Longines has had such a storied history, impeccable provenance and rich heritage that when the brand mines its fertile archives, the historical Big-Three Swiss watchmaker is bound to find something as cool as the Baselworld 2017 Longines Heritage 1945. With 185 years under the belt, the Longines brand enjoys a depth of heritage few brands can match. To wit, a legendary Ref. 6263. No, not that other 6263 but one from the St. Imier watchmaker herself.
Indeed, back in the day, Longines made a small seconds ref. 6263 in 1960 that carried the design style of the original from 1945 but as a reflection of the 50s-60s era, a larger subsidiary seconds dial for greater balance. From the design codes, you can tell the undeniable evolution of the aesthetics over the years without losing the fundamental essence of its domed crystal, clean lines and bauhaus style numerals and markers.
Vintage 1960 model descended from the original 1945. Larger sub-seconds dial instead of smaller subdial for visual balance. The 60s model also replaced stamped numerals with applied markers.
The Longines Heritage 1945 elegantly marries the sturdiness of its steel case with the warm tones of its brushed coppery dial
Baselworld 2017 Longines Heritage 1945: The Unlikely Bauhaus
Aesthetic balance is heightened in the Longines Heritage 1945 re-issue thanks to blue steel hands, leaf style for the hours/minutes and baton style for the small second in the centre. The hour circle alternately displays Arabic numerals and silvery cabochons, traced and stamped onto a convex dial much like the original was.
The original used the 12.68z calibre
While the manual winding 12.68Z calibre was a thing to behold, at times fetching a decent amount of coin on the auction market when found, the new Longines Heritage 1945 uses an automatic L609.3 self-winding movement which can run for 42 hours fully wound.
The 40-mm steel Longines Heritage 1945 is dressed with beige leather strap, with a nubuck finish. Retailing US$1,500.
