Hi

A Guy at work has inherited his Father's Mid 60's vintage Longines watch and is looking for a suitable period GP bracelet to match....any examples or suggestions welcome....









Best - Neil

 

What a stunning watch, and in beautiful condition. It possibly has a coveted Longines 30L inside, but there's an equal chance of something like a 370. Still a fantastic, above average movement with a level of finishing above Rolex and Omega, but the 30L has a bit of a cult following because it's a sibling of the 30Z and 30B competition chronometers. I recommend you implore your friend to have it serviced if he hasn't already.

It's difficult for me to recommend a bracelet for two reasons - older watches such as Longines often had bracelets sold separately to the watch head at the point of sale, which means that many styles could be period correct. The second reason it's difficult is that gold plated watches don't often mix well with bracelets not designed specifically for them, and with an approximately 16.5mm lug spacing it's difficult to find a bracelet that will fit and not wear away at the plating on the lugs. That said, If I was putting this on something metallic, I'd put it on Milanese mesh, 16 mm wide, and protect the lugs with tiny nylon washers. I've done this before and it works a charm, protects the lugs from scratches and they're easy enough to break when the urge to change the strap comes.