Longines, one of the top players of the Swiss Watch Industry, once again became the guest of our review corner. The brand that won the appreciation of watch enthusiasts with its classic dress-watch-style models is under the loupe with the Hydro Conquest Chronograph model from the Longines Sport Collection.
Anyone who is interested in mechanical watches has at least one look at Longines’ successful product line: Hydro conquest. One of the most important reasons for this is the price / performance ratio of the timepieces. Although the design is a parameter that changes personally, Hydro Conquest models technically offer everything you expect.
Let’s start with the case. The 41mm diameter case is made of stainless steel, but I can say that the watch looks larger than it really is because of the length and thickness of the lugs. Sapphire crystal is used on the front side of the watch. I can say that the readability of the watch is very successful thanks to the anti-reflection coating applied to the inner face of the crystal.
The crown guards that we see in a plethora of diver watches are also included in the Hydro Conquest model. The preferred masculine structure in the model’s lugs has also been applied to the crown guards in the same way. Though it is a little uncomfortable in terms of comfort due to its large design, it should not be forgotten that the model is a 300M water resistant diver watch.
“Although the design is a parameter that changes personally, Hydro Conquest models technically offer everything you expect.”
Nowadays, analogue diver watches have left their places to modern dive computers, but the bezel that can be turned in one direction still remains one of the symbol details of diver watches. The Longines Hydro Conquest Chronograph also features a uni-directional bezel with black color.
The black color dial has a classic 3-6-9 chronograph lay-out. The date window is positioned at an angle between 4-5 hours. As I mentioned in my previous articles, I cannot fit the white background date window in a black-dialed watch. Apart from that, the arrangement and readability of the dial is very successful.
The indexes, hands and 12 o’clock marker of the bezel are Super-LumiNova ® applied. Therefore, the model’s underwater and nighttime readability are exceeding expectations.
At the heart of the watch, Longines Caliber Ref. L688 (ETA A08.L01Bazli) is on duty. The self-winding movement beats at 28.800vph and offers a power reserve of 54 hours when fully wound.
The model subject to review is the rubber strap version. You can also purchase the Hydro Conquest Chronograph model with a steel bracelet. The rubber strap feels comfortable with a solid quality. Here I want to add something about the length of the rubber strap: Longines offers the watch on such a long strap that no one in this world would have any trouble with the length of the strap.
Longines Hydro Conquest is one of the top quality and successful models. The sales figures are also true of this saying. But I want to present my personal opinion here. In the watch industry, we see that many brands continue to work in the sense of design and innovation. At this point, I think that the Hydro Conquest Collection is starting to fall behind the industry. Let’s see if we can get any novelties from the Longines Hydro Conquest collection over the next few months?
