Longines
Swiss luxury watchmaker recognized for elegant design, precision timekeeping, aviation heritage, and extensive equestrian and sporting partnerships.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Longines is a Swiss luxury watch brand headquartered in Saint-Imier, in the Bernese Jura, and owned by the Swatch Group. Its origins date to 1832, when watchmaker Auguste Agassiz established a watchmaking business in Saint-Imier with lawyers Henri Raiguel and Florian Morel. After the partners left the trade, Agassiz’s nephew Ernest Francillon assumed leadership and transformed the business from a dispersed assembly model into a more industrialized manufacture. In 1867, Francillon established a factory at a site known locally as Les Longines, or “the long meadows.” The location supplied the name that became the brand’s identity. Longines developed an early reputation for technical innovation and manufacturing discipline. Its 20A movement, produced in 1867, was made in-house and received recognition at the Paris Universal Exhibition. Engineer Jacques David helped modernize the factory and later documented the advanced organization of American watch production after visiting the 1876 Philadelphia World’s Fair. His report influenced debates about the future of Swiss industrial watchmaking. Longines was among the earliest Swiss companies to assemble watches under one roof, and its factory-based production became central to the company’s identity. The brand’s technical history is particularly associated with chronographs, navigation watches, aviation instruments, and sports timing. In 1878, Longines introduced the 20H, a mono-pusher chronograph capable of controlling start, stop, and reset functions through a single pusher. This supported the company’s growing role in professional timing, especially horse racing and other equestrian activities. Longines subsequently produced influential chronograph movements including the 13.33Z, 13ZN, and 30CH. The company also worked with aviation and navigation specialists. Its Weems navigation watches, developed with Philip Van Horn Weems, helped pilots synchronize time, while the Hour Angle watch created with Charles Lindbergh supported aerial navigation. Longines also introduced flyback chronograph technology during the 1930s and investigated electronic and quartz timekeeping in the postwar period. The company’s winged hourglass emblem was registered in 1889 and remains associated with the brand. It is widely described as the oldest unchanged active trademark registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization. Longines has used this heritage, together with its Saint-Imier origin and historic involvement in precision timing, to distinguish itself in the Swiss luxury-watch market. Its modern positioning emphasizes elegance, classical design, accessible luxury, and sporting credibility rather than the highest tier of haute horlogerie. Longines became part of the modern Swatch Group structure through the 1983 merger of ASUAG and SSIH, and the resulting group adopted the name SMH before becoming Swatch Group in 1988. During the 1990s, Swatch Group refined the roles of its brands. Longines was positioned below the group’s highest-priced prestige brands and was oriented toward elegant, traditional watches with a strong historical narrative. The brand continues to offer mechanical and quartz watches across dress, heritage, diving, aviation, and sports categories. Major families include the Master Collection, HydroConquest, Spirit, Conquest, Flagship, DolceVita, La Grande Classique de Longines, and heritage reissues. Sport remains a major part of Longines’ public identity. Its early timing work in horse racing expanded into show jumping, eventing, endurance riding, alpine skiing, gymnastics, tennis, archery, and other disciplines. The brand has served as official timekeeper or partner for events and organizations including the French Open, FEI equestrian competitions, the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, the Longines Global Champions Tour, and selected horse races. Longines also used the advertising line “Elegance is an Attitude,” introduced in 1999…
History
Longines traces its origins to 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. Auguste Agassiz founded the business with Henri Raiguel and Florian Morel under the name Raiguel Jeune & Cie. By 1846, the other partners had withdrawn from watchmaking, leaving Agassiz in control. He later brought his nephew Ernest Francillon into the firm. Francillon eventually became the principal force behind the company’s modernization and its transformation into the Longines brand. Francillon favored more standardized production and concentrated manufacturing over the traditional Swiss établissage system, in which specialist workshops supplied separate components. In 1867, he established a factory in the southern part of Saint-Imier at a location known as Les Longines. The site gave the company its permanent name. That same year, the factory produced the 20A, an in-house movement with an anchor escapement and pendant winding and setting. The movement received an award at the Paris Universal Exhibition, providing early international recognition. Francillon appointed engineer Jacques David as technical director. David studied American industrial watchmaking during a visit to the 1876 Philadelphia World’s Fair and produced an extensive report on factory organization, production flow, materials, machinery, and quality control. His findings highlighted the competitive pressure created by American mass production and became an important document in the history of Swiss watch-industry modernization. Longines’ factory model helped it become one of the first Swiss manufacturers to assemble watches under one roof. In 1878, Longines