Discovering the best watch that doesn’t have a basic, spherical case is trickier than I anticipated. You see, not too long ago, I’ve been pursuing an choice for my assortment that doesn’t adhere to the case form most of us begin with. Hurrah for classic Longines coming to the rescue!
The spherical watch case is virtually synonymous with watchmaking as we all know it at present. It exhibits a direct transition from pocket watches of the previous centuries to a miniaturized pocket watch on the wrist. The explanations for pocket watches being spherical have been many and assorted. The most important one, maybe, was that having rounded sides meant that extra primitive metallic processing know-how didn’t should deal with sharpening sharp edges. Then, as watches first migrated to the wrist, angular shapes almost definitely appeared uncomfortable to put on.
The tyranny of too many good decisions
In his seminal work, Revolution in Time, David Landes famous that when clocks have been made transportable and sufficiently small to be worn, it was virtually inevitable that they’d be made sufficiently small for the wrist.
And certainly, right here we’re at present with an abundance of wristwatch choices! With the development in industrial know-how, we even have a myriad of shapes to deal with, together with rectangles, diamond-like octagons, squares, triangles, and all the pieces in between. The problem now’s navigating the sheer abundance of choices.
Cartier Tank Normale — Picture: Wind Classic
Et tu, Cartier?
My journey began with Cartier. The watch maison is a grasp of shapes. Lots of its designs communicate to me, particularly the Tank Normale and the Tank Française. I appear to choose the watches with barely thicker bezels. If I have been to select an absolute favourite form, it might seemingly be the Tank Normale’s. There’s something extraordinarily cool about how the designs of the early Cartier Tanks have been impressed by the Renault FT-17 tank (pictured beneath).
Picture: The Australian Battle Memorial
The Cartier Tank Normale is a dream look ahead to me. The backstory, the category of it… the best way it appears to be like! Sadly, the Tank Normale is just exterior my price range, so it was again to the drafting board for me. Sure, I might go for one thing easier and extra reasonably priced inside the Cartier secure. That will seemingly be a classic Tank Should with a manual-wind caliber. However even these appear overpriced on the secondary market at present.
Common Genève ref. 842135 — Picture: Analog/Shift
Common Genève, oh, the way you tempt me…
One other intriguing rabbit gap I discovered myself in whereas considering possession of a classic Cartier Tank Should was that of Universal Genève. The model launched many apparently formed watches within the Sixties and Nineteen Seventies. Some have been nicknamed “Ellipse” just because they resembled the case form and dynamism of the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse.
These watches by Common Genève can supply a remarkably related type issue, however a number of designs and variations inhabit the model’s again catalog. The problem right here, like so many watches nowadays (*sigh*), is the appreciable worth they’ll command. It’s not uncommon to see these promote for properly over €1,500, which appeared a bit a lot to spend on a watch I wasn’t sure I’d take pleasure in sporting.
The intriguing world of classic Longines
That is the place Longines steps in. Ah, good ol’ Longines — one of many true greats. The model now does an important job of recreating previous hits with its Heritage line. There are some absolute gems elsewhere within the catalog too. My coronary heart, nonetheless, is in classic Longines as a result of it represents eras when the model was on the prime of its sport. There’s the legendary 13ZN line of chronographs, the period of beautiful Artwork Deco gown watches, and the model’s contribution to navigation and aviation historical past, which you’ll be able to examine here.
I used to be working my manner by way of the obtainable listings on Chrono24 and located a big variety of appropriate choices from Longines. Seemingly, the model completely loved experimenting with case shapes within the late Sixties and, significantly, the Nineteen Seventies. This should have been as a result of such experimentation was stylish again then.
Picture: Chrono24
The classic Longines ref. 4155
I then stumbled throughout one itemizing for a classic Longines ref. 4155. It had the manually winding caliber L847.4, a easy motion missing a seconds hand. The vendor was in Southeast Asia, and the value was far lower than related choices by Common Genève and Cartier. That stated, classic Nineteen Seventies Longines watches are nonetheless glorious high quality, so I knew I wouldn’t have to scrimp on that. I made a decision to leap on it.
The watch has a softer rectangular form, being extra stretched out than the choices I’d seen from Common Genève. It additionally lacks the onerous angles of most of the classic Cartier watches I’d seen. The most effective parts of the design is the built-in Milanese bracelet, which ends with a Longines clasp. Although the watch is 5 a long time outdated, the clasp motion remains to be exact and satisfying. The dial is easy sufficient, with simply the Longines identify and emblem beneath 12 and “Swiss Made” at 6 o’clock. Elongated Roman numerals grace the perimeter of the silver linen dial. Total, the design is minimalist and stylish.
Concluding ideas
I now have my first “formed” watch, which I’ll experiment with by sporting a good bit to see if I can get used to such a type. Nevertheless, instantly upon receiving it, I noticed it hadn’t scratched my itch for one thing just like the Cartier Tank Normale. Some issues simply don’t have any substitute, I suppose. And therein lies the issue. My situation with these formed watches is that the fashions I’m genuinely obsessed with or want are comparatively unaffordable. In a way, then, I’m again to sq. one.
Having a cool Longines to put on alongside the journey is hardly an issue, although. I’m grateful I began this quest for a formed watch that can stick within the assortment (I think this Longines won’t). Maybe I ought to simply chew the bullet, save up for a couple of years, and get the Cartier. What do you suppose, Fratelli? Do you may have any suggestions for a formed watch design that I ought to look into? Let me know within the feedback.
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