Longines Phase De Lune Cal.895 18ct 1989

Longines

Longines is one of the oldest Swiss watch manufacturers with an unparalleled history of invention, innovation, patents and awards. The company is also responsible for some of the most beautiful watches ever made. For a long time, something of a Cinderella among the watch collecting fraternity, Longines is now rightfully returning to the elevated status they once held in the pre and post-war years. It is only relatively recently that Longines vintage watches have returned to the admiration and popularity they deserve, with values rising between 15 and 20% per year. Certain models, however, such as the now legendary Longines Calibre 13ZN chronograph have sky-rocketed.

Description

Here we have a Longines Triple Date Moonphase, in 18ct gold from 1989, also known as the Longines ‘Phase De Lune’ – and what a beguiling work of art this timepiece is – and so easy to fall in love with!

In common with Vacheron Constantin, Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Omega, vintage Triple Date Moonphase watches of this period each adopted very similar designs for their dials. And while you may pay £20,000+ for the vintage Rolex triple date moonphase version, the Longines watch here has a movement which is at least on par, for a small fraction of the price.

The Dial

The beautiful original white dial is in top grade unrestored condition. The light reflects against the white dial wonderfully and complements the applied gold roman numerals and original ‘leaf’ hands. The sweep date hand features a red moon on the very end which frames the day of the month perfectly. Both the day and date window are displayed in Italian, which we feel adds more flare and uniqueness to the dial. The outer seconds and date track in black, looks superb against the white dial, gold case, numerals and hands.

The dial is simply signed ‘Longines’ with ‘Swiss’ at the very bottom.

The dial is in close to perfect original condition, having no age related marks visible to the naked eye. Only under high magnification can the odd spot or the tiniest marks be found and therefore the condition of this dial makes it far too good to restore.

The Movement

The original automatic calibre 895 Longines hand-wound movement is signed ‘Longines’ and is immaculate. The movement has just had the benefit of a full inspection and service by our expert watchmaker and all functions are working perfectly and the watch is keeping excellent time. We have also given this watch an extended 30 day test ‘on the wrist’ to make doubly sure everything is working as it should.

The three push buttons on the edge of the case each have their own responsibilities. The pusher at ‘8’ advances the moonphase by 1 day with a single push, the pusher at ‘2’ advances the month by one with a single push and the pusher at ‘4’ advances the day by one day with a single push. An important point to remember is never to advance any of these functions while the hour hand is anywhere close to the number ‘12’ as this can harm the movement. It is, therefore, safer to set the hands to say 6:30 before operating any of the pushers.

This movement carries the serial number 57,637,576 which dates this watch 1989.

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.

Please note –  Although the seals have been replaced, this watch is not waterproof. As ever, our standard advice applies: vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times!

The Case

The solid 18ct yellow gold case measures 33mm in diameter, not including the original ‘onion’ crown. The watch carries a double-edged bezel, which adds to the strength and character of the watch. The case is in excellent condition and has simply required a professional clean and gentle hand-polish to bring back the almost new look of the watch. Importantly, the high polished full thickness case-back is of its original thickness.

The rear of the watch is signed with two reference numbers 238 and 22124508. These numbers are clear, indicating this watch has rarely been worn. Inside the case-back carries the Longines signature, Swiss Geneva hallmarks and the serial number 4926818 which dates this watch to 1989.

Strap & Buckle

The watch is fitted with a new high quality, black leather watch strap with a Longines gold-plated buckle. We feel the strap matches the watch nicely, however, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin, however, we can also obtain most types and colours at short notice.

Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the numbers and markings are all correct, dating this watch to 1989.

Our detailed ‘Particulars’ document will be included in the sale, along with our detailed receipt and 12 months warranty*. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will also be provided at the time of sale, along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If at any time, this watch proves to be anything less than totally authentic, or not as described, Vintage Gold Watches of London will offer you a full refund at any time”.

The high quality hardwood presentation box shown in the photographs will be included in the sale of this watch.

In Conclusion

This watch offers charm, beauty and delight, along with functionality and reliability, which we are happy to stand by completely.

Longines has always been one of the most highly regarded among watchmakers and after a number of years where these watches have been undervalued, this has begun to be corrected – especially during the past two years, with vintage Longines prices rising by around 15% per year.

A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring these to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach inevitably means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are a number of well-known stores in West London which are very successful, charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you wish to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. Paying by bank transfer for a 3% saving will not affect your 12 months warranty. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or International Bank Wire Transfer, we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please note, we welcome part exchanges and if you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.

We will be happy to Service, Repair or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions, please call us on 0207 727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095.

Please take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you