made its first chronograph movement, the 20H. The mono-pusher mechanism controlled the main chronograph functions through a single control and was suitable for professional timing. This technology helped establish the company’s long relationship with horse racing and equestrian sport. During the following decades, Longines produced additional chronograph calibres and became a supplier of timing equipment for sporting officials, including organizations in New York. The company’s growing reputation also made its products a target for counterfeiters. To protect the brand, Longines registered its name in 1880 and its winged hourglass emblem in 1889. Longines expanded from pocket chronographs into navigation, aviation, and specialist timing instruments during the twentieth century. In 1925 it produced the Zulu Time, a dual-time watch associated with the Royal Canadian Navy. In cooperation with Philip Van Horn Weems, it developed navigation watches that helped aviators synchronize their watches with external time signals. In 1931, Longines worked with Charles Lindbergh on the Hour Angle watch, designed for calculating longitude during flight. The company introduced flyback chronograph technology in the 1930s and continued to develop watches and instruments for pilots, explorers, and scientific expeditions. Its historical users and collaborators included figures such as Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes, Wiley Post, and Richard E. Byrd, although the exact nature of individual relationships varied. Longines continued to experiment with electronic timekeeping after the Second World War. It developed a quartz movement in 1953 and introduced the Chronocinegines timekeeping instrument in 1954. These developments reflected the broader industry transition toward electronic precision. The company nevertheless retained a strong identity in mechanical chronographs and elegant wristwatches. Corporate consolidation reshaped Longines in the late twentieth century. In 1983, ASUAG, the group associated with Longines, merged with SSIH. The combined entity became SMH and was renamed Swatch Group in 1988. Longines remained within the group while its own research and production role was reduced. During the 1990s, Swatch Group differentiated its brands by price, design language, and market role. Longines was repositioned around elegance, classical styling, historical continuity, and a more accessible luxury price segment than the group’s highest-end brands. The modern Longines portfolio spans dress watches, heritage designs, aviation-inspired models, diving watches, sports watches, quartz models, and mechanical complications. The Master Collection represents traditional mechanical watchmaking, while HydroConquest and Conquest emphasize sport and durability. Spirit draws on aviation history, and Heritage models reinterpret historical designs. DolceVita and La Grande Classique de Longines support the brand’s formal and jewelry-oriented presentation. Sports timing remains a central communications pillar. Longines’ early involvement in racing developed into partnerships across horse racing, show jumping, eventing, endurance riding, alpine skiing, gymnastics, tennis, archery, and other disciplines. The brand has served as official timekeeper or partner for events including the French Open, FEI competitions, the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, the Longines Global Champions Tour, and major horse races. In 1999, it introduced the “Elegance is an Attitude” slogan, which continues to express the brand’s combination of refinement and heritage. In 2019, Longines expanded into licensed eyewear through an agreement with Marcolin. Today it operates internationally as a Swatch Group watch brand based in Saint-Imier.
- 2019
Marcolin eyewear licensing agreement
[1]Longines licensed its brand for optical frames and sunglasses through Marcolin.
- 1999
Elegance is an Attitude slogan introduced
[1]Longines adopted the slogan that became a central expression of its modern brand positioning.
- 1988
SMH becomes Swatch Group
[1]The group changed its name to Swatch Group.
- 1983
Longines enters the SMH structure
[1]The ASUAG and SSIH merger created SMH, placing Longines within the corporate structure that later became Swatch Group.
- 1954
Chronocinegines timing instrument
[1]Longines introduced the Chronocinegines timekeeping instrument for analyzing sporting performance.
- 1953
First Longines quartz movement
[1]The company developed its first quartz movement as electronic timekeeping began to influence Swiss watchmaking.
- 1934
Flyback chronograph introduced
[1]Longines released a flyback chronograph, with the technology subsequently patented in 1936.
- 1931
Hour Angle watch developed with Lindbergh
[1]Longines worked with Charles Lindbergh on the Hour Angle aviation watch for aerial navigation.
- 1927
Weems navigation watch
[1]Longines collaborated with P. V. H. Weems on a wristwatch designed for aviation navigation and time synchronization.
- 1925
Zulu Time dual-time watch
[1]Longines produced the Zulu Time, a dual-time watch associated with the Royal Canadian Navy.
Products and positioning
Accessible-luxury Swiss watchmaker combining classical elegance, mechanical and quartz watchmaking, aviation and navigation heritage, and high-profile sports timekeeping.
Mechanical dress and complications
Master Collection
The Master Collection is Longines’ principal expression of traditional mechanical watchmaking. It includes classically styled watches with automatic movements, calendar functions, moon-phase displays, chronographs, and other complications depending on the model. The collection is designed for formal and everyday luxury use and emphasizes restrained cases, traditional dial layouts, and the brand’s Swiss mechanical heritage.
