Baselworld 2014 Review: Longines Equestrian Lepine Pocket Watch in Rose Gold

The Baselworld 2014 event was the venue where Longines unveiled its new pocket watch with equestrian inspiration. Longines Equestraian Lepine timekeeper is based on a historic model from 1927 which is on display in the brand’s museum in Saint-Imier. As its archetype model, the newcomer is also inspired by a horse. There are two important reasons for this decision – to celebrate the brand’s historic association with horse racing, as well as to mark the current Chinese year of the horse. The overall theme of Longines Equestrian Lepine is most clearly visible on a solid metal back cover of its sizeable red gold housing, since it possesses a stamped motif of a horse and its rider jumping over a hurdle. Inside the housing there is a hand-wound mechanical caliber. The novel pocket watch has a traditional lacquered dial which features central hands for hours and minutes, as well as a small seconds counter.

Longines Equestrian Lepine Watch Profile

The double tribute timepiece which honors the year of a horse and the brand’s historical ties with equestrian sports is a very classical looking piece of restrained design. It has a crisp white lacquered dial which looks quite spacious due to its dimensions and the lack of excessive details. On its outskirts, we can notice a railroad minute track. It surrounds twelve Roman hour numerals (from 1-12) and two less in red color used to designate hours from 12 to 24. Two numerals are omitted since they would lie on the borders of a small seconds counter and thus disturb its harmonious appearance. The final touch which completes the face is the presence of pink hands (minute and hour hands are Breguet-styled with a circular openings prior to the tip) and a seconds pointer in the same color that matches the housing.

Longines Equestrian Lepine Watch Back

Stamped Motif on the Case Back

Probably the most interesting feature of the novel pocket watch is its large 49.5 mm wide red gold housing which will clearly considerably raise the price of the watch. Its main embellishment is a stamped motif of a horse and its rider during a jump, but it is not the only visible decoration. Longines Equestrain Lopine also has lovely garland-like decorations on both its case-band and its bow which surrounds the crown and which is used to attach the watch with a chain (the chain is by the way not included with the piece). These ornaments are like the stamped motif on the rear side among the elements that are replicated from the mentioned historic piece from the 1920s. Furthermore, we should say that the front side of the watch is guarded with a sapphire crystal with multiple glare-proof coating layers.

Longines Equestrian Lepine 1927 Watch

Inside the round gold housing beats a mechanical hand-wound caliber L506 with ETA 6497/2 base. It is 16 ½ lignes (36.6 mm) wide and 4.5 mm high. The 17-jeweled movement beats at the frequency of 21,600 vph and it provides a power reserve that lasts for 53 hours.

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