Hello fellow Longines collectors!

I recently purchased a stainless steel Longines dress watch on eBay with a 30L movement. The watch is a ref. 7163-1. The seller states the case diameter as 35mm excluding the crown. The crown currently on the watch is a gold-colored one without any branding. I can have my watchmaker replace it with a plain stainless steel crown, but I would love to find a NOS or even a used crown that would be correct (or pretty close) to what would have been original to the watch.

I found these two crowns on eBay that I think will work for the watch after looking online at watches with my same ref. number. However, I'm honestly not sure what size would be appropriate. Does anyone know what size crown would work for a 30L movement or would know of one available for sale? Thank you for your help.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LONGINES-W...700172?hash=item4896be508c:g:hy0AAOSwy5ZXCqFdPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Longines-W...748517?hash=item3b43b11265:g:w4kAAOSwf11ea45ePurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

Hi there, would like to help if I could but not familiar with those models. I’m sure others will end up chiming in.
Best regards

 

Hi SportChief;

The smaller 4.5 crown adorns my stainless steel 1962 vintage Longines with 30L movement.

 

Thank you noelekal! That helps me quite a bit for size reference as I don't have the watch in hand yet.

Unfortunately, the seller of the small crown is away until the 13th, so I may have to wait a bit to order. Coincidentally enough, my new Longines is also being shipped from Argentina.

 

Here are a couple of 30Ls, both ref 8888. Not sure which is the original crown....

 

I'm gonna posit that the unmarked crown is aftermarket timjohn. The marked one looks like the one on my 30L

 

Love the 8888's! One of my favorite Longines references and one of the most elegant dress watch designs ever conceived. My ref. 7163, has the same type of dial (with the etched indices), which is what drew me to it. That button-style crown seems to be the correct style for that type of 30L dress watch.

 

I might be able to help. Where are you located?

 

Did all watches with the 30L movement come with the signed crown? Or did it differ across markets?

 

Thank you Radiumpassion, I sent you a PM.

 

That's a good question, most 30L dress watches that I have looked at seem to have signed crowns, but others don't. Some examples with the plain crowns look to be original to me. I'm not sure the reason why some did and others didn't, perhaps they started with plain crowns and gradually added the signed versions.