Diving and sports watches
HydroConquest
HydroConquest is Longines’ principal contemporary diving-watch family. It combines a robust case, rotating dive-scale bezel, luminous elements, and water-resistant construction with the brand’s relatively refined design language. The range includes mechanical and quartz variants and is aimed at consumers seeking a versatile sports watch with recognizable Swiss luxury positioning.
Aviation-inspired watches
Spirit
The Spirit collection draws on Longines’ history of aviation and navigation instruments. Its design language uses pilot-watch cues such as highly legible dials, prominent hour markers, large crowns, and sometimes chronometer-oriented specifications. The collection connects historical exploration and flight with a modern mechanical sports-watch format.
Sports watches
Conquest
Conquest is a broad sports-watch family positioned for daily wear and active lifestyles. It generally combines durable cases, clear time displays, automatic or quartz movements, and restrained styling that can transition between casual and formal settings. The family supports Longines’ objective of offering sport-oriented watches without abandoning its emphasis on elegance.
Heritage reissues
Heritage
Longines Heritage models reinterpret historically significant watches and instruments from the company’s archives. They commonly revive vintage case shapes, dial configurations, navigation details, or chronograph functions while using contemporary movements and manufacturing standards. The range gives the brand a direct way to connect modern products with its aviation, sporting, and mechanical history.
Classical wristwatches
Flagship
Flagship is one of Longines’ established classical watch families. It focuses on clean, traditional proportions and versatile styling, with models intended for formal occasions and daily use. The collection expresses the company’s mid-market luxury positioning through familiar Swiss watch design, polished finishing, and a comparatively understated visual identity.
Rectangular dress watches
DolceVita
DolceVita is characterized by rectangular cases and an explicitly dress-oriented design. The collection uses elongated proportions, polished surfaces, and a range of dial, strap, and bracelet options. It is intended to extend Longines’ classical elegance into a more jewelry-like and fashion-conscious category while retaining the brand’s Swiss watchmaking identity.
Ultra-thin dress watches
La Grande Classique de Longines
La Grande Classique de Longines is a slim, formal collection built around a low-profile case and highly restrained presentation. Its emphasis is on elegance, lightness, and conventional dress-watch proportions rather than technical sport performance. The family has helped make Longines’ classical styling recognizable across international markets.
Historical chronograph movement · 1878
Longines 20H
The 20H was Longines’ first chronograph movement, introduced in 1878. It used a mono-pusher arrangement to operate the chronograph’s start, stop, and reset functions. The movement was important not only as a technical product but also as the foundation of Longines’ later reputation in professional timing, horse racing, and other sports.
Aviation navigation watch · 1931
Hour Angle
The Hour Angle watch was developed with aviator Charles Lindbergh in 1931. It was designed to assist pilots with aerial navigation by supporting calculations related to longitude and time. The model is a central part of Longines’ aviation heritage and has influenced later historical and heritage-inspired products.
Navigation watch · 1927
Weems Avigation watch
Created through collaboration with P. V. H. Weems, the Weems Avigation watch helped pilots synchronize their watches with a reference time signal. Longines produced versions in different sizes during the late 1920s and 1930s. Its rotating synchronization bezel and aviation purpose made it an important precursor to modern pilot and navigation watches.
Marketing campaigns
- 1999Elegance is an Attitude
Global
Longines introduced the “Elegance is an Attitude” platform to express its modern identity through refinement, timeless design, and cultural associations. The slogan complemented the brand’s historical emphasis on precision while shifting communications toward classical elegance and accessible luxury.
Outcome. The line became a durable part of Longines’ international brand language.
- 1980Formula One timing association
International
Longines participated in Formula One-related official timing during the 1980s, extending its historic sporting-timekeeping credentials into international motor racing.
Outcome. The association broadened Longines’ visibility beyond equestrian and traditional timing contexts.
- Global equestrian partnerships
International
Longines has developed long-running partnerships in horse racing, show jumping, eventing, endurance riding, and related competitions. Its role commonly combines official timekeeper, partner, and watch designations.
Outcome. Equestrian sport became one of the brand’s most important contemporary communication platforms.
Brand decisions
2019
Extend the brand into eyewearStrategyBackground
Longines sought to apply its visual identity beyond watches through a specialist licensing partner.
Action taken
The company licensed its name and branding to Marcolin for men’s and women’s optical frames and sunglasses.
Aftermath
The agreement expanded Longines’ branded product presence into optical accessories without changing its core watchmaking focus.
1990
Reposition Longines around elegance and classicismStrategyBackground
During the 1990s, Swatch Group differentiated its brands to cover distinct market segments and reduce overlap among its watch businesses.
Action taken
Longines was positioned in a less expensive segment than the group’s highest-end brands, with product design and communications emphasizing elegance, classical styling, and historical tradition.
