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Omega owners: would you consider buying this new Longines Column Wheel Chrono?

  1. Riviera Paradise Sep 29, 2015

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    I have to say I have been quite impressed with the new Longines Column Wheel Single Push Piece Chrono (absurdly long name), ref.L2.800.4.23.2-4. I was also surprised to find out that it has been selected to compete in the 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève chrono category!

    http://www.gphg.org/watches/en/content/longines-column-wheel-single-push-piece-chronograph

    This new Basel 2015 release features the L788.2 column wheel calibre, specifically developed by ETA for Longines use only. So this calibre could, by a rather long stretch of the imagination, be almost considered "pseudo in-house"? Perhaps more so than the recent debacle from Bremont regarding the Wright Flyer LE "in-house" movement:)

    Longines does have a very important history in chronos with their famous 13zn calibre, as well as a strong aviation tradition. This new watch from their Heritage line seems to tick the right boxes for me for a weekend chrono watch with a more relaxed vintage feel.

    For 3-dial Speedy owners (me included) this new Longines could also fit-in within a collection as a 2-dial chrono option.

    So, Omega (or Rolex) owners, would you consider buying this watch, or is the Longines brand not prestigious enough in your POV. Perhaps the ETA based movement is not good enough to justify the the US$4k price tag?

    I do still own a rather cute Breitling SuperOcean Heritage (42mm silver dial), with an ETA movement, which I have held onto for sentimental reasons within my collection, as it was my first "nice swiss watch":).

    So although I have adopted a personal rule not to purchase an additional ETA based watches for my collection, I could be inclined to pull the trigger on this new Longines and would certainly at least try it on (the white dial version with blue hands and brown strap).


    Interested to hear what my forum colleagues have to say.

    The-Longines-Column-Wheel-Single-Push-Piece-Chronograph-pareja.jpg
     
  2. Riviera Paradise Sep 29, 2015

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    Oops just noticed I should have posted this in the Longines section:( Sorry! Please let me know if I should move this post to another thread.
     
  3. Syed117 Sep 29, 2015

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    White dial version is fantastic.
     
  4. ConElPueblo Sep 29, 2015

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    The date at 6 is a miss, IMO.
    Case size of 40mm is pretty decent, though.
     
  5. Riviera Paradise Sep 29, 2015

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    I agree. The date blends in better / is less visible on the white dial.
     
  6. Rman Sep 29, 2015

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    Don't they have a no date pulsations version?
     
  7. Traveler Sep 29, 2015

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    They drive me nuts with those stupid dates on all the Heritage stuff
     
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  8. Riviera Paradise Sep 29, 2015

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    The pulsations version I have seen also has a date at 6. I thinks the date looks much worse on the pulsations and 180th anniversary version (photos below) .

    The dial/fonts on new model from Basel 2015 look just about modern enough not to clash excessively with the date, and for me the date would not be a definitive negative factor against the new watch version. It would certainly be a strong negative on the 180th anniversary version.
     
    Longines Pulsometer Chronograph 3.jpg Longines-Column-Wheel-Chronograph-180th-Anniversary.jpg
  9. shoota70 Oct 1, 2015

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    Need a black date wheel on the black one.
     
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  10. shoota70 Oct 1, 2015

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    Retail?
     
  11. Riviera Paradise Oct 1, 2015

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  12. shoota70 Oct 5, 2015

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    Lonigines has some nice things happening, it seems.
     
  13. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Oct 5, 2015

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    This is Swatch Group's deliberate strategy to elevate Longines to take Omega's place in their line-up, now that Omega has been moved up a level...sort of...

    It's nice to see such a great brand have some horological chops again...even if done in the Swatch way...

    Cheers, Al
     
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  14. NT931 Oct 5, 2015

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    I think this is a nice watch for the price, but the date ruins it for me.

    Also, the recent crop of Longines dress chronos are pretty darn thick - this one's 13.8mm, which is thicker than a GMT2 or a Sub (or even some Panerais!). I tried one of their other monopushers and boy was it thick.

    IMG_0521.JPG
     
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  15. Riviera Paradise Oct 5, 2015

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    I agree Al, it looks like Swatch is aiming to re-position Logines to compete (on price/prestige level) with Tudor & Montblanc (post Lambert phase), maintaining their strategy with Omega competing with Rolex (sports watches, business watches, datejust, cellini etc).

    I just feel thet Omega have still too much variety in their catalogue and range in this transition phase and currently still overlap the space where Longines is now entering. For example, if I have to choose between a simple non co-axial DeVille versus the Logines Heritage line chrono above, I would certainly choose the Longines model. As part of this movement, perhaps Longines will also have to abandon some of its entry level range / quartz to Tissot, in the future?

    I have a particular affection for Longines as my parents purchased a Longines watch for me at the Swiss Centre in London when I was in my teens and had achieved a specific academic marker in the UK (I think it was my O-Levels)

    Interesting brand movement is also happening at Richemont with MontBlanc in the post-Lambert phase starting to enter some entry-level JLC MUT territory. The Heritage Ultra-Slim (5.8mm) in rose gold at US$6K with the Peseux 7001 movement (which I believe has some rather interesting history) , might even tempt WIS and non-WIS who don´t care about the watch being scoffed at as a "poor man´s JLC MUT".
     
  16. Riviera Paradise Oct 5, 2015

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    I read somewhere that the new model above might not have the same case thickness as the previous dress chronos. 13.8mm certainly seems too thick for me.
     
  17. NT931 Oct 5, 2015

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    Hi Riveira, the 13.8mm thickness is from the link you provided, so yeah, it is really that thick. The one on my wrist is only marginally thicker - 14mm. They all feel too thick to be sufficiently dressy, at least to me.

    And you're right about Montblanc moving into entry level JLC territory. In fact, some of the MB watches are looking distinctly JLC-ish!
     
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  18. Riviera Paradise Oct 5, 2015

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    Thanks for pointing that out NT 931. 13.8mm for a 41mm case? Well that is certainly in the too thick "hockey puck" territory. I suppose I will still try it on in the flesh if it happens to cross my path.
     
  19. Riviera Paradise Oct 5, 2015

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  20. Audley Yung Oct 13, 2015

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    I would definitely consider the black dial version. The single chrono pusher is a beautiful touch.
     
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