The Low Down

To the casual observer, the Longines Ultra-Chron may seem like a deep cut from Longines’ impressive and wide-ranging back catalogue of dress watches, military watches and chronographs. It was initially created in 1966, a few short years before the Swiss watch industry would face stiff competition in the form of quartz watches, cutting short its time in the market to a mere six years. However, it remains highly collectable and popular with collectors and enthusiasts. Its place in the history of Longines’ storied pursuit of chronometry cannot be overstated.

Unlike COSC, TIMELAB certifies completed, cased watches and not just the movements themselves. The lab runs through a range of tests over a period of 15 days before it can be certified by TIMELAB to have met the “Observatoire Chronométrique+” standard, or as Longines simply calls it, an “ultra-chronometer”. This designation takes pride of place on the caseback, inscribed above every other marking.

IMHO

With its Heritage collection of watches, Longines has been universally praised for its faithful recreations of past icons. And rightly so. Fans love them for all the retro look and feel, and none of the vintage headaches. While the new Ultra-Chron does not seem to be part of the Heritage Collection, it deserves its time in the sun and is yet another example of the sort of faithful recreation that the brand does so well, from the case proportions to the dial details. The main difference is the removal of the date window that stays perfectly true to the tool watch aesthetic. It is likely that the Ultra-Chron will be a standalone novelty and one for the Longines nerds out there, seeing that the Legend Diver is the flagship heritage dive watch.

Tech Specs

Longines Ultra-Chron