Luxury Swiss Watches » Longines

A Swiss Watch Will Make a Great Gift Your Special Valentine

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:06:59 +0000

Nothing says “I love you” on Valentine’s Day, or any other time for that matter, like a luxury Swiss watch. Every man and woman should own at least one very nice watch and in some cases three or four. There are various names that are considered to distinguishing in the watch industry and while some are more affordable than others the meaning behind a nice watch says a lot. You can’t go wrong with the classics. Below are some men’s and ladies Swiss watches in varying price ranges.

For Him:
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner
Unveiled in 1953, the Submariner was the first watch water-resistant to 330 feet. Its combination of unparalleled elegance and spy-friendly versatility appealed to Sean Connery’s James Bond. MSRP $5,175

Omega Speedmaster
The first watch to go to the moon (Buzz Aldrin and his Apollo 11 colleagues were wearing them when they touched down on July 20, 1969). Sporty and sturdy, this automatic chronograph is among the most accurate and affordable you can buy. MSRP $3,000

TAG Heuer Monaco
Issued in 1969, this stainless-steel classic was the first automatic chronograph to feature a water-resistant square case. MSRP $3,195

IWC Portuguese
Developed in 1938 in response to Portuguese tradesmen’s request for an oversized watch with precise, pocket-watch movement, this is IWC’s signature model. Available in every imaginable iteration, from the classic automatic chronograph to a “perpetual calendar” model, which features a moon-phase indicator that varies by only one day every 577 years. MSRP $19,400.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
The Swiss company revolutionized sport watch design when it introduced this model, with its octagonal case and eight visible screws, in 1972. The automatic, stainless-steel Royal Oak is now available with all kinds of bells and whistles, from chronograph to tachymeter, and is a big hit with golfers like Vijay Singh. MSRP $15,700

For Her:

Ladies Rolex Presidents

The Ladies’ Rolex President stands as a representation of one’s accomplishments and status. A prime choice of female politicians, executives, and actresses alike, the President watches are adorned with varying amounts of diamonds which sparkle magnificently on any wrist. Rolex Super President models differ from traditional Ladies’ Presidents with the additional diamonds which are set on the band and lugs, creating a timepiece which makes a bold statement regarding a lady’s refinement and distinction.

La Grande Classique de Longines
Capturing the soul and the style of Longines’ earliest design tradition, La Grande Classique de Longines watches have until today largely retained their original appearance and proportions. Changing expectations and technical advances have now prompted Longines to update their design, not least by introducing a larger case size and offering an even broader choice of subtly refined dial faces. But the slim, sleek La Grande Classique de Longines case profile remains unchanged, as does the cool elegance that gives this collection an appeal as enduring as the classic tradition itself.
L4.191.7.11.6

L4.191.9.11.0

Omega New Constellation
Omega has re-designed its iconic luxury watch line – Constellation collection which was created in 1982 and developed into a milestone in 1995 when super model Cindy Crawford started worked as Omega Ambassador. Constellation collection is one of the world’s most recognizable luxury timepieces with the famous “claws” that look beautiful and firmly hold the sapphire crystal together with the case.

The 2009 Omega Constellation watches are highly anticipated by global Omega fans as there has not been a new Constellation in years. And these fresh Constellation watches with dynamic and contemporary look can live up to expectations of their fans. They fully present new design features and technical innovation while respecting Constellation’s precious heritage. If you like matching his and hers watches Omega also has a men's line of New Constellation watches.

A fine Swiss timepiece is an excellent way to say "I love you" and every time that the timepiece is viewed. Notice all prices are the manufacturer’s suggested retail price ( MSRP). You will find all of these fine Swiss watches at substantially reduced prices at the Luxury Swiss Watch Shop

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The difference between a $500 watch and a $50,000 watch

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:02:31 +0000

Jack Forster, Forbes Magazine

The difference between a $500 watch and a $50,000 one is often in the movement.

The ground floor of the Roger Dubuis factory, a top-tier manufacturer specializing in artistically extroverted timepieces, comes as a shock. This is one of Geneva's temples of haute horlogerie, a place where you'd expect the loudest sound to be the nearly inaudible cricket-song of a hand file against brass. But in this gigantic room blue- and white-coated technicians tend enormous, sleek machines. The air is redolent of oil and coolant, the ceiling is strung with pipes and conduit, and, here and there, warning signs and bundled cables testify to the huge amounts of electricity being consumed.

