It all started when…

Longines' illustrious history begins in 1867, when the Longines factory opened in Saint-Imier, France. Ernest Francillon started the factory, and produced it's first movement - the 20A. This movement went on to win an award in that same year at the Parisian Universal Exhibition.

Longines have proven their quality from very early on in their existence, with Prince Luigi Amedo of Savoie, Duke of the Abruzzi, taking a Longines watch on his expedition to the Arctic in the very last years of the 19th Century.

In 1919, Longines became the official supplier for the International Aeronautical Federation. They were chosen by aviation adventurers for both their reliability and accuracy.

In 1936, five years after pilot Charles A Lindberg completed his non-stop flight over the North Atlantic and worked with Longines on a revolutionary navigational instrument (The indberg Hour Angle watch), the Longines company created the 13ZN movement, one of the most remarkable in the history of the company.

Longines produced their first quartz clock in 1954. This clock had a camera attached which allowed sports officials to view images taken every one hundredth of a second.

In recent years, Longines has continued its tradition of producing more and more accurate timekeeping machines, as well as producing some of the most elegant timepieces for both men and women.

Longines have ambassadors from all walks of life, from actors such as Kate Winslet and Simon Baker, to sports personalities, such as Stefanie Graf, Andre Agassi and Mikaela Shiffrin.