Nowadays Longines is best known for it’s ‘elegance is an attitude’ approach to the watch game; elegant and subtle, high-quality watches. But did you know that the brand also has a rich and interesting history when it comes to pilot’s watches?The Lindbergh is perhaps the best known and most iconic pilot’s watch by the St. Imier-based brand. This model used a distinct dial design in combination with a rotating bezel to create a tool that would aid in navigation when flying solo in times before electronics – especially the calculation of solar time.The Lindbergh was however preceded by the Weems Second-Setting watch – a watch with a clever function that is admitably easier to grasp than those found on the Lindbergh Hour Angle.In the past watches were not all that accurate, so in aviation they were adjusted using a radio signal to observatory time once a day. But how would one do that if the watch in question didn’t feature a second hack function? Well, Weems invented a watch (ca. 1928,1929) on which the seconds scale, printed on a separate centre disc, could be turned to line up the seconds hand with the 60 when the signal was broad casted.. A clever solution!The modern reincarnation of this great classic features a case with dimensions as impressive as those found on the original – 47.5mm diameter!
