Recently however it has become renowned for re-issuing old models from its substantial back catalogue, winning over a new generation of fans. Movements aside, those watches also looked rather gorgeous, with their stepped steel cases and mushroom pushers.Īfter making it through the quartz crisis and getting bought by the Swatch Group, Longines lost a little of its cachet in the industry, and for a decade or so it was just another run-of-the-mill Swiss manufacturer that relied on movements sourced from ETA. Mention legendary high-precision calibres like the 13 ZN and the later 30 CH to chronograph connoisseurs and watch them go misty-eyed and weak at the knees. And they had to be, as Longines’ watches were often relied on to time major sporting events, from the Olympics to motor-racing to numerous equine competitions. From the 1930s to the 1950s, they released a number of luxury watches run on movements that are now rightly regarded as some of the most reliable ever made. Even then, they were mounted on either a Valjoux or Lemania movement.Way before the arrival of such icons as the Rolex Daytona, the TAG Heuer Monaco and the Omega Speedmaster, Longines lorded it over the chronograph universe. While it may sound simple on paper, consider that virtually no other manufacturer attempted to produce a flyback mechanism in a chronograph until 20 years later with the advent of the Type XX chronographs produced for the French military (an exception was in Glashütte where UROFA developed flyback chronographs in the late 1930s). At the same time, the flyback process must also disengage the chronograph clutch, pushing it away from the chronograph wheel while the reset button is pressed, then re-engaging it once it is released (circled in blue). The most obvious mechanical difference would be the lack of a tooth (circled in red) on the head of the reset hammer, which hence allows it an unobstructed movement to reset the chronograph even when it is running. For instance, the two pictures below are from the same watch, and the serial numbers do match.Ī flyback function, on the other hand, allows for the reset mechanism to take place while the chronograph is running. Also, since most of these watches came with hinged backs, be aware that the hinge may have been previously broken, and then fixed by a jeweler.Īnother key thing to pay attention to is making sure the serial number stamped on the movement match with the number stamped on the case. One thing to note: be very wary of enamel dials, which may crack easily during shipment (you might be in for an unexpected shock if the watch arrives with hairline cracks in the dial due to improper packaging). There is also less of a difference in prices between steel, gold (and silver) cases as compared to the 13ZNs. You would probably be able to find a mint condition 13.33Z under $10,000, with most residing in the 6-8k range. While prices of 13ZNs have been steadily increasing, the 13.33Zs, in our opinion, are still somewhat underpriced and feature less prominently in the minds of collectors despite their stunning movements and dials.
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