Visiting Longines’ Headquarters - Hands-On With Their Rarest Watches & CEO Interview
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
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In this video, I head to St-Imier, Switzerland for a private tour of the Longines Museum, home to many of the brand's ground-breaking historical watches. After that, I sit down with CEO Matthias Breschan to speak about the future of the brand. What do you guys think of Longines?
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Longines actually got me into watches in the first place. When my father passed away in 2018 me, my brother and mother went through all the stuff at my childhood home. One watch caught my eye, and my brother wasn't really interested so we decided I could keep it. It was a Longines Sportchief that was not working at the moment. After handing it in to my local watchmaker and getting it fixed I became mesmerized by the fact that it, although after some love, worked perfectly after all these years. The watchmaker dated it to 1963-1964, which meant that my father got it when he was 14-15 years old. I treasure it dearly!
I also received a Longines from my father who passed in 2020, It's a dress watch so I do not get to wear it that often but every time I do, it's undescribable.
I don’t know how it happened in my family but we wound up with a whole slew of really nice watches yet we weren’t wealthy and we didn’t have any criminals in the family. However like both of you I fell in love with watches very early on. My father bought my mother a beautiful gold Longines dress watch on a bracelet when they were engaged in 1947 and after they were married he acquired the original 1948 Omega Seamaster for himself so of all brands they mean the most to me.
Longines is such a great Swiss brand, and you have a great backstory for the one you have. A keeper for life.
My father also recently passed away a couple years ago and left behind a Longines watch that he was proud to wear and kept in a safe. He was a working class humble man, which makes me think Longines must've played a more important role in the minds of consumers back in the day (as compared to the past 25 years...).
Sad we lost our fathers but also glad to be part of a club that inherited a piece that represents family history. Looking forward to keeping the Longines watch and possibly buying a new one to take it full circle. Cheers to the past and to the future!! God bless
Same here, i was living in Courtelary a te time ( a village near St. Imier birthplace of Longines )
Hearing and seeing that 50 hz watch movement was amazing! Thank you for capturing it and sharing ❤️
I enjoy these watch manufacturers tours very much. This Longines' tour is excellent.
I have a Longines Flagship watch. I like it very much. It's a great dress up watch.
Lol! I like humble. The World needs more humble.
My first proper watch is a Longines. My wife gave it to me for our engagement, and when I saw it I knew she asked the right guys to get the most interesting piece at our budget. If you know you know!
Thank You - Teddy , these are fantastic . I will be ordering a Longines from you soon .
Imho one of the most attractive brands in watchmaking in many aspects. Great vid Teddy.
Amazing brand, I have 4, would have every heritage model in a heart beat. They just need to improve their website, put it back to how it was a 2 or 3 years ago.
Teddy what turtleneck sweater are you wearing? I might buy one myself
Teddy you should have taken kevin with you. he would have loved it as a collecter seeing those watches.
Facts
This was awesome! ❤
I always wanted to own a longines with a crocodile leather strap , that would be a sight
Another awesome one
The comment of the CEO is pertinent, that USD 1000 - 5000 is a lot of money to a lot of people. I also wished to add that this will make it that Longines will likely be most people's best watch. May they keep that in mind and offer a watch that they, as well as enthusiasts, can be proud of.
I for one became a huge fan after this presentation.
I think Longines might be in the best "sweet spot" of all the Swiss manufactures, and their CEO seems to possess both a sober head for business *and* respect for the brand's history and heritage, and Teddy's interview which reveals so much I never knew.
Longines is such a great value proposition- always punching way above its weight. The new Majetek is brilliant in its understated excellence
I really like the skin diver. If you look at photos of the new skin diver vs heritage it’s so similar looking
They’re rapidly trying to move themselves out of the value proposition with some of their recent pricing.
They’re approaching 2yrs ago Omega…
@@ryancurry5284 Same marketing since they are owned by the same corp.
Swatch Group are trying to make Omega equal to Rolex, and then move Longines up to where Omega was. This will give their other lesser brands like Rado, Mido, Tissot and Certina a bit more room.
That’s a great plan.
This is the only way Longines should be showcased and Teddy nailed it perfectly. The best for sure. Keep this kind of content Teddy we sure love it.
About time a CEO pointed out that 1k to 5k is a lot of money to spend on a watch. This industry seems to be full of people who act like it's totally normal to buy a 50k watch. A bit arrogant to be honest and something that turns me off the watch community.
I have a Longines hydroconquest and love it. Great quality, fit and finish.
