Hi, me and a friend, we both have Longines 30CH Chronographs with cal. 530 (the late and less fine decorated 30CH). The movement numbers of both watches seem to begin with "0116" (Ref. 7415, Nr. 0116100, Ref. 5967 Nr. 0116601). After asking for an extract of the archives, Longines told us that there should be also a "5" before the "0" - so the numbers should be 50116100 and 50116601. My question is, if anybody here has ever seen personally this five below the lever. As my watches are not at home, I only can show pics already made. Searching via Google for Longines 530 auctions I found some: https://www.christies.com/lotfinder...teel-flyback-chronograph-6146521-details.aspx http://www.sothebys.com/fr/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/fine-timepieces-online-ge1811/lot.60.html https://www.phillips.com/detail/LONGINES/CH080117/188 https://www.ancienne.es/en/longines-diving-chronograph-7981-3-01637/ Thank you and regards - H.-U.
Here's one (serial is in opposite direction to yours) that has a reported serial of 50174140: http://www.uhren-muser.de/en/documents/epaper89/US/epaper/pdf/page_327.pdf
But, a fine advise to look for skin diver 30CHs, here we have one: https://www.watchpool24.com/de/30734255/longines-diver-chronograph-7981-3-big-eye
That´s what Longines replied on my Question concerning the 50.xxx xxx movement numbers: For both pocket watches and wristwatches, the serial numbers have always been engraved on the movement and usually on the case as well. At the end of the 1960s, when production soared, some criticised the complicated and time-consuming method of numbering the watches. Despite all opposition, the management decided to keep it. It’s a good thing they did! Initially, the plan was to continue numbering the cases and stop numbering the movements. Discussions at the time highlighted “the problem of counterfeit goods, the requirements of the warranty certificate and the demands of certain customers”.1 The decision was taken to continue numbering both the cases and movements, but to abandon the concept of duplicate numbering: the two numbers would now be separate. It was decided that the consecutive numbering would now appear on the cases. This meant that the case number became decisive and continued the numbering first used in 1867 (which had then reached 15,000,000). Nonetheless, to ensure the authenticity of each piece, movements continued to be numbered. Numbering of the movements began arbitrarily at 50,000,000. Most probably, in an excess of pessimism, the then directors felt that the company would never reach 50 million watches. Given that just 15 million watches were created in 102 years (1867 – 1969), the company directors may have thought there would never be a watch with the serial number 50’000’000 (which would have been in 2207 if production had continued at a constant rate). The number 50’000’000 appeared on a Longines movement on 10 February. They did not anticipate the increase in production that means that we are now approaching the 50 million mark. And so since 1969, many watches have been engraved with a consecutive serial number (15, 16 million, etc.) on the case and another number (50, 51 million, etc.) on the movement. Regardless, both numbers are recorded in the Longines archives. Even after this system had been implemented, it continued to be debated in the management’s meetings. In 1970, some made a fresh attempt to request that the numbering system be abandoned. General manager Ahlès decided: “Changing our business policy is out of the question.” On a side note, he closed the meeting by confirming that “we will not be buying a computer for now”. The parallel and independent system of numbering movements and cases met the company’s production needs up until 1988, when the last two manufacturing centres at Saint-Imier, the assembly and casing workshops, moved to Bienne and Granges. At the Société suisse de microélectronique et d’horlogerie (SMH), later renamed Swatch Group, Longines movements were then produced by ETA. The last serial number on a movement from the Longines factory is 58’051’000.
Thank you for your research and relaying this very useful information! Edit: I now recall that this information is in Stéphanie Lachat's book, Le Temps Longines.