Introducing The New Longines Heritage Flagship Moonphase Year of the Dragon

The dragon holds incredible mythological importance in Chinese culture, and as the Year of the Dragon approaches, watch brands are eagerly joining the celebration of this zodiac animal. The latest participant is Longines, marking its debut in creating a special watch for the Chinese zodiac. This move is particularly noteworthy considering the brand's significant popularity in China over the past few years. For this special occasion, Longines turned to its Flagship collection, originally introduced in 1957. The contemporary Flagship Heritage designed for this event incorporates numerous visual cues and design elements inspired by vintage models.

The Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase "Year of the Dragon" is encased in a 38.5mm round stainless steel case, boasting a water resistance of 30 meters. The case's front showcases a polished fixed bezel, while the remainder of the watch features satin-brushed finishes. With a slim profile measuring 12.40mm in thickness, it exudes a refined aesthetic suitable for various wrist sizes. The chamfered straight shortened lugs extend gracefully from the rounded case, ensuring ergonomic comfort, and the winding crown is designed for effortless operation. The timepiece is equipped with a sapphire crystal featuring a multi-layered anti-reflective coating. Notably, the caseback deviates from the Flagship Heritage's traditional embossed ship on waves, instead featuring a captivating graphic of a dragon raising its head, accompanied by references to the limited edition numbering one of 888 units.

For this special edition, Longines has opted for a distinctive dial, featuring a dynamic gradient of red that transitions from a brighter hue at the center to a darker shade towards the edges. Red holds immense significance in Chinese culture, symbolizing festivities, good luck, wealth, and happiness. Capitalizing on the auspicious combination of gold and red, Longines employs gilt appliques on the dial, with elongated indices, hands, and the winged hourglass logo all adorned in gold. The dauphine-style hands, designed for improved legibility, incorporate a strip of Super-LumiNova. In a nod to the Lunar New Year theme, the watch includes a moonphase complication in a snailed aperture, complemented by an analogue date display positioned at 6 o’clock on the dial.

Driving the new watch is a self-winding caliber L899.5 ETA A31.L91 as the company is under the umbrella of the Swatch group. This caliber features a silicon balance spring, anti-magnetic, beats 25,200 vibrations/hour and delivers up to 72 hours of power reserve.

The Flagship Heritage Moonphase "Year of the Dragon" comes adorned with a black alligator strap fastened by a stainless steel pin buckle. This exclusive timepiece, restricted to a production of 888 units, is exclusively offered in the Asian market. Priced at EUR 3,250, it corresponds to 13,000 AED.

For more information, please visit Longines Official website.