Founded in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Longines developed its first instrument for timing sport events — a chronograph pocket watch with a monopusher crown — as early as 1878. By 1886, Longines was already supplying the majority of New York’s sports officials. As the official timekeeper of sporting events across disciplines, and as a manufacturer of professional instruments for pilots, navigators, explorers and sportsmen, Longines has always strived to improve accuracy, precision and functionality of its watches. 

By working on professional pocket watches, Longines gradually transferred its know-how to wristwatches. To do so, the heart of the watch — the movement — often needed to be redesigned and miniaturized. This culminated in the brand’s first wrist chronograph in 1913 (caliber 13.33Z) and the world’s first wristwatch with a rotating bezel in 1931. The company also patented the world’s first flyback chronograph in 1936. In 1954, a Longines quartz clock set the record for precision at the Neuchâtel Observatory competition. The brand later launched one of the world’s first quartz wristwatches in 1969, the Ultra-Quartz.