Discovering the fitting watch that doesn’t have a basic, spherical case is trickier than I anticipated. You see, not too long ago, I’ve been pursuing an choice for my assortment that doesn’t adhere to the case form most of us begin with. Hurrah for classic Longines coming to the rescue!
The spherical watch case is virtually synonymous with watchmaking as we all know it at this time. It exhibits a direct transition from pocket watches of the previous centuries to a miniaturized pocket watch on the wrist. The explanations for pocket watches being spherical had been many and different. The largest one, maybe, was that having rounded sides meant that extra primitive steel processing expertise didn’t need to deal with sharpening sharp edges. Then, as watches first migrated to the wrist, angular shapes more than likely appeared uncomfortable to put on.
Echo/Neutra Rivanera
The tyranny of too many good decisions
In his seminal work, Revolution in Time, David Landes famous that when clocks had been made moveable and sufficiently small to be worn, it was virtually inevitable that they’d be made sufficiently small for the wrist.
And certainly, right here we’re at this time with an abundance of wristwatch choices! With the advance in industrial expertise, we even have a myriad of shapes to deal with, together with rectangles, diamond-like octagons, squares, triangles, and every part in between. The problem now could be navigating the sheer abundance of choices.
Cartier Tank Normale — Picture: Wind Classic
Et tu, Cartier?
My journey began with Cartier. The watch maison is a grasp of shapes. A lot of its designs converse to me, particularly the Tank Normale and the Tank Française. I appear to favor the watches with barely thicker bezels. If I had been to select an absolute favourite form, it might seemingly be the Tank Normale’s. There’s something extraordinarily cool about how the designs of the early Cartier Tanks had been impressed by the Renault FT-17 tank (pictured under).
Picture: The Australian Struggle Memorial
The Cartier Tank Normale is a dream look ahead to me. The backstory, the category of it… the way in which it seems! Sadly, the Tank Normale is solely exterior my funds, so it was again to the drafting board for me. Sure, I might go for one thing easier and extra inexpensive inside the Cartier secure. That might seemingly be a classic Tank Should with a manual-wind caliber. However even these appear overpriced on the secondary market at this time.
Common Genève ref. 842135 — Picture: Analog/Shift
Common Genève, oh, the way you tempt me…
One other intriguing rabbit gap I discovered myself in whereas considering possession of a classic Cartier Tank Should was that of Common Genève. The model launched many apparently formed watches within the Nineteen Sixties and Seventies. Some had been nicknamed “Ellipse” just because they resembled the case form and dynamism of the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse.
These watches by Common Genève can provide a remarkably comparable type issue, however a number of designs and variations inhabit the model’s again catalog. The problem right here, like so many watches nowadays (*sigh*), is the appreciable value they’ll command. It isn’t uncommon to see these promote for properly over €1,500, which appeared a bit a lot to spend on a watch I wasn’t sure I’d take pleasure in carrying.
The intriguing world of classic Longines
That is the place Longines steps in. Ah, good ol’ Longines — one of many true greats. The model now does an important job of recreating previous hits with its Heritage line. There are some absolute gems elsewhere within the catalog too. My coronary heart, nevertheless, is in classic Longines as a result of it represents eras when the model was on the prime of its recreation. There’s the legendary 13ZN line of chronographs, the period of gorgeous Artwork Deco gown watches, and the model’s contribution to navigation and aviation historical past, which you’ll examine right here.
I used to be working my means by way of the obtainable listings on Chrono24 and located a major variety of appropriate choices from Longines. Seemingly, the model completely loved experimenting with case shapes within the late Nineteen Sixties and, notably, the Seventies. This should have been as a result of such experimentation was fashionable again then.
Picture: Chrono24
The classic Longines ref. 4155
I then stumbled throughout one itemizing for a classic Longines ref. 4155. It had the manually winding caliber L847.4, a easy motion missing a seconds hand. The vendor was in Southeast Asia, and the worth was far lower than comparable choices by Common Genève and Cartier. That mentioned, classic Seventies Longines watches are nonetheless wonderful high quality, so I knew I wouldn’t must scrimp on that. I made a decision to leap on it.
The watch has a softer rectangular form, being extra stretched out than the choices I’d seen from Common Genève. It additionally lacks the exhausting angles of most of the classic Cartier watches I’d seen. The most effective parts of the design is the built-in Milanese bracelet, which ends with a Longines clasp. Regardless that the watch is 5 a long time previous, the clasp motion remains to be exact and satisfying. The dial is straightforward sufficient, with simply the Longines title and emblem under 12 and “Swiss Made” at 6 o’clock. Elongated Roman numerals grace the perimeter of the silver linen dial. Total, the design is minimalist and stylish.
Concluding ideas
I now have my first “formed” watch, which I’ll experiment with by carrying a good bit to see if I can get used to such a type. Nonetheless, instantly upon receiving it, I noticed it hadn’t scratched my itch for one thing just like the Cartier Tank Normale. Some issues simply haven’t any substitute, I assume. And therein lies the issue. My situation with these formed watches is that the fashions I’m genuinely captivated with or need are comparatively unaffordable. In a way, then, I’m again to sq. one.
Having a cool Longines to put on alongside the journey is hardly an issue, although. I’m grateful I began this quest for a formed watch that may stick within the assortment (I think this Longines won’t). Maybe I ought to simply chew the bullet, save up for a number of years, and get the Cartier. What do you suppose, Fratelli? Do you’ve any suggestions for a formed watch design that I ought to look into? Let me know within the feedback.
