UK PERFECT REPLICA LONGINES INTRODUCES THE HERITAGE MILITARY MARINE NATIONALE, AN UPDATED TAKE ON CLASSIC MADE FOR THE FRENCH NAVY

The latest entry from Swiss fake Longines in their long running and well curated Heritage line has been announced. The Heritage Military Marine Nationale is an updated take on a classic watch designed for the French Navy. Longines, of course, has been down this road before with the Heritage series, becoming more adept as the years roll on in picking interesting pieces from their archives and giving them just the right amount of modern spin. The Heritage “Sector” I reviewed back in July is a personal favorite, and a good expression of what makes this ongoing series worthwhile: vintage design cues, modern movements, contemporary but still conservative sizing, and a compelling story. It all adds up to vintage inspired watches that even someone like me, who loves modern design and tires easily of reissued watches, can easily appreciate and enjoy.

The stainless steel fake watch has silvery dial.
Stainless Steel Fake Longines Watch

The Heritage Military Marine Nationale (we’ll call it the Marine Nationale from here on out) is inspired by the mid-century best copy Longines reference known as the 5774. This was a simple 33.5mm time only watch powered by the historic 12.68N caliber, and custom made for the French Navy beginning in 1947. The Navy required a watch that was both reliably accurate and capable of standing up to the elements, namely exposure to water. The end result was a watch of unusually robust design for the time period, with a clean, hyper-legible dial bearing a simple “Longines FAB. SUISSE” signature, and nothing else.

That original design has been bumped up in size for the new Marine Nationale (to 38.5mm, still discreet by modern standards), and of course the movement is a modern automatic, with a silicon balance spring, but otherwise it’s a faithful representation of the issued watch from 1947, which is exactly what we’d expect from Longines. Clear Arabic numerals at every hour are matched with smaller Arabics on an outer track counting off the minutes in increments of five. It’s field watch-esque, to be sure, and has the same kind of no nonsense absence of fussiness that we love about watches like the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical and others that have military roots.

The silvery dial copy watch has Arabic numerals.
Silvery Dial Copy Longines Watch

There are perhaps two surprising things about this watch that are worth mentioning. First, is the seeming incoherence between this watch having Navy heritage and an aesthetic that’s often associated with watches that are, specifically, land based. Remember that not everyone in the French Navy needed a dive watch (even though Tudor is currently capitalizing on the ones that did). The lack of a rotating bezel here is an authentic design choice that speaks to the original watch’s intended purpose – to be resistant to water at shallow depths, but not a tool for technical diving.

Secondly, we should address the coloration of the dial. Quality replica Longines has previously released watches in their Heritage line with dial effects that add an element of faux-patina. This of course is common with radium colored lume, but a smaller number of brands actually make their dials look weathered. Whether or not this is desirable is ultimately a matter of personal preference, but will surely be the topic of some significant debate once these watches start hitting social media and your local Longines retailer.

We asked the Swiss replica Longines VP of Marketing lots of questions about the new Spirit collection so you don’t have to

The Longines Spirit release is a totally new collection this year, something that is already very exciting in and of itself, but also because it’s an entirely new chapter for the brand. Longines, just like many of the finest watchmakers in the world, slowly improve their watches over time and rarely release entirely new collections, making the launch of the Spirit collection something that deserves attention just for its rarity. But beyond this new step from the brand, the Spirit collection is a totally different offering from Longines for a number of reasons. I spoke with Matthieu Baumgartner, the VP of Marketing at Longines, about how this new collection is a first for Longines in a few ways, and where it fits into the brand moving forward, and I came away with six key points you need to know.

Perfect Replica Longines Watch

1. This is the first Longines collection that blurs the line between old and new

“One of the key challenges behind this collection was blending heritage and contemporary. We wanted to have it distinct from the heritage segment statement of Longines, which is made of re-interpretations of milestones from the archives and the Museum of Longines. Spirit was a different project, because we rather see it as a testimony of the pioneer spirit. It is not a re-interpretation or re-edition of a specific watch from the past, but it encompasses different elements, and it’s a fusion of different aesthetical and technical elements, from watches that were equipping pioneers and innovators in the past.”

“If you look at the crown, we didn’t go for an oversized onion shape, or at least an oversized crown like we have on the Longines Weems Second-Setting watch. That, for example, is very much a pilot’s crown for pilots to use with gloves. Here we went for a slightly oversized yet very contemporary approach.”

“So it’s in these very small details that we made the difference between a re-edition of a watch from the past and a brand new collection that is strongly rooted in Longines history and aesthetic and functional codes of pilot’s and explorer watches and, of course, they did this with the COSC chronometer caliber, which is possibly the highest quality that you can expect today.”

The reissued Longines Weems Second-Setting watch.

2. If you were going to risk your life in an aircraft in the 1920s, you put your trust in Longines

“This new collection pays tribute to the feats of the pioneers of the past, and it’s not only about what they’ve achieved, but the fact that they have done that with the help of Longines wrist watches or instruments. It was a significant role that the timepiece played in the success of their endeavours back then, and could be the difference between failure and success.”

