FeatureA Quest For Greatness: Longines’ HydroConquest collection
If you were in the market for your first ‘proper’ watch or you just need an everyday ‘beater’ with a rich heritage and solid construction at a relatively astonishing price, your quest should end here
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Introduced over 13 years ago as part of the brand’s sports collection, the HydroConquest is a well-known and well-respected line of watches that is adored by collectors worldwide. So why are we talking about a collection that’s been in the market since 2007? Well, it may be Longines’ bestseller—an easy pick for the entry-level horologist or an experienced one looking for a ‘beater’ watch. But along the way, a lot of us have forgotten the reasons that make it such an excellent purchase. So here, we glance through the collection, we pick out some of our favourites, and along the way, point out what makes this line so special.
When you’re looking to buy your first ‘proper’ wristwatch or if you’re in the market for a ‘beater’, a tool watch is often the recommended genre. And if you ask what kind of tool watch should be your first, a diver’s is what the majority would prefer, and for good reason. The dive watch has served as one of the most important pieces of kit in a diver’s arsenal for a major chunk of the 20th century. Useful for tracking decompression periods, bottom time and safety stops, these watches were irreplaceable, as nothing else offered this kind of portability and practicality several hundred metres below the sea. But the rise of modern dive-computers retired the need for a dive watch by offering highly accurate data rather than an approximation. But that, however, took the diver from deep under the water to practically everywhere else.
Great Watches, Greater Watchmakers
The ruggedness, legibility and practicality turned this genre of tool watch into the most popular and desirable genre in the market. The sky-high popularity, however, meant that the prices and exclusivity of watches from other brands rocketed, leaving the average joe no option but to break into their fixed deposit just to buy a dive watch from established Swiss brands. Lucky for us, Longines didn’t take that route, even though they easily could. Lest you forget, this is a brand founded in St Imier, Switzerland, and one that’s been around since 1832, making it the oldest registered watch brand in the world. That, in itself, wins a lot of brownie points in the horological community. Throughout its lasting history, Longines has pioneered many advancements in watchmaking. But more than that, the brand has consistently won the hearts of everyone who strapped their timepieces on onto their wrists—from the upper echelons of society to the nine-to-five office worker. Longines truly is for everyone.
The Quest Begins
The HydroConquest collection is nascent when you compare its launch year to the brand’s inception. Introduced in 2007, the HydroConquest serves as Longines’ primary modern dive watch collection—in contrast to its vintage-style divers, the Legend Diver and Skin Diver. However, in this short time, the collection has exponentially risen in popularity and is one of the brand’s bestselling watches now. To be fair, who wouldn’t want a rugged 41 or 43mm timepiece that is water resistant up to 300m, has the option of a stainless steel bracelet with a double-security folding clasp and an integrated diving extension, along with a mechanical Longines calibre; all for a fraction of the price you’d pay for other Swiss bigwigs. The HydroConquest was a sure-fire win from the start.
Visual Balance, Solid Construction
The HydroConquest was completely reimagined in 2018 and introduced to the world at that year’s Baselworld. Since then, visually, all HydroConquest pieces have shared the same elegant, tried-and-tested aesthetic. This is basically a case that measures either 41mm or 43mm, a ceramic unidirectional-rotating bezel. The display is also quite standard in the dive watch world—three big, legible Arabic numerals at 12, nine, and six o’clock, and a discreet date window at three o’clock in the time-date variants. The cases have a satin-brushed finishing as well as a few polished parts, which interplay well against the sun. The dial is super legible and uses Super-LumiNova for the indexes, Arabic numerals and the wide silvered polished hands. There are variants with a chronograph movement too but we’ll be focussing on the time-only mechanical ones for now. The HydroConquest case is big and solidly built, featuring large angular crown guards and a level of finishing that’s quite high for the prices these watches are offered at. The large, screw-down crown, along with the solid caseback, aids in keeping the water out for deeper diving depths. The watches are available in various colourways, and all of them manage to look exquisite and elegant. The premium look has a lot to do with its unidirectional-rotating bezel. It’s available in ceramic, and it doesn’t feel cheap. The quality and evenness of the ceramic is such that it truly contradicts its relatively low price point.
There’s a special variant that features all the characteristics found in the collection’s latest facelift, but with a twist—Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2), a high-tech, scratch-resistant black ceramic compound that makes up the case of this watch. The watch stands out among the different versions of the HydroConquest with a full-black stealth look giving it a more modern, sportier character.
An Exclusive Ticker
Longines has employed ETA to make the mechanical movements of the HydroConquest. (ETA SA is a Swiss movement manufacturer with a history which can be traced all the way back to 1793.) Beating inside the Longines HydroConquest is the automatic calibre L888. This tailor-made movement oscillates at a surprising rate of 25,200vhp—quite a bit slower than the ETA movement it is based on, which beats at the standard 28,800vph. The reason behind the slower rate is the power reserve. This modified movement offers an impressive 64-hour reserve as compared with the base movement’s 42 hours of operation. This makes the timepiece ideal for watch rotations, where you interchange between two or more watches throughout the week.
The 2020 HydroConquest
For this year, Longines has released the HydroConquest sporting a military-look with a khaki-green dial and bezel. Like its predecessors, this watch also has a polished ceramic insert in its unidirectional bezel that matches the dark matte green of the dial for a handsome monochromatic look and scratch-free user experience. The Khaki Green HydroConquest is available in both 41mm and 43mm case sizes. There’s also a bright ‘forest green’ example that is only available in 41mm steel. The green model is the perfect addition to the HydroConquest collection’s blue, grey and black timepieces. Inside the case, which has been tested to 300m of water resistance, ticks the self-winding L888.3 calibre. The watch is available with either a textured rubber strap in the same khaki hue as the dial and bezel or a steel link bracelet with a double security folding clasp equipped with a divers’ extension.
The Quest Has Ended
We love talking about haute horlogerie pieces, innovative breakthroughs in materials and timekeeping, and other similar topics here on The Watch Guide. However, one cannot ignore the average joe’s quest for an excellent Swiss watch at an affordable price. For quite some time now, Longines has been the ultimate value proposition in Swiss watchmaking. They’ve been to watches what the Ford Motor Company is to cars. The HydroConquest collection exemplifies this statement with a line of cracking watches that have the perfect diving aesthetic and functionality at a price far, far less than its competitors. What this means is that Mr Joe’s quest here has finally ended.
Shop The Story
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Longines HydroConquest
L3.782.4.06.9
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Longines HydroConquest
L3.782.4.56.9
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Longines HydroConquest
L3.782.4.76.6
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Longines HydroConquest
L3.782.4.96.9
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Longines HydroConquest
L3.782.4.76.9
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Longines Diving
L3.784.4.56.9
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Longines HydroConquest
L3.781.4.96.6
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Longines HydroConquest
L3.782.4.56.6
Nice collection