Aftermath
The repositioning established the brand’s contemporary accessible-luxury identity.
1983
Join the merged ASUAG–SSIH groupM&ABackground
Swiss watchmaking consolidation brought the ASUAG and SSIH groups together, creating the corporate structure that later became Swatch Group.
Action taken
Longines continued as a brand within the merged organization rather than as an independently listed company.
Aftermath
The merger ultimately placed Longines within Swatch Group’s multi-brand portfolio.
Recent events
- 2025
Patrick Aoun appointed Longines chief executive[4]
Leadership change
Patrick Aoun became Longines chief executive on 1 June 2025, succeeding Matthias Breschan. He previously held regional and market leadership roles within Longines and Swatch Group.
- 2025
Longines appoints Henry Cavill as an Ambassador of Elegance[5]
Campaign · Leadership change
Longines announced a partnership with actor Henry Cavill, presenting him as a new ambassador associated with the brand’s contemporary mechanical-watch and elegance positioning.
- 2025
Longines campaign featuring Jennifer Lawrence promotes the PrimaLuna[6]
Campaign · Product launch
Jennifer Lawrence was presented as the face of a Longines PrimaLuna campaign, extending the brand’s ambassador-led communication in the women’s watch category.
- 2025
Longines names Henry Cavill an Ambassador of Elegance[5]
Campaign
Longines announced a partnership with actor Henry Cavill, presenting him as an ambassador whose public image supports the brand’s themes of elegance, heritage, and contemporary international appeal.
- 2025
Jennifer Lawrence becomes the face of Longines PrimaLuna[6]
Campaign · Product launch
Actress Jennifer Lawrence was reported as the face of a Longines PrimaLuna campaign, extending the brand’s ambassador strategy into women’s watch communication and lifestyle media.
- 2023
Longines introduces the MINI DOLCEVITA collection in New York[7]
Product launch
Longines presented the MINI DOLCEVITA collection at a New York event attended by brand ambassador Jennifer Lawrence and guests from entertainment and sport.
- 2022
Longines Moonphase campaign on Xiaohongshu expands spring travel positioning[8]
Campaign · Product launch
A China campaign for the Longines Moonphase collection used spring outings, city walks, travel, and varied fashion styles to broaden the collection’s association beyond formal business settings. The cited case study reported more than 38,000 additional posts, over 74 million impressions, and more than 11,000 participants during the campaign period.
- 2021
Longines promotes the Spirit collection through alpine-skiing campaign[9]
Campaign · Product launch
A campaign featuring ambassadors Marco Odermatt and Loïc Meillard linked the Spirit collection with alpine adventure, individual achievement and the brand’s history of precision in sport.
- 2021
Longines introduces a HydroConquest campaign with Man of Many[10]
Campaign · Product launch
The integrated campaign used sponsored editorial, display placements, social media and email to support the launch of new two-tone HydroConquest models and emphasize their combination of sport performance and refined design.
- 2021
Longines and Man of Many promote the HydroConquest evolution[10]
Campaign · Product launch
An integrated campaign used sponsored editorial, display advertising, social promotion and email to present new two-tone HydroConquest models to watch, lifestyle and sports audiences.
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Sources18 sources
- 1Longinesen.wikipedia.org
- 2Longines official websitelongines.com
- 3Swatch Groupswatchgroup.com
- 4Patrick Aoun 出任浪琴首席执行官europastar.com
- 5浪琴表委任亨利·卡维尔为优雅形象大使theprint.in
- 6浪琴表推出由詹妮弗·劳伦斯出镜的广告大片，推广 PrimaLuna 系列townandcountrymag.com
- 7浪琴表在纽约推出MINI DOLCEVITA系列epresspack.com
- 8浪琴表月相系列小红书 campaign 拓展春日出行定位digitaling.com
- 9浪琴表通过高山滑雪主题广告大片推广 Spirit 系列luxurydaily.com
- 10浪琴表携手Man of Many推出HydroConquest推广活动advertise.manofmany.com
- 11浪琴表在杭州举办名匠系列展览xbiao.com
- 12浪琴表在WWF钟表行业评估中与可持续性批评相关联zh.wikipedia.org
- 13西蒙·贝克出镜浪琴全新优雅宣传活动mediacenter.longines.com
- 14浪琴表并入斯沃琪集团体系wornandwound.com
- 15浪琴推出由亨利·卡维尔代言的康卡斯潜水系列宣传活动motionapp.com
- 16浪琴表在纽约SoHo区增设美国精品店yahoo.com
- 17浪琴表推出康卡斯计时滑雪限量版yahoo.com
- 18浪琴持续维持全球体育与马术合作伙伴关系thebrandhopper.com
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