It's in a room like this that virtually every watch, from the humblest $100 automatic to the costliest limited-edition mechanical marvel, starts its life. The components are made by supersophisticated industrial robots--computer-guided automatic milling machines and spark-erosion fabricators. Which brings up a question: If this is so, why do watch prices range from less than the cost of a decent lunch to more than that of a comfortable suburban house?

The answer lies one floor up, where those raw parts undergo a dramatic transformation. Here the workers wear blue or white coats, too, but otherwise you've gone back in time. There are no robots, only tools that would be recognized by a watchmaker from a century ago. At one workbench, a woman uses a spinning boxwood disk to polish a delicate sine wave curve into the flanks of tiny brass-gear teeth. Nearby, another woman passes a movement repeatedly under a spinning disk charged with jeweler's rouge. As she does so rows of gleaming parallel stripes appear, like ripples in a frozen pond; these are the famous Geneva stripes, or Côtes de Genève, one of the signature movement decorations of the Genevan school of watch decorating. At yet another workstation, a young man works with painstaking slowness to give a tiny irregular movement bridge a beveled flank so that it catches light like the facet of a diamond. Each stroke is done with the care of a vascular surgeon stitching shut a hair-thin blood vessel.

These are the finisseurs (finishers), and it's their time-consuming, labor-intensive work that holds the answer to the question I posed earlier. The art of movement decoration has been part of watchmaking since the first table clocks were made during the Renaissance. Over the centuries national style developed: the reserved gilt-and–blued steel stolidity of English chronometers; the glitteringly sensuous Genevan approach; the superbly flat dress pocket watches of France, made as thin as possible so as to avoid disrupting the tailored fit of a waistcoat. Whatever the style, the finish of a watch movement was one of the purest expressions of a craftsman's pride, as in most cases nobody but the watchmaker himself even knew it was there.

Which is still the case: An appreciation of finishing is an insider passion even today. But a basic understanding of it can give the nonfanatic a new perspective on the price-value relationship of timepieces. Here are key points to remember.
Respect the robots. A modern CNC cutter or spark- erosion machine can turn out parts that without further finishing can be assembled into high-precision micromachines. The 'bots make possible entry-level mechanical watches from Swatch, Seiko, Citizen, Orient, and Timex of a precision that would have been impossible at such a price point (often less than $500) a few decades ago.
More finishing does not mean more accuracy. Top-grade hand-finishing is really the connoisseur's delight--beauty in the eye of the beholder who knows how to recognize it.

Quality of finish and price tag don't always parallel. If a particular model becomes a collectors' darling (like the stainless steel Rolex Daytona chronograph), or if a brand is just plain hot, price follows suit, even if the watch has little or no hand-finishing.
Precious metals and gemstones change the equation. A machine-finished watch with one or both can cost more than one that is hand-finished. Rarity and peculiar provenance can make a watch expensive regardless of finishing.
Absent those factors, higher price means more finishing. A $10,000 watch, as a rule, has more hand-finishing than a $6,000 one.
At the high end, it's the finisseur. His painstaking work bestows a pedigree price. A $1,000 chronograph with industrial finishing becomes a $25,000 one with hand-finishing.

Above that, complication comes into play. At the very high end, it drives price as much as finishing.
Finally, finishing is a three-tiered cake: basic (robot), machine, and hand. Mechanical watches that sell for less than $1,000 compose the base. They have little or no finish beyond that produced by the robots that manufacture the movement. In the middle ($1,000–$12,000) are mechanical models with varying degrees of machine-executed decorative finish: attractive beveling, blued-finish screws, gleaming countersinks, and engraving. Watches at the upper end of this layer also have some hand-finishing. In the top tier ($12,000 and up) hand-finishing starts to predominate. North of $20,000, you're getting the full-on haute treatment, horology's equivalent of haute couture. A premium-grade movement like Vacheron's caliber 1400, the caliber 215 from Patek, or the caliber 3120 automatic from Audemars Piguet, is a singular object: The hand-finishing means no two are exactly alike.

