Longines adds a new dimension to the price/performance ratio with the Annual Calendar model from the 1832 Collection, inspired by the brand's foundation year.
Nowadays, I can say that the models with a high price/performance ratio have started to attract my attention more than ever. Increasing prices and constantly rising exchange rates have a profound effect on this situation, of course. However, I believe we should not reduce the issue entirely to the prices. Successful models in terms of price/performance do not include too many complications by their nature, which increases my interest in relatively simple, yet high-quality models.
If we look at the subject in terms of price/performance, one of the first names to come to mind is undoubtedly the Swatch Group. Keeping the pulse of the Swiss watchmaking industry, the giant brand gathers many entry and mid-level names under its roof. Among these are Longines, known for its high production volume and worldwide brand recognition. The model we feature in our review corner today also comes from this particular brand.
The Longines 1832 Collection takes its name from the foundation date of the brand. The collection, which includes models that incorporate the core design elements of Longines, is also among the novelties of the brand this year.
The model we selected for review comes with a 40mm diameter stainless steel case. The embossed Longines logo stands out on the large winding crown. On the front of the case, which offers a retro look with its bezel designed in the same form with its hard-edged and cubic lug structure, high-edged and slightly curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating rises. The case, which has a sapphire crystal display case back, is resistant to a water pressure of only 30 meters. For a model with a leather strap and a dress watch style, I think that this value should not be a deal-breaker, but I still say that 50 meters would be more appropriate.
The dial of the model features a matte anthracite finish. By the way, the dials of all new men's models in the Longines 1832 collection offer the same dial color. Super-LumiNOVA filled applique hour markers and Dauphine style hands accompany the simple but elegant dial. There is the logo of the brand at 12 o'clock. The chrome frame added to the day and date indicators placed at 3 o'clock reinforces the elegant and retro feel of the dial. At 6 o'clock, there is Automatic text in Italics font and Annual Calendar just below it.
The new model includes the movement that the brand calls Caliber L897. The automatic caliber, based on the ETA A31.L81 (or even earlier, we will see the ETA 2892-A2 movement), operates at a frequency of 3.5 Hz (25,200vph), which we are familiar with from Swatch Group movements. The caliber, which can be viewed through the sapphire crystal case back, offers up to 64 hours of power reserve when fully wound.
The Annual Calendar complication in the movement is positioned between the standard calendar and the perpetual calendar in traditional watchmaking literature. This function, which requires setting only once a year on the last day of February, is used by many watch brands from entry-level companies to ultra-luxury names.
Longines 1832 Annual Calendar (Ref. L4.827.4.52.0) comes with a black alligator strap secured by a Longines signed stainless steel standard buckle. The MSRP in Turkey is 16.450 TL (approximately 1900 USD) on the brand's official website. It may not be correct to compare Longines with other names that offer the Annual Calendar feature only in terms of brand comparison. However, considering the complication itself, I believe it is impossible to find another model with these features.
