Longines Admiral Cal.506 18ct 1974

Longines

Longines is one of the oldest Swiss watch manufacturers with an unparalleled history of invention, innovation, patents and awards. They are also responsible for some of the most beautiful watches ever made and 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 on average by 15% per year. On certain models, such as the now legendary Longines Calibre.13ZN chronograph, prices have simply sky-rocketed!

Description

Here we have a wonderful example of a Longines Admiral which is a top of the range watch from this period. This particular watch has perfect style and elegance from 1974, when technically, Longines was competing head to head with and beating almost all of the other Swiss watch manufacturers and this is a superb example. Notable features of this watch include its unusual, rare, honey linen dial with wonderful mixed applied ‘baton’ and ‘diamond’ hour indices which are eye-catching, bold and in tip-top condition after a full restoration. The addition of a date window adds extra elegance and flair.

The Dial

Longines excel in every aspect of watch design. The company has always been rightfully held in very high regard for the quality of their movements and close examination of any of their watch cases reveals an equally high attention for case design, quality, purpose and perfection.

We happen to think almost all of Longines classic vintage dial designs are a step ahead, or at least a step apart from the rest, in terms of elegance and sophistication. The dial has a light linen style finish, which picks up the light beautifully and the interesting, beautifully designed multi-faceted  ‘baton’ and ‘diamond’ hour indices sit proud of the dial. The gold ‘dauphine’ hands complete this dial beautifully. This watch carries the applied Longines branding just below ’12’ and ‘Admiral’ with 5 applied stars at ‘6’ which all add to this highly sophisticated and interesting dial. This wonderful example of Longines work also comes with a date window which we believe makes this watch something extra special.

This is the original dial which has been restored to the highest standards by our dial restorers who are considered to be the best in the UK.

The Movement

The original Longines Calibre 506 automatic movement is a real gem and is in tip-top condition. This is a quick-set date movement which is easily set by simply pressing the crown.

This Longines movement runs at 18,000 beats per hour. As mentioned above, the movement is in tip-top condition having just completed an overhaul and service by our watchmaker. This means it has been completely disassembled, cleaned, inspected and rebuilt using only original Longines parts where required. When tested and calibrated, this watch was running to within +1 seconds per day, which is truly outstanding for any watch of this age. This is no exaggeration and has been tested and confirmed on our electronic Timegrapher. This movement also has a power reserve of 44hrs.

 The movement is correctly signed ‘LONGINES’, ‘SWISS’ and ‘17 JEWELS’, with the Cal.506 and the movement serial number 51184882 which dates the watch to 1974.

These movements are very highly regarded for their accuracy and reliability making this watch perfectly suited for regular everyday use. This particular movement is in top condition and with regular servicing, every 3 to 4 years we would fully expect this watch to provide faithful service for many more decades to come! We are therefore pleased and confident to offer a 12 month warranty on this watch movement* and all servicing in the future.

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

The Case

The very high grade, 35mm, 18ct watch case has short, straight, swept-back lugs. The case is of a highly sophisticated two-piece design and is slightly different to the usual case you see. In this case, instead of the movement being accessed via the case-back, in this case to access the movement, the press-fit bezel is removed with a delicate pop.

This watch has obviously been very well cared for, having seen only occasional use as indicated by the all round tip-top condition of the bezel, case and case-back which show virtually no sign of wear. The case has been carefully inspected, cleaned and gently hand-polished and is in beautiful condition with no scratches, dings or other marks visible to the naked eye. No matter how closely you might wish to examine the case, it shows no signs of anything other than very light and careful limited use.

The watch carries the case serial number 69-610AA and 005742. Internally, the case is also marked 18 Karat Gold.

The Strap & Buckle

A new brown alligator strap is fitted, along with a Longines gold-plated buckle. 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. We can also obtain most types and colours at short notice.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, all the numbers and markings on the watch are correct, dating the watch to 1974.

Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt for your interest and security. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than 100% genuine, authentic and original, a full refund will be given at any time”.

This watch comes complete with a high quality hardwood presentation box, as seen in the photographs.

In Conclusion

We have always been great admirers of vintage Longines and for many years they have been significantly undervalued. However, there is no good reason for this and this has begun to correct itself in recent years as these watches technically match or surpass almost all the high-end brands. Whatever the reason, they still represent excellent value even though prices have been increasing by around 20% per annum during the past few years.

The watch here is a superb example of a most beautiful and sought after vintage Longines. A rare, usable and highly collectable vintage gold gentleman’s dress watch, from one of horology’s most highly respected names which is a thing of beauty, to use, to wear, to treasure and to enjoy!

This watch will also make an excellent investment and family heirloom piece. As each year goes by and the world market for vintage gold watches continues to expand, availability will become more limited, meaning prices are surely destined to climb ever higher!

A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring them 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 would wish to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. 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 check the import duties and any taxes your government may apply, these are different for each country and unfortunately out of our control.

We understand there may be some ‘loopholes’ that may help you avoid these charges, however attempting to use these could impact our ongoing ability to serve our growing international customer base.

For those that happen to visit the UK on occasion we are of course more than happy to store your watch until we can meet you in our offices in Kensington, London, and your watch directly to you there.

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

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

If you have any questions please call on our Landline 0207 727 7095 or Mobile 07515 949250 or if calling from overseas on our Landline +44 207 727 7095 or Mobile +44 7515 949250.

We are here, ready and available and awaiting your call! We will be happy to answer any questions and offer advice about this or any of our watches listed for sale. If you would like some general advice regarding any aspect of vintage watches, including buying, selling, or collecting vintage watches, we will also be happy to hear from you.

Finally, please enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you.