As the other watches from the Heritage collection, new Longines Heritage 1973 recreates one of the brand’s models from the past. The latest member of the Heritage series is a revived version of the brand’s not so well-known timepiece from the seventies. One of the most notable traits of the model is its cushion-shaped steel housing. As it was with its archetype model, Longines Heritage 1973 possesses a column-wheel chronograph movement. The watch will be available in about two months with either black or silver dial. The Saint-Imier brand set the price tag of its new retro model at exactly $3,250.
Longines Heritage 1973 L2.791.4.72.0 Watch Case
Homage, not a Replica
The inspiration for the creation of Longines Heritage 1973 novelty is the brand’s chronograph that originally came out as a part of the Conquest series back in 1973. It is a cushion-shaped chronograph which was not among the brand’s best sellers at the time it came out. Even though it is not exactly the same as its archetype model, the new heritage 1973 is pretty similar to it. It has the same recognizable shape of the stainless steel case. However, the new watch is slightly larger as it has the diameter of 40 mm.
Longines Heritage 1973 L2.791.4.52.0 Watch Front
Some of the differences among the novel and the vintage timekeeper are visible on their dials, despite the fact that they do look pretty much alike, especially at the first glance. For example, the 1973 Conquest watch was made in the same dial color, but had two instead of three chrono counters. In order to make the dial of the new one more similar, Longines opted to make the lowest 12-hour chrono counter in the same color as the rest of the dial. Other two sub-dials are made in a contrasting color, as it was with the original Longines from the seventies. There are other similar yet not identical features, such as the appearance of the flange. At the periphery, both watches have a blue tachymetric scale. Going inward, there are first split-second markers and further down, indices used to mark minutes and hours. The silver hour markers are on the new watch applied and made with a thin line that facilitates the reading of the chrono seconds, as well as a dot of Superluminova. Their color matches the silver polished hands which likewise include luminous coatings. Another discrepancy is the presence of a date display aperture placed between four and five o’clock positions which is visible on the novel Longines watch.
Longines Conquest Chronograph Watch
Automatic Column-Wheel Chronograph Movement
The biggest difference between two watches concerns their movements. While the original model from the seventies worked on an iconic in-house 30 CH, the new one has a Longines L688 caliber. The major difference is the manner in which the movements are wound. Unlike the old one which was hand-wound, the new caliber which ETA made especially for Longines includes automatic-winding. Since Heritage 1973 wants to replicates the major traits of the old Conquest chronograph, the ETA designers made the new movement with a column-wheel chronograph complication, as it was the case in iconic 30 CH caliber. It is actually possible to see the blue column-wheel through the see-through sapphire section on the back of its case. Among other important traits of the watch’s movement, we should mention its frequency of 28,800 vph, while its slightly extended power reserve lasts for 54 hours.
Longines Heritage 1973 L2.791.4.72.0 Watch Front
Longines Heritage 1973 timekeeper has a sapphire crystal with multiple glare-proof coatings on the lower side. It is water resistant to 30 meters and it has a black alligator strap with contrasting stitching, just like the model from the seventies after which it was modeled upon. The leather strap locks with a simple pin buckle made of steel. As the manufacturer revealed, there are two versions of the timekeeper and the only difference among them is the color of the dial. The L2.791.4.72.0 has a silver dial with two black sub-counters, whereas the L2.791.4.52.0 has this color scheme reversed. Both of the variations will be sold for $3,250 once the watch hits the stores. As Longines has announced, this will happen in late February or early March.
