Post your Longineseses'

I am quite certain that Dr Ranfft does not believe that. While a good, and quite thin automatic movement, they were not close to being the "best ever".

Feel free to seek him out and ask him. While you're at it, ask him his opinion of the (base) caliber JLC 920, aka Vacheron cal.1120, Audemars cal. 2120, etc. It is likely the best ever full-rotor, ultra-thin automatic. Walt Odets wrote an excellent article on the movement years ago, which can be read by following this link:

http://people.timezone.com/library/horologium/horologium631686780396906210

Here's an image of the AP version:

The Bruguet is a very nice movement, but so far removed from the original, and produced in such relatively low numbers, that I don't really consider it to be closely analogous to the JLC/VC/AP movement.

Now, relative value is a different question entirely.

I am quite eclectic. Many years ago I was initially attracted to certain vintage IWC models (Ingenieurs), and spent a few years mainly focussed on them. Then, over time, my interests widened, and I began the long, interesting journey that continues to this day. I do focus mainly on watches from the 'Golden Era', which I would say roughly covers the mid/late '40s through the early '60s. This period produced, in my view, the very best watches across a fairly wide spectrum. By that I mean not only were the top-class makers (e.g. PP, AP, V&C) producing iconic masterpieces, but even mid-high brands such as Longines and Omega were at the top of their games. Not only did they produce superb chronometers, but their more common models were often outstanding. The manual-wind movements such as the Omega 30mm and Longines 30L remain among the best ever produced, and especially so given their high-production numbers.

I generally prefer simple, understated designs, and only own one chronograph. I have, in recent years, developed a soft spot for (mostly) mid-range vintage dive watches, and that aspect of my collection has expanded rapidly. I have a fairly large group of chronometers, as well.

Part of what I enjoy the most about collecting is that there are so many interesting sub-genres to consider. I have become much more open-minded over the years, though still have high standards when it comes to condition. I now have quite a few examples from manufacturers that I once dismissed as being moderate, and it feels good to have discovered that many of the "lesser" brands actually designed some very nice watches and movements.

Longines is one of, if not my favorite brand. I have some Conquests, several individual models, and, of course, Flagships...

Feel free to explain why you believe the Longines to be superior, but compare it to the AP/VC versions of the JLC. I say that because those were the production versions of the movement. JLC did not use the movement in its own watches, much like it developed the base caliber for, but did not themselves use the brilliant automatic calibers 1071/72 and 2071/72 found in VC AND AP watches of the '60s.

I don't have a lot of photos of watches at this point nor are they the best in the west but here are a couple of the Longines favorites.

Here's a 1954 automatic featuring the 19AS movement in a 14kt case. The sunburst dial gives a much better appearance in person than is rendered in the photo.


Here's an older photo taken for a thread on a firearms forum. The subject was the firearm but a watch just had to be "snuck" into the photo. In this instance, a 1945 Longines with the 27M movement in an 18kt rose gold case. Not the best view of the watch which features a guilloche dial with a delicate linen look. The watch is wearing a nicer band these days than it was sporting at the time the photo was taken.


I like the vintage Longines and vintage Longines like me. There are several on hand and they give good trouble-free service. Decent servicing is all they ask, just like any car. The two above have been worn regularly for a number of years and are among the vintage watches I've had the longest.