Longines

Railroad Watches

Being a respected name in the world of horology, the Swiss luxury watchmaker Longines has brought numerous groundbreaking innovations and high-quality timepieces to the industry. Among the popular collection of the brand, the Longines Railroad watches are one of the most innovative pieces. 

With its long history with the world of railroad transportation, Longines has been producing railroad watches since the 1960s. The brand has never forgotten its deep connection with railways. In 2016, Longines revisited its railway watches and released its new Longines Railroad collection. Taking inspiration from the railway pocket watches of the 19th century, these watches have enriched the versatility of the brand’s lineup. 

The Longines Railroad watches have perfectly combined classic elegance with the engineering excellence of the brand. All the pieces of the collection are COSC certified as a chronometer with a single crystal silicon balance spring. They ensure the accuracy and reliable timekeeping of the watches. Encompassing timeless design and exquisite Swiss craftsmanship, these Longines Railroad watches are prestigious dress watches that turn heads on every occasion.

Holding a rich history of watchmaking for over 180 years, Longines is undoubtedly one of the leaders of the watch manufacturing industry. 

As the oldest Swiss watch brand, Longines has been producing a number of masterpieces to the market. Its unique designs, extraordinary sophistication and exceptional quality are the keys for the consistent success of this brand. Today the brand Longines is still highly appreciated and recognized by watch collectors from all across the world. 

The Longines company holds a top-notch status in the watch industry. This success did not just come from a day's effort. It was all built by Longines’ consistent innovations ever since its inception. The brand has been investing and experimenting for years for expertise and mastery in watch manufacturing. The Longines Railroad collection is considered one of the best results among its catalog. 

In the early 1900s, the railway was the main transportation In Europe. Railway pocket watches had played an important role for the railway systems in order to keep the trains running on time while maintaining safety. Therefore the railway watches must be produced under strict guidelines to meet the high standard of precision. 

At the time of the mid 19th century, railroad watches were all pocket watches while the best-known pocket watches are mainly from the American domestic railway companies including Ball, Elgin and Hamilton. 

Since the 1960s, Longines was determined to enter the same market. To create the best Longines Railway watches, the company hired a number of skilled watchmakers to develop its own railway watches. It developed wristwatches for the railway systems. With its splendid quality, the company started supplying Longines R.R 280 chronometers to railway companies from different countries all across the world including China, Canada, the United States, Persia, Italy and Romania. 

These early Longines Railroad watches of the 1960s were produced in very limited numbers. They featured a slim 35 mm case and were powered by the Longines Calibre 280 movement. Seeing the popularity of these railway watches, the brand kept on improvising its Longines Railroad collection.

After a few decades, its renowned railway watches experienced a major breakthrough in 2016. Taking the inspiration of the original design of 1960’s prototypes, the brand released the first revamped Longines Railroad reference L2.803.4.23.0/3. The watch faithfully reveals the true spirit of railway timekeeping.

Despite being a classic dress watch, the Longines Railroad watch was highly functional and robust at the time. The Longines Railroad watch is well crafted with polished stainless steel and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass. Inside the robust case, it houses an impressive Swiss automatic movement which is chronometer certified. The round dial of the Longine Record watch lays its slender hands and a date window at the 3 o’clock position. 

The new versions of Longines Railroad watch resemble its original railway models including an ivory dial with the inner 24-hour track marking as well as oversized Arabic hour numerals. The combination of these features creates a legible and clear vibe for this classic watch. 

Indeed there are several modifications to the new models such as the larger 40 mm case and lance-shaped hands. Enlarged from the previous 35 mm version, the look of the watch has become bolder and very utilitarian. The case of the new Longines Railroad watch was updated with brushed finishing and its matching bezel was also mirror polished. 

Resembling the crystal glass used on the original models, the sapphire crystal of the new model is dome-shaped while its scratch resistance has been upgraded. Moreover, the back of the case of the Longines Railroad watches is one of the main appealing features. Engraved with a speeding locomotive over the Longines wing logo, the case back has truly showcased the very spirit of railways. 

Its hands have been adjusted to curve in order to remove the parallax error. On the dial, a number 888 marking, which represents its remarkable movement, is also displayed above the 6 o’clock position. 

The new Longines Railroad watch is powered by an ETA-based Calibre L888.2 movement, which is an enhanced ETA movement exclusively developed for the brands in the Swatch Group including Longines. This updated movement offers improved power reserve hours from the original 48 hours to now 64 hours. 

The updated Longines Railroad watch has tones through beautiful improvements including larger size, clean dial and upgraded movements. These reliable and durable watches also hold the heritage of the brand and its long history with railways. If you are an admirer of history and railway watches, the Longines Railroad will be a perfect choice for your collection. On top of the history and story it carries, these Longines watches are available at a very reasonable price that will blow your mind. Classic, quality and affordable, there is no reason that you are not getting one back home as one everyday member of your own collection.