And the expense is huge. The finest haute horlogerie brands train most of their finisseurs in-house. Just learning how to bevel a flank properly can take anywhere from one to one-and-a-half years. Learning how to black-polish steel to a mirror finish, hand-engrave a rotor, or apply Geneva stripes of just the right depth requires a touch that has to be passed down directly--there are few manuals to go by.

It's fair to ask why a top-notch timepiece is so expensive. But when you multiply the number of hours it takes to hand-finish just one part--more than half a day in some cases--by the number of components in the movement and then by the number of years it takes to learn how to finish a piece of metal the size of a fly antenna, it's easier to see how the price starts to add up. It's the hundreds of hours of human skill concentrated in a cubic centimeter.

La Grande Classique de Longines

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:18:08 +0000

La Grande Classique de Longines – confirming an enduring tradition
Capturing the soul and the style of Longines’ earliest design tradition, La Grande Classique de Longines watches have until today largely retained their original appearance and proportions. Changing expectations and technical advances have now prompted Longines to update their design, not least by introducing a larger case size and offering an even broader choice of subtly refined dial faces. But the slim, sleek La Grande Classique de Longines case profile remains unchanged, as does the cool elegance that gives this collection an appeal as enduring as the classic tradition itself.

L4.191.7.11.6

Collection La Grande Classique de Longines
Case: Ultra-slim, round, in 18 carat yellow gold set with 48 Top Wesselton VVS diamonds (0.403 carats); scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Diameter: 24.50 mm. Water-resistant to 30 metres (~ 100 feet).
Movement: L209 quartz.
Functions: Hours and minutes.
Dial: White matt with 12 painted Roman numerals and black "Baton" hands.
Bracelet: 18 carat yellow gold bracelet with triple safety clasp and push-piece opening mechanism / also available on a leather strap.

L4.191.9.11.0

Collection La Grande Classique de Longines
Case: Ultra-slim, round, in 18 carat pink gold set with 48 Top Wesselton VVS diamonds (0.403 carats); scratch-resistatn sapphire crystal. Diameter: 24.50 mm. Water-resistant to 30 meters (~ 100 feets).
Mouvement: L209 quartz
Functions: Hours and minutes.
Dial: White matt with 12 painted Roman numerals and black "Baton" hands

Original LONGINES Alligator Watch Strap 14mm Ladies New
	$90.00 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 6:56:30 PDT Buy It Now for only: $90.00 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

lady VINTAGE LONGINES MANUAL MOVEMENT CAL 4 LLV
	$99.00 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 7:34:12 PDT Buy It Now for only: $99.00 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

VERY GOOD Con Longines La Grande Gold P SS quartz women dressing watch L42092

$208.50 (23 Bids)
End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 8:03:31 PDT

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Ladies Vintage Longines Watch Movement Dial Nice Find

$3.00 (1 Bid)
End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 8:16:27 PDT

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LONGINES EVIDENZA LADIES AUTOMATIC WATCH L21424 NEW BOX AND PAPERS
	$1,650.00 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 8:18:35 PDT Buy It Now for only: $1,650.00 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

Vintage Longines Platinum and Diamond Mens Ladies Watch
	$2,250.00 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 8:28:39 PDT Buy It Now for only: $2,250.00 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

Longines Sports Legends Watches

admin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:48:52 +0000

Sports Legends: Timepieces that have gone down in history thanks to their performance
The Sports Legends line includes contemporary versions or updated models of exceptional watches that Longines has produced over the years. The link between the brand and the world of aviation, then in the first flush of development, led to the creation of watches that have since become legendary, such as the famous Lindbergh Hour Angle watch, based on a design by the American aviator Charles Lindbergh, who was the first man to fly non-stop across the North Atlantic, namely in his aircraft the Spirit of St. Louis.

