The Longines Spirit Zulu Time is one of the most fabled timepieces in history, embodying the ravenous appetite for adventure that saw the iconic watchmaker design and manufacture a host of precision instruments that would guide some of the greatest explorers the world has ever known. Now that dedication to discovery has been reimagined in a new ergonomic and stylish 39mm Longines Spirit Zulu Time, which celebrates the incredible exploits of the past while looking to a future of new innovations and the horizons they will empower the next generation to conquer.
Following the very welcome reintroduction of the Longines Spirit Zulu Time in the Longines Spirit Collection last year, the house of the winged hourglass has introduced a new, more compact take on that modern classic, which acts as a perfect companion to its larger sibling. Coming with a wonderfully discreet stainless steel form factor, the new timepiece measures just 21mm from lug to lug and is a mere 13.50mm thick, making it an ideal option for those a little more slender of wrist.
Masters of the Meticulous
As you would expect, Longines’ unrivalled attention to detail is on full display across the collection. From the date window centred at the 6 o’clock position to the bezel with its coloured ceramic insert, every touch is immaculate. This continues inside the case, where you’ll find Longines’ ingenuity offering up an exclusive calibre with a silicon balance-spring driving the dual time zone display. Plus, thanks to the use of anti-magnetic material, each new Longines Spirit Zulu Time timepiece is certified as resistant to magnetism according to the ISO764 standard.
A similar degree of technological know-how enables each watch’s hour hand to be adjusted independently of the GMT indicator, while additional time zones are read using a 24-hour hand and bidirectional rotating bezel. What’s more, each watch offers a 72-hour power reserve – so globetrotters can rest assured their timepiece will be at the ready when they need it – while extreme accuracy is also guaranteed thanks to the movement’s chronometer certification courtesy of COSC (the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute).
Looks Do Matter
All of which is very impressive but would ultimately matter little if the 39mm Longines Spirit Zulu Time’s dial wasn’t much to look at. Fortunately the internal elegance of these new timepieces is mirrored externally by a range of sublimely understated dial finishes, including matte black, sunray blue, and sandblasted anthracite. While each of these colourways is outstanding in its own right, the anthracite is our undeniable favourite, thanks to its head-turning 18K yellow gold bezel and crown, which are paired with a chocolate brown ceramic insert with a gilt GMT track. The date window’s beige numerals sit in complete tonal harmony with the dial, while the hands and arabic numerals boast a coating of “old radium” Super-LumiNova, giving the whole affair an authentically vintage feel. Just stunning.
No matter which colour catches your eye, the new Longines Spirit Zulu Time is presented on an interchangeable stainless steel bracelet, an interchangeable NATO strap in a brown colour unique to this watch, or on an interchangeable brown leather strap with contrasting cream stitching, whose fine adjustment system further enhances wearability.
Past and Future Combined
Pairing the classic and the new, the past and the future, heritage and innovation, Longines’ new Spirit Zulu Time collection is a watchmaking masterclass that perfectly illustrates how to revere what has come before while continuing to push the envelope.
While we’ve confessed our affection for the sandblasted anthracite model, any watch-lover worth their salt would be thrilled to strap any one of these timepieces to their wrist. Because each new Longines timepiece adds yet another entry to the pages of history, and by doing so they continue to inspire the adventurer inside us all.
