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At first sight, this watch reminds us of the past, a past long gone. This timepiece is inspired by a watch from 1935. A time where wristwatches were still very new to people and most people if they owned a watch had a pocketwatch still. I published a first article on this watch a while back, so this is a continuation as I received the watch from Longines’ pressdepartment to shoot real photos of it for my blog.
I have thought about why this watch is called “Avigation”? And I came up with a combination of the two words aviation and navigation. These two words stand exactly for the use of this watch and put together they make “Avigation” if you skip a few letters… right?
The case on this watch still shows where it is coming from, i.e. from a pocketwatch.
However, the size is very comfortable, it is not oversized like its original sibling or the last remake which was still a hefty (and as I would consider unwearable) 49mm in size. This timepiece is 41mm only, although it looks larger due to the large shiny white dial – which is a reminiscence to the original enamel dial – and small bezel. It fits very nicely on the wrist, the crown is positioned so it does not bother your wrist.
You may find this modern interpretation very pleasing to the eye, and since finding an original may be close to impossible (not only due to rarity, but also due to its value which will be somewhere around 50000 to 100000 US Dollars, as you can see in this link, showing the sale of a A-7 military for over 70000 CHF), this is a feasible every day wearer.
As this is a modern reinterpretation, you find a date conveniently positioned at 6 o’clock. As it is relatively small, it really does not bother as many people tend to complain about the date function since that is not how the original once was. Instead, I find it convenient and practical, and it does not distract from the vintage beauty of this timepiece.
The story about how the first Aviagation watch was developed goes back to 1935. This story (if you click the link, the text is in German, I will try to describe it forward) starts with a comprehensive requirements sheet in 1934. This requirements sheet was presented by the US airforce material supply unit on October 10th, 1934. The 7 page document described in every possible detail the requirements for the airforce of a new “Fliegeruhr” (Fliegerwatch).
In 1935, the U. S. Army finally ordered 175 pieces of the „Avigation (Hack) Watch Type A-7“ at Longines’ US-agent Wittnauer Co. in New York. The full story on this can be read at this German link (definately worth a read, use google translate to read it in other languages).
If you wonder why 12 o’clock was moved 40 degrees to the right, it is explained by the wristposition of a pilot flying an airplane. Similar to a car steering wheel, the pilot is holding the yoke and this watch allowed him to keep holding it while reading the time. A very practical design. This same design could be supportive for a race car driver for example.
Now, let’s take another look at the watch. The honey colored indices are based on old radium lume coloration, but are made of superluminova now as radium may not be used any more (legally).
Longines in St. Imier forwarded me a picture of the original Avigation with black dial which I would like to share with you:
There are white and black dial versions made back in time. The black dial was meeting the specs of the US military. The white dial must have been made for civilian use.
The remade Avigation Longines has stayed quite closely to the original with the addition of a date indication. The caseback engraving looks quite interesting displaying the Type A-7 name and an engraving of an airplane with Longines across the wings.
In conclusion, I must admit that Longines truly is playing the heritage very well. They have so much history, and this is not the only remake to emphasize their wonderful history.
For further information on this timepiece, please visit the Longines homepage.
(pictures are either my own without any photoshopping or from Longines, information contained here is my own, or from Longines, or from these sources: Source 1, Source 2).