The Longines Legend Diver, a modern re-issue of a super-compressor divers’ watch the brand first introduced in 1959, made its modern re-debut in 2007 in a 42-mm stainless steel case. In 2017, Longines introduced a bronze execution with a beautiful gradient green dial with the same diameter and a new movement, the caliber L883.3 with 65 hours of power reserve.
Five years later, the Swiss tradition brand once again brings back this popular retro-style tool watch, this time in stainless steel with a diameter of 39mm. Despite this reduction in size, the water resistance of 300 meters has remained the same, qualifying the Longines Diver as a certified diver’s watch meeting the requirements of the ISO 6425 standard and underscoring the engineering prowess.
The case has been redesigned highlighting the original’s sleek lines and emphasizing the stunning retro aesthetics. As the hallmark feature of the Legend Diver is the internal rotating divers’ bezel with a 60-minute scale and a triangle at 12 o’clock positioned on the flange of the dial, the profile remains stunningly thin, with an almost elegant look and feel. Both crowns — one for winding the watch, the other for operating the internal rotating divers’ bezel, another characteristic of the original model — and the case back are screwed, helping to ensure the professional-grade water resistance.
Instantly recognizable thanks to its distinctive combination of elongated hour markers, raised Arabic numerals, and polished arrow-hands, the luminous dial is is available in black or blue lacquer. It is protected by a domed sapphire crystal with black metal plating and multiple layers of anti-reflective protection on both sides to enhance the legibility from all perspectives.
Inside the watch, under a solid case back with an engraving of a diver, ticks Longines’s exclusive Caliber L888.6 equipped with a silicon balance spring, offering a magnetic resistance ten times greater than the ISO 764 benchmark standard. The automatic movement delivers a power reserve of 80 hours and bears a C.O.S.C. certificate for proven precision.
The newcomers are available with a brown leather strap, a blue NATO strap or a bracelet with a double-safety folding clasp. Pricing starts at $3,000.
To learn more, visit Longines, here.