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- Longines has unveiled four new references: two Spirit Pilots and two Spirit Pilot Flybacks
- The watches pay tribute to Longines’ exceptional aviation heritage, which includes making instruments for some of the world’s most famous explorers
- Each watch in the collection sports a blue motif with a matte dial and either a steel bracelet or blue rubber strap
Longines has never been shy about its stellar aviation heritage, and rightly so. Having outfitted a number of history’s most famous pilots and pioneers, including Amelia Earhart, Elinor Smith, and Richard Byrd, for some of the most dangerous transatlantic and polar flights of the 20th century, the Swiss maison is once again showcasing its pedigree with a welcome expansion of its Spirit line.
Across four references (a pair of Spirit Pilot watches and a pair of Spirit Pilot Flyback chronographs), Longines is giving its modern pilot-watch family the blue treatment, and, more importantly, backing it up with a pair of COSC-certified movements.
Whether you prefer a pilot’s three-hand watch paired with your choice of a steel bracelet or a rubber strap, or the grandeur of a chronograph sporting the same, these releases find Longines operating in its area of expertise with maximum effectiveness.
Spirit Pilot Key Specs:
- References: L3.809.4.93.6 / L3.809.4.93.9
- Case: Stainless steel
- Diameter: 39 mm
- Thickness: 11.5 mm
- Dial: Matte blue
- Movement: Self-winding L888.4
- Power Reserve: Up to 72 hours
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Strap: Steel bracelet / Swiss-made blue rubber
Spirit Pilot Flyback Key Specs:
- References: L3.721.4.93.6 / L3.721.4.93.9
- Case: Stainless steel
- Diameter: 39.5 mm
- Thickness: 13.4 mm
- Dial: Matte blue
- Movement: Hand-wound L792.4
- Power Reserve: Up to 68 hours
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Strap: Steel bracelet or Swiss-made blue rubber
Spirit Pilot or Spirit Pilot Flyback?
One half of Longines’ new range is made up of the Spirit Pilots, a pair of 39-mm three-hand watches measuring a svelte 11.5 mm thick. These understated options are a perfect fit whether you’re navigating the skies above the Atlantic or (more likely) propping up a bar after work. Each watch’s matte blue dial contrasts with its silvered Super-LumiNova-adorned hands and applied Arabic numerals, while a refined minute track helps with readability.
The more technically ambitious releases come in the form of two Spirit Pilot Flyback references. These watches continue Longines’ chronograph history — the brand filed a foundational flyback chronograph patent all the way back in 1935. These two Flyback references are a direct nod to that innovation.
Housed in cases measuring 39.5 mm in diameter and just 13.4 mm thick, they’re compact for their ilk. Each Flyback pairs its blue dial with a bidirectional rotating bezel finished with a blue ceramic insert and countdown timer. Silvered, Super-LumiNova-treated hands and numerals again optimise low-light functionality, while a box-shaped sapphire crystal adds a welcome vintage-instrument silhouette.
Movements
Underneath the Spirit Pilot’s blue facade sits the Longines-exclusive Calibre L888.4, a self-winding movement built around a silicon balance-spring that Longines says delivers up to 10 times the magnetic resistance of the ISO 764 standard. It also boasts a 72-hour power reserve and the aforementioned COSC certification, all protected by a screw-down crown and case back providing 100 metres of water resistance.
Power for the Flyback models comes from the hand-wound Calibre L792.4, an exclusive column-wheel movement visible through the display caseback. For those unfamiliar, its flyback function means that rather than having to stop, reset, and restart the chronograph separately, a single push resets and relaunches the timing sequence in one motion. This feature is designed to capture back-to-back intervals without missing a beat. COSC-certified and fitted with a silicon balance-spring for added magnetic resistance, the movement also offers a 68-hour power reserve.
Straps and Bracelets
As mentioned, both the Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback are available on a stainless-steel bracelet with a double safety folding clasp and micro-adjustment, or a high-quality Swiss-made blue rubber strap with a pin-buckle and interchangeability system.
While you’ll have to choose one at purchase, I’m sure sliding a little extra cash your Longines dealer’s way will unlock both.
Pricing and Availability
The four new references will take their place among the ranks of Longines’ broader Spirit lineup. Pricing and retail availability are yet to be confirmed, but I will be back to update you here as soon as they are.
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