This site will walk you through Longines: history, top markets and identity, together with its products and vision for the upcoming year. Learn about the Longines brand and the fascinating world of Swiss watchmaking. As well as its history since 1832, where tradition and cutting-edge industry work together in harmony. Also, learn about the importance of the U.S. market and how it has been one of the top markets dating back to Longines’ inception.

The development of watchmaking know-how by Longines is part of its long quest for technical mastery of time measurement. Through its various transformations (from watchmaking counter to big watchmaking manufacture), the winged hourglass brand has striven to combine its quest for precision with aesthetic requirements, which even today underpins the identity of its production. At its outset under Auguste Agassiz, the house was a watchmaking counter similar to a host of establishments flourishing at the time in the region.

In 1867, Ernest Francillon, the successor to Agassiz, chose to break with the prevailing production methods of Swiss watchmaking. He brought together his workers under the same roof, adopting and developing mechanical production processes: the Longines manufacture was born. Since then, the Saint-Imier manufacture — under the auspices of its winged hourglass — has seen uninterrupted development, signing its name to a host of watchmaking creations to earn international recognition. As well as being the brand winning the most awards at the International and Universal Exhibitions (ten Grand Prix by the 1929 Barcelona Universal Exhibition), Longines has supplied its timing equipment to the aviation world since 1919, supporting the pioneers of flight in their adventures (particularly the famous flight by Lindbergh between New York and Paris). The watchmaking house has also carved itself a niche as a sports timer, designing timing equipment that gives it a worldwide scope. It has participated in a host of the most prestigious sporting events.

Today, Longines is pursuing its vocation as a timer, with a firm commitment to the disciplines of gymnastics, alpine skiing, tennis and archery, but above all equestrian sports, the brand’s great passion since 1878, when Longines produced a chronograph engraved with a jockey and his mount, which would become extremely popular with jockeys and horse enthusiasts.

Longines is proud to be able to count the English actress Kate Winslet and Australian actor Simon Baker among its Ambassadors of Elegance. The Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, a brand partner for more than fifteen years, and the Asian star, actress and model Chi Ling Lin, the Chinese star Aaron Kwok Fu Shing, the representative of the new generation of Asian actors Eddie Peng, and Russian-born actress Ingeborga Dapkunaite also represent the values of Longines to perfection.