Lindbergh’s Atlantic Voyage watch, created specially for the long trip Lindbergh made with his wife around the coast of the North Atlantic (47,000 km in the same aircraft) is one of the legendary models that Longines is celebrating with this line. The Longines Weems Second-Setting watch, adapted from a design by Captain Philip van Horn Weems, an officer in the US navy and the inventor of an ingenious navigation system, is also among the timepieces that have marked the history of aviation. The Longines WWW (watch, wrist, waterproof) watch – a historical timepiece used by the British army and designed to meet precise, technical specifications – is another of these legendary models. And the final model in the Sports Legends line is a reproduction of a diving watch that was manufactured in the 1960s. This model – the Longines Legend Diver Watch – pays tribute to the brand’s commitment to marine exploration.

These exceptional watches occupy a special place in the history of both the brand and the equipment used in pioneering fields where high quality and precision were of vital importance.

LONGINES WRIST WATCH MANUAL WIND 336mm Wristwatch

$122.50 (20 Bids)
End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 7:08:47 PDT

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14K White Gold Longines Watch Art Deco with Diamonds
	$500.00 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 7:26:03 PDT Buy It Now for only: $750.00 Buy It Now \| Bid now \| Add to watch list

VINTAGE POCKET WATCH LONGINES cal 1990 Z ABC
	$580.00 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 7:28:28 PDT Buy It Now for only: $580.00 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

lady VINTAGE LONGINES MANUAL MOVEMENT CAL 4 LLV
	$99.00 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 7:34:12 PDT Buy It Now for only: $99.00 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

VINTAGE POCKET WATCH DIAL FOR LONGINES cal 1890 Z ABC
	$480.00 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 7:38:38 PDT Buy It Now for only: $480.00 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

Vintage Mens Longines 15J Wrist Watch Working

$49.99
End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 8:00:29 PDT

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Vintage Watches: A Timeless Investment Choice

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0000

By: Carolin Schober, CNBC Correspondent

As investors continue to ponder whether the recovery in markets is sustainable, some may find that this is the time to put their money in an asset class that lasts.

The downturn has hit the luxury watch market hard. Luxury watch exports from Switzerland, where many of the premium brands are manufactured, have seen a decline of 25 percent over the past 9 months and the slump in demand was especially severe for watches made of precious metals.

However, the picture for "retail" luxury watches seems to bear little resemblance with the "collectible" luxury watch markets for brands such as Patek Philippe, Jaeger Le Coultre or Vacheron Constantin.

Sales of luxury collectible watches have been more resilient in the crisis and have shown buoyant demand as old and new investors fled into the prestigious asset class. Auctions held in May by auctioneers like Antiquorum, Sotheby's and Christie's clocked up a total of 90 million francs.

At a recent collectors' wristwatches auction held by auctioneer Antiquorum in Geneva, the sale of a platinum Patek Philippe set a new world record for its kind and sold for 114 000 Swiss francs ($114,000), while other auctions have seen prices for rare time pieces even reach the million dollar mark in the last several years.
Timing your purchase of a collectible watch may be more important than ever. Jon Cox from Kepler Capital Markets says collectible watches may also offer inflation protection as investors may be worried of higher price levels in the future. He adds that in some countries, a Rolex is even considered a currency.

Investors wishing to avoid the volatility of traditional asset classes, such as stocks or commodities, may find watches are a timeless investment. But as with many things in life, this investment is one for the long-term and requires investors’ patience: the value of collectible watches increases with time.

While age for most other asset classes is associated with depreciation and loss of value, a collectible watch investment ticks differently. The older a timepiece is, the more value it usually holds.

A word of caution for those who hope to make a quick profit: the market for collectible watches is very illiquid as these valuable timepieces are either passed on from one generation to the next or can only be bought and resold at auctions.

The return, and hence the retail price of a watch depends on many factors, beyond just the design and the quality.

Many experts cite the emotional value as being one of the most essential characteristics of a watches’ price: how much a luxury watch will fetch often purely depends on how much a buyer is willing to pay.

Tips for investing in collectible watches:
• Reputation is key: Buy a brand with a long history and excellent reputation
• Age does matter: Timepieces’ value increase with its age. Signs of wear and tear show a watch is authentic and has history, while a polishing only reduces a watches’ value
• Rarity drives valuation higher: The fewer time pieces of one series exist, the more it will be able to fetch in an auction
• Quality is King: As with other assets, the quality of the collectible watch, including its movement, are essential to its value

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