Great interview 👍🏼
Great comment
Hamilton's CEO made a aimilar comment. 1,000 usd is a lot of money and they want their watches to be worth of every spending
I am wearing mine now. Easily the equal of the Tudor Black Bay.
yup especially for non Americans 1k on a watch is a lot
Always appreciate these behind the scenes exclusives Teddy!
Teddy asks great questions. He does his research.
Thank you so much for the content Teddy.I can only imagine how much time and money it takes to produce these high quality videos. They are appreciated.
Appreciate it, Paul. Even the in studio shoots cost thousands of dollars for each one when you factor in everyone’s time. It is even more for things like this. The store allows us to do continue to do things like this.
@@TeddyBaldassarre Thank you both for this insight. Your videos are outstanding, but this comment really puts it into perspective. I really appreciate these respectful and detailed visits and introductions to these companies.
It's a shame that people seem to have forgotten just how important Longines has been to the advancement of accuracy and they are connected to a phenomenal amount of scientific expeditions and records in the field of flight. This company is a very important part of horological history.
Longines’ CEO and Heritage Director are classy gentlemen who truly care about their watches. After listening to their passion, they convinced me to purchase one of their watches. Nice interview.
nice profile picture!
I agree that Longines certainly deserves to brag more, but the fact that they are humble makes me want to support them even more! The Spirit Zulu is next on my list!
Longines has been killing it the last couple of years. I hope to see more reintroductions of their classic designs
I think they are on a great path as of late too. Things like the Spirit, Sector, Zulu, and legend diver are all class leading watches for their styles within the segment.
They've been killing it for the last 15 years in my opinion.
@@tancreddehauteville764 Longines did have some killer reintroductions and limited editions in the late 90s/early 2000s, but from 2005 to 2015 wasnt their best period... Only since the last 2 or 3 years have they been making interesting pieces again.
@@HRM.H I don't agree.
@@tancreddehauteville764 you dont have agree. It was objectively the worst time design and movements wise in Longines history, cant even argue it.
Hi Teddy, our family moved to Switzerland from South Africa just before the start of COVID. We ended up living 30 minutes drive away from the Longines head office in St Imier. So when I decided to get my first luxury watch I decided to go for the Longines Hydroconquest with the black dial. For me it was really important to support the local industry. It has been such a pleasure to watch this video! It made me proud to be associated with this iconic brand! Thanks for creating such a wonderful youtube channel! You have taught me almost everything I know about the watch industry.
I went from having no Longines in my collection to having three just this year…the new Ultra-cron started it and opened my eyes to the brand…and then the 190 Anniversary in Steel, and after that the black, all ceramic, Hydroconquest …. Love these watches, what you get for the price is ridiculous.
Wear them in the best of health.
Enjoy
I want to buy that Ultra Chron....it is beautiful
I agree Longines price point is very good, it's expensive for me yes but the value of the watch is very good, and it doesn't look that cheap even against >10k USD watches out there. I'm glad after owning various Gshock watches, and a smartwatch, and a Seiko automatic, now my first ever Swiss luxury watch is Longines Hydroconquest 43 mm with ceramic bezel I'm so very proud & love this watch. After comparing it with various other brands such as Baume Mercier, Hamilton, Mido, Rado, Oris, only the Hydroconquest that was still in my mind and finally bought it & loving it so much.
Hopefully Longines will keep making good watches & good value for the future
I was there 2 weeks ago and was completely blown away from the museum,the history of the brand and the great people who work there.Thank you for showing it to more people!
This is a fantastic video. Well presnted with straight talk, no annoying back ground music. Love the history behind Longines. History tied to aviation and Lindberg. Looking forward to more like this.
I know Longines is horologically historical and important however i didnt know how important and ground breaking they are ! Thank you Teddy for the edification ! As always, an impressive experience.
Teddy, you and the whole team should be so proud of these videos. You're all doing amazing work in the watch space, hats off.
Thank you, my friend. Very happy with how this turned out. Despite the work required, these are some of the most rewarding videos we make.
Longines needs to launch an affordable rectangular gold watch in tribute to Einstein. 10kt solid gold rectangular dress watch in a reasonable modern size for $5k. No faux-tina. Call it the Physicist.
I still have my Longines Ferrari from my High School graduation back in 1984,still running like a Racing Horse 🐎 🙌👏
Teddy, you’re killing it! Great content, as always. I appreciate what you’re doing for the watch community. I am still in love with the Legend Diver. It’s unfortunate that Omega takes the spotlight. Longines really is a fantastic watch maker.
