Reposting here a discussion which started in the Omega Moonswatch thread- it was a bit of a thread drift there but the eelease clearly involves an entire group strategy.
https://omegaforums.net/threads/what’s-happening-on-march-26th-then.143522/page-56

 

Exactly. But Iet’s not get into ageism, your very own Rupert Murdoch is a powerful 80 year old, eand so are others in that age group.

I don’t think it’s necessarily a matter of age- I think it’s also a matter of shift in strategy at the very top of the group. I think Swatch Group until now made innovation a no go zone for Longines because they wanted Omega to get the limelight.

 

We finally did get rid of that Rupert .... He was not happy with Australian Media Ownership laws. Wanted it all. We're happy to see him now influencing the average American. There is a lot to influence.... The real disappointment was his son Lachlan, who was supposed to steer the Group. ( He grew up on one of Sydney's beaches in a rather surf like environment. )Was not very interested in the American Media Landscape and left the daily business to far right opportunists. He moved his family back to Sydney; did not feel safe in the USA anymore.... No wonder with Fox Entertainment channels personalities. Next change will come with Rupert's passing .

 

If Longines is planning on moving upmarket, I would imagine that the first step to distinguishing themselves is going to be giving all their watches COSC certification. They may also want to start implementing display casebacks as modern watch enthusiasts and entry-level collectors enjoy those quite a bit, even when there isn't a whole lot to see.

 

In the « tradition meets technology » segment, looking at best possible quality for a price range of 1000 to 3000 euros, there’s another player to contend with, much smaller on the global consumer scale but still a contender amongst enthusiasts- and that is Nomos.

I’m curious to know more about the technical superiority of the silicone hairspring Longines’ CEO is referring to. Curious whether others know more about it as I’m mostly familiar with their vintage watches.

 

Many thanks for this — I’ve always loved Longines, and especially recently, as they seem to be releasing increasingly more compelling pieces. I now own a few, and they are all beautifully-designed, well made and unflashy.

As Omega moves relentlessly upmarket, I can see Longines replacing them as the Swatch competitor to Tudor, and innovating accordingly.

I also appreciate the NOMOS offerings, and owned an Ahoi. I am looking forward to a time when they are less shiny.

 

Quill and Pad mentions that Rolex mentions that their Si hairspring "is ten times more accurate when exposed to shocks, impervious to magnetism, and offers greater stability when exposed to temperature variations." (https://quillandpad.com/2018/02/15/silicon-stay-rolex-watch-movements/)

Nomos is an interesting comparison. As someone who is borderline obsessed with vintage Longines, Nomos appeals to me much more than contemporary Longines. This is for two reasons: design and movements. In terms of design, Nomos watches have a fineness (especially dials) that is lacking in most mainstream Swiss offerings. Mainstream Swiss brands tend to go overboard and often prioritize branding over aesthetics. In terms of movements, Nomos not only manufacturers its own range of calibers but pays close attention to their design and finishing. This is in contrast to most mainstream Swiss brands that emphasize power reserve and COSC certification. It is difficult to imagine Longines becoming more like Nomos in either of these two areas as their current strategy seems to be working.

In terms of innovation, independent watch brands are going about it in a more appealing way than the Swiss mainstream. Rather than developing new alloys or touting quantitative improvements, brands such as Habring2 and ochs und junior offer fresh takes on old complications. Here is a watch that I am very tempted by at the moment: https://www.ochsundjunior.swiss/watches/settimana-next/shop/

 

M

Well, that does make sense if indeed a majority of (male) buyers prefer to focus on measurements

Thanks for the info on the silicone hairspring.

 

Spot on, as usual. A number of unsavory jokes are coming to mind but I will bite my tongue.

 

Their newest offerings caught my attention for the first time I can remember, especially that Zulu

Their prior “heritage” models felt stuck in early-2000’s aesthetics, whereas the newer offerings feel like a leap forward

 

I prefer Longines because actually their designs are based on original vintage designs, I respect Nomos but their neo vintage aesthetic with no brand heritage to base it on, rubs me the wrong way.

 

Come to think of it, Longines could probably do a modern take on their sector dials as a part of their regular collection. Something with applied indices instead of being fully printed, and with more balanced proportions. IMO, the heritage sector dial's face seems too large in comparison with the lug spacing and length. A watch like that could ostensibly take sales from the Tangente so long as the other notes are done right.

 

Yes, that Zulu Time GMT looks really cool - I especially like the one with the green bezel as I’ve had a bit of a hankering for green since after seeing a green Omega Seamaster 120.
Interestingly I see those L888 movements are indeed COSC certified, it seems.
I’’m glad they also seem to be making smaller watches with a new Longines spirit at 37mm although that’s still too big for a woman — at least for me I would much prefer 34mm.

“ the newest Longines Spirit is equipped with the same one as the 40 and 42mm models, the L888, a self-winding mechanical movement that’s been chronometer-certified by COSC. Made in Switzerland (as all Longines movements are) it features a silicon balance-spring and a 72-hour power reserve.”

 

And for me, I’d have loved to see the Zulu at more like 38-39mm!

 

Still on this topic: this year Cartier overtook Omega, with Cartier’s growth fueled by increased interest from the Gen X / Millennial demographic. Relevant here because the bulk of Cartier men’s model’s are relatively small, while also regularly coming in matching women’s sizes.

This comports with my anecdotal discussions with the 20-30 yr old crowd interested in watches. And this includes an usual proportion from young women. Indeed, discussions I’m privy to comport with a particular interest in tanks and other small-bodied watches.

Talk about a fertile group interested in historical (and historically sized) watches … Longines, are you listening!?

 

Well, actually Longines has a very large selection of tank and tonneau design watches in the Dolce Vita and Evidenza lines. So they are well equipped on that front. But they, and other watch companies have a tendency to create watches I find too big when it comes to the round sports models, or vintage inspired ones which could otherwise be unisex.

They do have a great 36mm option when it comes to their iconic heritage design, which is the Longines Legend diver. I don’t know of any other brand making such a type of model available in that size. I’ve been told the reason they are is because 50% of their clients are women, which they say is the largest proportion for any swiss watch manufacturer.

 

I especially like the recent Longines heritage in proportions, but find the sizing too big.

The long lugs look great, but then they should be looking at the cases in 34mm-36mm ranges and lug-lug of 42mm-44mm.

Really liking the new Sprit, that it’s marketed towards women too, but again the sizing - though 37mm and 47mm lug-to-lug trends the right way - is perhaps missing that very audience.

I’d really like to see Rolex’s recent 36mm Explorer and, hopefully more to come soon, shift Longines and others to providing more equitable options of smaller serious automatics.

 

A few years back I was in a Longines boutique in NYC and spent some time with the Heritage line which I admired. In the metal they just didn’t appeal to me. Oversized and too shiny was my impression. I do like the divers, but Baltic has scratched that vintage diver look itch for less cash (yea I know, Japanese movements, Chinese parts). I would love to see manufactures get the sizing back to 36-38mm. Timex had a massive hit relatively recently with a 34mm mens watch.