Longines Cal.23M 18ct Pink Gold 1938

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, but something of a Cinderella among the watch collecting fraternity until recently. Longines is now rightfully returning towards the elevated status it once held in the pre and post-war years when it ranked among the very best among of the Swiss watch manufacturers. It is really only within the past three years that Longines vintage watches have risen again to the admiration and popularity they deserve, with values rising of by around 15 – 20% per year and on certain models, such as the now legendary Longines Calibre.13ZN chronograph, prices have sky-rocketed.

Description

Here we have a wonderful example of typical Longines elegance and style in the form of a beautiful 18ct gentleman’s dress watch from 1938. Notable highlights of this watch are its beautiful dial with original ‘index’ hands, the subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock, the wonderful case and its high grade Calibre 23.0 movement which is in stunning condition.

The Dial

The dial is in the classic Longines style, in that it is simple, clean, classy and understated. It is typically 1930’s in its use of a subsidiary seconds dial and thin index style hands, matched with stud hour indices and 3 – 9 – 12 roman numerals in pink gold, over a slightly off-white dial. Longines always seems to aim and achieve dials that are that bit closer to perfection. It does this so often and so effortlessly. Even the Longines signature looks more ‘in place’, which incidentally is the oldest registered, of any watch manufacturer. This sits perfectly over the applied Longines winged hourglass logo. Perhaps the evolution of a certain style became part of the company’s DNA, but Longines dials seem in a class of their own. This sense of style has certainly won Longines a great many loyal customers, which only later came to appreciate the accuracy and reliability of its movements.

This is the original dial which has been previously restored to a very high standard and is in tip-top condition.

The Movement

The watch carries its original Longines Cal.23M, hand-wound movement with subsidiary seconds dial and bags of old world charm! Technically this is one of the classic, manually wound movements of its day, with 17 jewels, a large balance wheel running rate of 18,000 half beats per hour and a power reserve of 40 hours. It has every contemporary refinement. It is antimagnetic and also has a bimetallic balance and shock protection, which was a recent introduction in the late 1930s.

Introduced in 1938, this was a revised version of calibre 23 which in turn, was derived from the calibre 10.68Z movement that had made its debut in 1932. The 23 had been a superb movement, but Longines engineers realised that they could reduce its diameter by 1mm without affecting its remarkable performance characteristics. Additionally, the winding mechanism of the 23M was hidden from the damaging effects of perspiration, which was particularly important as Longines sought to take advantage of the lucrative market for luxury watches in hot and humid former British colonies.

The movement is simply signed ‘Longines’ with the matching serial number of the case, 5612047. Also, underneath the balance is the calibre number 23M. All this detail has been painstakingly filled in with 18 carat pink gold in order to increase its legibility against its steel background. These points, though minor in themselves, aggregate into something that is a cut above the production of almost all the competing Swiss brands at the time.

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

This is a high style case with a slightly curved profile and curved lens, which is known as a ‘Curvex’ case. It also has stunning hooded lugs which were popular during this period. The case is made in solid 18ct pink gold and has been exceedingly well cared for and is free from scratches, dings or engraving. At 25mm width, excluding the crown, 25mm in length, 34mm including the lugs and 36mm diagonally, this is a large-sized watch case for the period. This may seem like a small case size, but it is considerably large due to the diagonal measure. Inside the case-back all is as should be and signed ‘LONGINES’ with 18ct hallmarks and 18K. The serial number 5612047 is also shown and this is also engraved on the movement. The case has been cleaned and lightly polished and is in superb condition showing only the very slightest signs of wear.

As ever, our standard advice applies: vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap & Buckle

A high quality, deep red leather strap is fitted with a plain pink 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 1938.

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”.

The watch comes complete with a vintage Longines presentation box, as shown.

In Conclusion

This is a really beautiful 1930s vintage gold watch from Longines, one of the most highly honoured and awarded Swiss watch manufacturers. It is to the credit of the company that this watch is still perfectly useable and reliable, just as it was when it left the factory 80 years ago!

This rare (particularly in this condition), beautiful and highly collectable vintage gold watch will provide an excellent financial investment as well as something to use, wear, treasure and enjoy!

We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you would like to pay by UK cheque or by UK bank transfer we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or 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.

If you have any questions please call us on 0207 727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095. We await your call and we will be happy to help with any questions you may have about this watch or any of our collection.

Please note, we also welcome part exchanges. We will also be happy to service your vintage watch or assist with repairs or restoration as necessary.

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