Another terrific brand and video and interview, Teddy! I love that Matthias recognizes that 1-5k is a lot of money for many people. Even though I enjoy some more expensive watches-that’s something I forget. I’d love to get one of those Zulu GMT models for traveling with!
Beautiful Teddy. Just beautiful! In my case, these kind of videos make me gradually lose my ego love for more "famous" brands and inconscious need to i don't know (show people how cool I am?) and appreciate watches for what they are, for their beautiful history, technology and elegance. Most of all, I'm developing a more true individual taste, independently from the price or popularity of the brand I'm looking at. Thank you for transmitting your passion! Greetings from Rome, Italy
Ultra-Chron to Spirit,
Zulu time to BigEye
and now the Magetek... Longines are sensational for value, quality, design and reliability...historically they're the real deal and the current line up retain the core values.
Somehow I think the CEO was having a dig at Blancpain and Hublot when he mentioned about brands taking over other brands with no proper history and very expensive watches with no service backing. Luckily Mr JC Biver didn't get his grubby hands on Longines. The King of marketing spin would've bastardized it for sure.
Surely my top-3 favorite brands of all-time. Thank you for the amazing tour Teddy and Longines staff!
OMG this is a dream job, working in one of the watchmakers' archive!!! This is so fascinating to see all the iconic models, I've always loved Longines but have not been able to visit the museum. Thanks for doing this visit and thanks to Longines for giving you the tour.
Great video! Just comes to show the value in brand perception. Longines is up there with Rolex and GS but because it has been too humble and its price point it is not considered to be in that realm even though it most definitely is! Great brand and I aspire to get a Longines over the other more famous brands. Thanks for the video Teddy!!!
Thanks Teddy for doing a feature on Longines. Excellent interviews. Longines is my favorite watch brand and I have seven different Longines watches in my watch collection as a result. I love the Longines rich history and heritage as well as the value of the watches that they make for a more affordable price compared to other watch brands. That is one of the reasons I can afford to have several Longines watches for the same cost of the price (and even significantly less) of just one watch from some of the luxury watch brands. I am glad they are committed to keeping the prices of their watches less than $5, 000 as stated in your interview their CEO, Mr. Breschan. I agree with you that Longines needs to become better known and that they should do more to promote the brand and its rich history. I believe that they are headed in that direction in the coming years. Longines is a great watch brand, making great watches, with great value! It is one of my dreams to one day personally visit the Longines factory and museum in Saint-Imer, Switzerland.
My Longines Silver Arrow is one of my favourite pieces. Such a cool, humble brand! Great of you to feature them on your platform, Teddy!
I also love it! isn't it gorgeous?!
Nice to see that Longines finally gets more attention in the watch community. My first watch was a Longines and in my personal view the perfect start. Thank you Teddy.
Great message from the CEO. Strong and confident on Longines position in the market.
Longines unlock my inner watch enthusiast 2 months ago! Now im addicted to watch cant stop reading and watching about watch. Thanks to longines. Im going to buy my 1st watch from them this march.
Actually Longines is the brand that, in my view, is doing the best (of all the brands) in the last 2/3 years. New good models, beautiful style, various sizes, movements that are modified to be used in their watches only, good pricing. Love them.
The way the Mr. Breschan acknowledges how a 1k to 5k watch is a lot of money for a majority of people is so refreshing to hear. And the way he talks passionately about bringing the absolute value of watches to their customers is great. I came across this video because I am planning on acquiring a Longines watch this year, so I've been researching this brand. I feel like it's going to be money well-spent 😊
Man I just came across the Master Collection moonphase chronograph, talk about bang for buck😮 it’s a day, date, month, moonphase, chrono with 3 subdials which all have two functions😂
Love this series of factory tours!
Hey my vintage Ultrachron was showcased too 👍👍👍 the one in the middle at 0:52
Teddy, thank you for this incredible video. As a watch enthusiast I have never seen anything more informative and interesting about one of the oldest and most prolific watchmakers in the world. Your work is amazing. Thanks again!
Fantastic video and so professional as always. As others have said Longines is so underrated and frankly my Hydroconquest is a better watch than my Rolex!
13:24 that is an interesting exhibition contraption right there, the screen updates as you move the magnifying glass 😲
That CEO is so humble, makes me want to be part of that brand 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
My favorite watch brands Timex, Bulova, Hamilton and Longines. Timex is a good watch for the price and then as you get more sophisticated, you have Bulova, Hamilton and Longines at the top of the line. Longines and Hamilton are worthy of the Timepiece title.