“The link between Longines and aviation is quite obvious, and we already had re-editions of historical timepieces from that era. We think of the Weems or the Lindbergh, and we were able to get some amazing and sometimes crazy stories about these watches back in the 1920s. For example, we found out that while they were taking the utmost risk to cross an ocean, or to go from point A to point B, or to break the record of being the fastest or the highest, they were placing their trust in Longines watches and instruments. We were so stunned by the level of risk they were ready to take.”

“Longines played a very important role back then as the official supplier of the World Air Sports Federation from 1919 onwards, and we found these stories also really inspiring when it came to the times we live in now. We believe that the pioneer spirit still has a strong meaning. Of course, taking risks is not the same as it was a century ago, but we are strongly convinced that being brave, daring, accepting risks, to sometimes fail but eventually be successful and triumph, they are very much values that are still important and make sense today.”

The original Weems watch from 1933. Image: Antiquorum

3. The Spirit collection is rooted in optimism

“With Longines Spirit, we have not only a re-interpretation of a specific quest from the past, but we have a fully new collection that is deeply rooted in Longines history with the pioneers of the skies, the lands and seas. Beyond a watch collection, this is also a new claim that the pioneer dream lives on. That is somehow a bridge between the glorious history of these pilots and pioneers and what we see as the pioneers of today.”

“So the ones who are very daring, brave, and who have the courage to try to uphold dreams even if they don’t succeed the first time, but to sometimes fail and eventually succeed with elegance. That is very much what is behind this new collection.”

The section of the Longines Museum that focuses on the history of aviation.

4. The quick-change date function on the chronograph was carefully considered

“This is a function of the L688.4 caliber that this chronograph is fitted with, and then there was a question: ‘Shall we hide this function or make it very discreet, or shall we have the proper pusher at 10?’ Eventually, we found out that having this function visible, this quick-set function visible with a pusher — that is screw-down to avoid any accidental or unwanted use — made the watch overall more balanced because you have the chronograph pushers and the crown on the upper end.”

The practical fake Longines watch has date window.

5. Matthieu Baumgartner’s favourite Longines Spirit watch is …

“I have rather small wrists, so I’d rather go for a three-hands date, and when I saw the first sketches and the first prototypes, I very much liked the black dial. But right now I think my favourite is the silver dial on leather strap.”

Matthieu Baumgartner’s first favourite.

6. Matthieu Baumgartner’s favourite vintage Longines watch is …

“I would say that like many collectors, I would love to one day find a Longines fitted with a 13ZN movement, in good condition and at a decent price. I think that’s a dream that many collectors and aficionados of Longines have — both for the movement and also just because of how the watch looks, as well as what it means in the history of Longines. That’s probably the one I would dream of.”

Made in partnership with Longines. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.

HANDS-ON: The Swiss Fake Longines Record Australian Limited Edition

The Longines Record Collection is an important pillar of the brand today, representing the clean classicism that is embodied by the brand. The Heritage Collection is popular with the vintage enthusiast, just as the Sport Collection is a favourite of the adventurous type, and the Record Collection is designed to be an everyday companion and has a correspondingly universal appeal. The openly spaced and cleanly designed dials, as well as the elegant case designs, make for a watch that can look good in any situation, be it casual or formal. This dynamic nature is seen in the new watch copy Longines Record Australian Limited Edition, which takes that collective DNA and expresses it with luxurious flair.

The stainless steel fake watch is decorated with diamonds.
Stainless Steel Case Fake Longines Record Australian Limited Edition
The case

The stainless steel case of the best watch replica Longines Record Australian Limited Edition measures a well-balanced 38.5mm in diameter, but wears slightly larger thanks to the generously curved lugs. Housed within the steel case is the Longines caliber L888.4, a relatively slim automatic winding movement that keeps the watch sitting sleekly against your wrist.
Boasting a full 62 hours of power reserve, the caliber L888.4 is also COSC certified, showing Longines’ commitment to high performance even within their larger families such as the Record Collection.

The dial

Offering a frame for the dial against the steel case, the tastefully adorned bezel is set with 52 internally flawless VVS diamonds. Weighing a combined 0.624 carats, the precious stones walk the design tightrope between overly subtle and audacious, catching the eye without being too glitzy.
As the eye is drawn to the space that the bezel surrounds, you see the shimmering white mother-of-pearl dial that is peppered with a further 13 diamonds placed as hour markers. The pearlescent dial offers a high-contrast canvas to the blued steel hands that precisely track the hours, minutes and seconds as they pass.

The white dial replica watch has date window.
White Dial Replica Longines Record Australian Limited Edition
The straps

While all of this makes for a beautiful watch, it certainly isn’t the end of the impressive list of features on offer. Upon receipt of the Longines Record Australian Limited Edition, you will receive three different alligator leather straps, dyed purple, white and black. This helpful range of hues can be swapped to match an outfit, or to whatever the feeling of the day might be. All of the straps can be changed easily without tools, thanks to Longines’ simple adjustment mechanism that can be activated from the rear of each strap.

The verdict

The perfect watch fake Longines Record Australian Limited Edition is very much a watch to be worn every day. From the practicality of the date window and the COSC certified movement to the range of strap offerings, this watch seeks to expose the almost universally appropriate design of the Record Collection that is so clearly on display in this watch. It is a watch that can be dressed up or down, but maintains its identity as a luxurious and sophisticated timepiece that expresses an understated confidence.