longines.
Would you agree that I shouldn’t touch the dial?

DD12:
Thanks to you and all…terrific to come from afar and to be welcomed to this terrific group.
A am thankful that with all that have shared and contributed with an amazing amount of knowledge
and thought. It is very kind that all have greeted me such goodwill. Again Thanks.
My last thought….
Would you agree that I shouldn’t touch the dial
Edited:
 
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