Property from an Important Collector
870
Longines
Ref. 3210
Lindbergh Hour Angle
A fine and rare silver pilot's wristwatch with enamel dial, rotating bezel, hour angle, central revolving disc and Extract from the Archives
- Estimate
- HK$150,000 - 250,000•€17,600 - 29,400$19,200 - 32,100
HK$171,450
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Longines
- Year
- Circa 1940
- Reference No
- 3210
- Movement No
- 5’497’846
- Case No
- 5’497’846
- Model Name
- Lindbergh Hour Angle
- Material
- Silver
- Calibre
- Manual, cal. 18.69N, 15 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Leather
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel pin buckle
- Dimensions
- 47mm diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial and movement signed
- Accessories
- Accompanied by two Longines Extract of the Archives dated 20th June 2018 and 9th July 2015, both confirming that the present watch was sold on 8th May 1940 to the company Perusset, the firm’s agent for Argentina.
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
The Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle is one of the most historically important pilot’s watch designed to aid aerial navigation in the 1930s. It was designed by the American aviator Charles Lindbergh famous for completing a solo non-stop transatlantic flight from New York city to Paris in May 1927.
Charles Lindbergh then teamed up with Longines and the legendary Renaissance man Philip Van Horn Weems, who devised the Weems System of Navigation, to design the Lindbergh model, which allows the pilot to determine his position in flight by applying the principles of celestial navigation, that means to observe the location of celestial bodies like the sun or moon to establish a navigator’s location on Earth.
The earliest examples of the Lindbergh Hour Angle were produced and delivered during the Great Depression in approximately 1929. Produced in small quantities, they are rare to find in today’s market. The present watch comes with the calibre 18.69N, first created in the late 1900s for pocket watches. The present watch is a beautiful example produced in silver (examples are also found in stainless steel) and stamped with the Swiss Canard (‘Duck’ in French) Hallmark, which according to the 1933 Federal Act, confirms a standard of fineness at 925 (used until 1995 when it was replaced by the Swiss National Assay Office hallmark with the St. Bernard dog’s head). The watch case is augmented by a fine layer of patina which magnifies the watch’s aging glamour. In complement to this, all the handmade details are astonishing, and one cannot help being drawn to the oversized onion crown, curved hinged back, and exquisite enamel numbering in blue, green and black on the enamel dial, rotating bezel, and central revolving disc.
Despite its age, the present watch is preserved in exceptional condition, and is further accompanied by two Longines Extract of the Archives.
Charles Lindbergh then teamed up with Longines and the legendary Renaissance man Philip Van Horn Weems, who devised the Weems System of Navigation, to design the Lindbergh model, which allows the pilot to determine his position in flight by applying the principles of celestial navigation, that means to observe the location of celestial bodies like the sun or moon to establish a navigator’s location on Earth.
The earliest examples of the Lindbergh Hour Angle were produced and delivered during the Great Depression in approximately 1929. Produced in small quantities, they are rare to find in today’s market. The present watch comes with the calibre 18.69N, first created in the late 1900s for pocket watches. The present watch is a beautiful example produced in silver (examples are also found in stainless steel) and stamped with the Swiss Canard (‘Duck’ in French) Hallmark, which according to the 1933 Federal Act, confirms a standard of fineness at 925 (used until 1995 when it was replaced by the Swiss National Assay Office hallmark with the St. Bernard dog’s head). The watch case is augmented by a fine layer of patina which magnifies the watch’s aging glamour. In complement to this, all the handmade details are astonishing, and one cannot help being drawn to the oversized onion crown, curved hinged back, and exquisite enamel numbering in blue, green and black on the enamel dial, rotating bezel, and central revolving disc.
Despite its age, the present watch is preserved in exceptional condition, and is further accompanied by two Longines Extract of the Archives.
Longines
Swiss | 1832Auguste Agassiz founded Longines in 1832, and today is considered to be a pioneer in the evolution of the chronograph. During the 1930s, Longines' chronograph wristwatches were used as tools for wartime aviators and military personnel. As one of Switzerland's largest manufacturers, Longines was an important supplier of wristwatches to militaries of multiple nations.
Today, they are owned by the Swatch Group and produce wristwatches for both men and women. Their vintage wristwatches continue to grow in desirability amongst collectors. Some of the most sought-after models include such oversized chronographs as the Lindbergh Hour Angle designed by Charles Lindbergh, Chronostop, Tre Tacche, A-7, Tasti a Spillo and Doppia Lanchetta.
Browse MakerToday, they are owned by the Swatch Group and produce wristwatches for both men and women. Their vintage wristwatches continue to grow in desirability amongst collectors. Some of the most sought-after models include such oversized chronographs as the Lindbergh Hour Angle designed by Charles Lindbergh, Chronostop, Tre Tacche, A-7, Tasti a Spillo and Doppia Lanchetta.