Thank you Teddy .. I did the same walk through The Longines museum 4 years ago and it was an amazing time travel experience ❤️
Loved this video! For someone saving hard for their first Longines, and first watch above $1500 AU, this confirmed why I can't wait for my Longines Conquest black dial. I always liked Rolex Explorer but I like the Longines even more. Fits my aesthetic so well and much more attainable! Thanks for the great content Teddy!
I had a minor car accident. The responding police officer complimented me on my watch a 1960's Bulova. I mentioned your channel. The cop was a fan. He was wearing a Longines with a blue band.
Love Longines..
Best mid priced / entry luxury brand out there. The literally do something for everybody. I have 3 in my collection.
So you went on a full tour of all the big swiss brands all at once? Thank you for this series, it's so fun to see the insides of these massive watchmakers, what makes them tick, literally!
I purchased my first Longines three weeks ago . Black ceramic HydroConquest.
Love that Avi
Bruh, Longines making movements truly in-house and not bragging about it. Talk about a power-move!
Must be nice working somewhere where everyone is dedicated and cares about what they are doing, very impressive!
They were good enough for Einstein...
Hello Teddy,
I am new to the watch industry. I've watched many of your videos and heard you subtly compare many sub brands to Longines. So it sparked my interest in Longines. I completely fell on love with their designs. I still tagged other brands for my first wear like Heuer, Hamitlon, Lorier, Frederique Constant, etc. However, your reviews and many others on YT kept discretely redirecting me to Longines, almost like fate. I wound(no pun intended) up with my first watch(used) being a Longines Conquest Chrono Column Wheel l2.744.4 . I also added a Hamilton Khaki Field Day/Date. I want to thank you as your influence and inspiring knowledgeable videos and not comparing brands by usual to a Rolex. That influence led me to a path i wont regret.
Teddy, I am looking at this brand after your video. Everything we love about watches Longines has. I wasnt aware. Great video.
Longine is VERY popular in Vietnam and Asia in general. Swiss watches equal Tissot/Longine/Rolex. People may not even know about Patek, Omega, Vacheron, JLC, Bretling... but surely they know about Longine as well as Rolex
The problem with Longines is they don't have any easily recognisable iconic models. Omega has the Speedmaster, JLC the Reverso, Cartier the Tank, TAG Heuer the Monaco and Carrera, Rolex the Submariner, Datejust, Pepsi, Daytona etc, but what does Longines have?? Tissot where in a similar position but with the release of the PRX line they now have an iconic model...
My wife and I met Mr. hug last month in Scottsdale. He had a wonderful presentation, some of these museum pieces and some new pieces in tow. He’s a very nice and knowledgeable gentleman. Frankly, I learned a lot about the brand I didn’t know. It’s much more than a mid tier swatch group brand. Impressive all around.
Hey Teddy, listen to the man pronouncing Longines at 2:05
See it’s not “LonG-Jean” like you say it. Come on dude, you’re in the business, don’t be such a ‘murrican, learn the brands’ names correctly.
You seem to get better at not butchering the Glashütte though 😄
Great video.....im looking forward to when Teddy & Kevin buy the rights to the great american Waltham brand and produce watches in Waltham ma usa....
Longines will be just as big as Omega in the future just watch. It’s making some of the best watches for an affordable price. I like Omega a lot but I can’t afford Omega watches. They are really expensive.
Longines was my first 'real' watch, a Master Collection Moonphase chronograph and really got me into this hobby. I couldnt agree more, where else can you get a Moonphase, Columnwheel Chrono, and Month-day-date for $3200
I have worn Longines on my wrist for over thirty years. When my last chronograph died after 25 years, Longines apologised for not having parts for it anymore and offered me a 70% discount on a replacement watch. A Heritage Collection chronograph is now my constant companion. Forget pretentiousness of Rolex or AP. Longine is the watch maker for the real man.
Wow that is a nice anecdote! Very classy of them, great to see friendly and approachable customer service! Thanks for sharing!
I personally think being humble is what actually adds value to the Longines brand, it's something that encourages consumers to explore their heritage rather than simply taking it for granted and making it easier to spend their money.
This creates a kind of personal bond between the manufacturer and the customer, after all, people who spend 1k-5k on a watch very often know the value of money. Longines and their down to earth approach makes them feel both comfortable and engaged.
You lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky devil. If you ever need anyone to carry the Baldessarre luggage, please get in touch - I'm dead cheap.
Would be cool to NFT all those books red books and to give that unique NFT for each Longine watch holder if he can prove that he is a owner of that specific watch, with that specific Serial Number.
Longines = real class, Rolex = flashy item to show off wealth. I love the history of this fabulous brand, as well as its humility and lack of pomposity. A legend of horology.
Lmao
So why is there an American flag outside of Longine headquarters? Lol, what class is that?
Amazing video. Actually, an outstanding documentary! Congrats!!
Yeah! i went there it was amaizing!!
I'm a huge fan of Longines, their designs are incredible, the prices are very fair and the range has something for everyone. I love the flagship non heritage, the ultra thin movement, buttery smooth winding and incredibly comfortable fine link bracelet. The new record 190th anniversary with the engraved numbers looks stunning, very tempting.
I have a black Hydro conquest, and now I need that blue spirit Zulu in my collection and, I love Longines! 🔥❤️
What is up with the US Flag? Does Teddy have that much Diplomatic Cachet that Longines threw up The Stars & Stripes?
Loved watching this, and I need to plan a visit. The more I learn about Longines, the more I love the brand!
I learned a great deal from this video. What an incredible history. Real heritage at excellent value.
Longines and Bulova don't get the recognition and respect like some of these brands that are just not up to par so sad. Longines needs to go back in there history and take a good look and take risk go for it before it's to late.
That was a great interview and It was really special to see and hear about the history of this watch brand. I remember at an early age seeing the giant Longines billboard at old Yankees stadium while attending a game with my grandfather. Brought back memories. Thank you.
What a great rich history, this brand has the potential of be at the top with the best, I like that from the beginning they were tool watches. It quite a shame that the brands only focuses Hydroconquest, Conquest and later Zulu, I would love to see the comeback of those old marvelous calibres. Nice video Teddy, I didn't know Longines was so amazing.
Crazy to think my grandfathers watch that I now have is logged in one of those books.
Great video. I like the attitude of the CEO towards his customer base re. price. You should be able to enjoy a high quality Swiss watch without financial hardship, and he seems to understand this. I like where Longines is in the market right now, long may it continue.
Well then I think you guys sold me on a Longines. Great interview.
Teddy, thank you so very much for profiling my favorite watch brand. The rich history that was unveiled is startling, and positions Longines very well for the future and its continued great success.
These video insights are incredible.
The most pleasant interview of any CEO in watch industry I watched. Of course, every watch enthusiast wants to have Tourbillon made by Patek, Vacheron, JLC but in attainable luxury watches, Longines is probably the best brand and I will buy their watch one day.
Those "go and see" videos at manufacturers could be for many people first moments fo fall in interests about the brand. Very well done video - I would like to see another 30 minutes only from their restoration department.
I appreciate your time spent visiting these various watch makers. This series has been really interesting to "watch" and listen to. :)
Thanks, Teddy! Another great deep-dive into a watch brand. And this time you picked my favorite! I'm a huge Longines fan-boy so hearing this intimate discussion into the depths of the heritage and their vision for the future was a special treat.
WOW... what an amazing brand. So many things I did not know originated with Longines. And as always, thanks to you and your team Teddy for producing such interesting content like this. Already looking forward to your next brand spotlight.
I do love Longines, so much history, a fairy quiet and I think under appreciated. I do wonder: if they’ve produced about 1,000 calibers, why can’t they produce their modern watches with one of them? (Obvs tweaked and modernised), rather than using an ETA as the base of their movements?
ETA must use Longines historical movement technology in their movements, so versions of the calibers shown at 12:31 must still being used. As I think with todays Ultra Chron - eta developed it with Longines
Actually you just feel that way because biased UA-cam reviewers make ppl think that way. Global market share Tudor has 5.6% ...vs tudor 2% but here in UA-cam you feel as if tudor is up there.
Eta belongs to the swatch group... longines can use ETA.
Great video!! I just picked up a Longines a couple months ago! I'm proud to own it. Love the history.
I just bought the moon phase as my first serious watch after reading the history. Used by the British raf, first stopwatches, Grand Prix in the Paris world fair, lindeburg flight.
Underrated is an understatement. Thanks for shining more light on this one
That museum is incredible. A history of time keeping and exploration. We take for granted now the ability to look at GPS or a map app and know when and where we are.