So to start with I work at an AD that carry's multiple Swiss brands from $350 price points all the way up to pre-owned PP, AP, of course Rolex, Cartier, etc. Since we are not an AD for those higher brands I like to focus on the brands that we are an AD for and one of them is Longines.
Disclaimer, the company has been great to me and wonderful to work with, that withstanding however, I am a huge fan. I think they offer exceptional value per dollar and I am keen on their vintage leaning design language rich history in the world of aviation.
So that is the why of my question, my actual question is How does the general watch enthusiast on Reddit feel about how the brand is positioning themselves in the market from any aspect such as price point, design language, marketing, public outreach, whatever. What makes them a solid or not so solid brand?
Thank you! I'm trying to get my team fired up about Longines and I want to know what people besides the people I work with think about Longines! Wrist shot of my heritage chrono for some tax.
TLDR: Do you like or dislike Longines and why?
Cool history but currently being mass produced to a specific price point and with some overdone fashion forward characteristics on a lot of watches and shortcuts forced into other watches to make them sit in the correct spot in the hierarchy to push people upmarket into other brands. Not their fault. I'd buy a vintage one in a heartbeat, but no reason to buy anything post quartz crisis.
This is the type of feedback that I love. Can you elaborate on what hinderance manufacturing to a specific price point has had on their watches? I do agree that they are very eta heavy with their internals due to their swatch group station.
And why the preference to the older pieces over the new? Just the change in design? I’m just curious and I love hear well informed negative feedback! Thanks!
I just don't see anything on the internals that isn't pure eta cost efficiency, but you go back to a late 60s watch and they're basically on par with Zenith, Rolex and Omega. It's like swatch intentionally gives them lesser fit and finish so they don't compete with Omega and it's artificial to me. You get better quality automatic watches for $500-600 if you go non swatch/richemont. Whereas with vintage ones sure they may all be Lemania or whatever inside but there's no "this watch is better than that" artificial demand, they're all just good watches. And dials and lettering on Longines always looks tacky to me. Just comparing a jlc master control to the longines master L.2.673.4.78.3 the shape of the lugs looks put of place, the dial is SO busy, the polish looks more like a plating than a nice polish, the pushers have a bezel that looks awkward on the case, lots of lettering is obscured and feels like there are letters covering letters, the dial texture makes it feel even more busy. But those choices don't save money, they're design choices to make the watch say "look at me I'm fancy", it's overstated, to get the function back you have to move up. And with the heritage watches, you're paying more than vintage prices for an inferior mass produced movement so just no value for me.