Once again my friends at the Omegaforums get first crack at one of my watches! As the title suggests, this is no ordinary vintage Longines. In stark contrast to Omega and Rolex, Longines produced very few Chronometers from the 1940s through '60s, and those found in their top-end Flagship line are very rarely seen on the market. Today I am offering a particularly rare, automatic version, of which I have seen far fewer over the years than the hand-wind cal. 30L chronometers. This remarkable example comes with its original box and Chronometer certificates, thrusting it clearly into the "hen's teeth" category. It was, according to the kind people at Longines' historical department, invoiced to Baume, their U.K. agent at the time, in 1968. The watch is in very good to excellent overall condition. The silver dial, featuring subtle, vertical brushing, is excellent. Under a loupe there appear to be a few small specs of detritus, some or all of which could probably be brushed away. The hands and markers are very good. The original lume on the hands is fully intact, though a few of the dots around the hour markers have been lost over time. The original steel, screw-back case is unpolished, and the subtle, chamfered lugs add a look of class. Signs of use can be seen under magnification, in the form of mostly very light scratches which are barely visible to the naked eye. The only notable flaw, and reason that I chose to characterize it as "very good" rather than "excellent", is that some of the blue and green enamel in the medallion has been lost. It may be possible to swap out a fully intact medallion from another watch, but I preferred to leave it original. The crystal shows some scratches, and should either be polished or replaced in order to allow the full beauty of the dial to shine through. The original crown is signed. These Flagships employed the excellent, eccentric cal. 340 movement, introduced in 1960. The caliber was summed up nicely by our old (forum) friend Dennis (aka ulackfocus): The movement is in excellent condition, and the watch is working properly. It has not been timed, though, and I do not know the last date of service, so should the next owner plan to wear the watch on a regular basis, I would certainly recommend a service. The watch sits on a signed black lizard strap and steel buckle, which may well be original! As suggested above, this watch not only includes its original box, but also two separate Chronometer certificates. One is the "Certificat de Contrôle", which confirms that the watch, identified by movement serial number, is a certified chronometer, and produced "especially good results". It is dated the 7th of February, 1968, and signed by "Le Directuer" of the "Bureaux Suisses de Contrôle Officiel de la Marche des Chronometres" in St. Imier. The second document is a Longines Chronometer Certificate, essentially reiterating that the watch was tested and found to be of Chronometer quality, etc. Both of these documents are in excellent, original condition. The package will also include the original hang tag, and each one of these three have specific serial number references to the watch. Finally, there is also a Longines World Service Guarantee pamphlet that came with the watch. It appears to be original and correct, as the original owner's address is in the U.K., and the date corresponds perfectly with the above information. However, there is a "Reference number" that does not seem to match the watch. It's a bit of a puzzle, but I suspect that it may have been the dealer's internal reference, and not the one found on the inside of the case back (i.e. 3014). Needless to say, this is a very desirable watch, and particularly for collectors who are Longines-focussed, and/or those who have a keen interest in chronometers. So...what about the price? Well, this is an extremely difficult watch to value. Why? Because there is virtually no guide to their values, as they so rarely appear on the market. What I have chosen to do is to pick something of a middle ground between what I imagine could well be a (high) dealer price, and what I would consider to be too low for such a rare, and, in sense, arguably important package. I ask $3200 and will including worldwide shipping using FedEx or EMS. Bank transfer would be preferable, though Paypal (to be discussed) is an option. Feel free to ask any questions!
Oh, Wow. Quite nice! I love the Flagship, and this one looks to be 'King'! I've been away for awhile, and this makes me wonder what I already missed! Tony, good luck!
A couple of serious nibbles, but no deal yet. If it isn't sold by the end of the day, I will introduce it to a wider audience!