Longines The Longines Avigation BigEye

History

Shrouded in mystery, the origins of the Longines Avigation collection are quite unclear but are a story in itself. The origins of the Avigation can be traced when an avid collector donated a timepiece to the Longines Museum, which was from the 30s. Longines had no record of that particular timepiece but delivered a verdict on the authenticity of it which was on the positive side of the coin. Inspired by this timepiece, Longines started producing the Avigation collection and this collection remains one of the most popular timepieces offered by the brand to this day.

The BigEye

One of the first chronographs from Longines, the BigEye is a fitting homage to the pilot watches that were offered by the brand during the 1930s. Featuring a plain, simple, and intuitive design, the BigEye features three sub-dials at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock markers. These sub-dials are controlled by two pushers.

The Longines Weems Second-Setting Watch

Another important milestone in the world of Longines is the addition of a Second-Setting Watch. Developed and invented by U.S Naval Officer P.V.H Weems, a second-setting watch was the very first GMT of its kind. With seconds printed on a rotating outer bezel, one can adjust the time in conjunction with the chronometer or navigation instruments with a second crown. This was a boon to the pilots who were navigating over the oceans. This feature has now become redundant with modern navigation instruments taking over the pilot's console. Instead, the Longines Weems Second-Setting Watch replaced the second crown with a button which when pressed opens the case back. The case back is engraved and pays homage to the Naval Officer P.V.H Weems.

The Spirit & Military

In a bid to simplify the already cluttered segment of pilots' watches, Longines decided to reel in the classic variant of a pilot's instrument. The Longines Spirit series features a few complications under its belt such as GMT and chronographs. Apart from aviation-inspired timepieces, the Avigation Military fields simple and robust timepieces that were inspired by the watches built for the British Army during WW2.