For 70 years, the Conquest name on Longines‘ dials has been a mark of everyday excellence. To celebrate the platinum anniversary of the Conquest in 2024, the Saint-Imier-based watchmaker has launched several all-new Longines Conquest Chronograph references, showcasing exactly why the collection is a perfect daily companion.
Longines started the Conquest collection celebrations with the announcement of the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve reissue, however, the Conquest Chronographs are a more modern interpretation of the famous name. The Conquest name appeared on a Longines dial in 1954 and was the first collection name registered and protected by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI). After its debut in 2023, the Conquest Chronograph range has been expanded with five new references, including new colours and strap options.
For those unfamiliar with the latest generation of Conquest Chronographs (not to be confused with the latest HydroConquest collection), Longines has gone to significant efforts to ensure the collection is a line-up of ideal all-rounders. The kind of timepieces you can wear on any day of the week, with plenty of strength to handle a little action, but enough elegance in their design to pair nicely with formal attire.
The stainless steel cases of the Conquest Chronographs measure 42mm in diameter and have been kept nicely proportioned at 14.3mm in thickness. The chronograph is activated using two straightforward pump pushers and the oversized crown is flanked by a pair of small guards, both of which contribute to a reliable 100m of water resistance.
With sharp case lines, Longines has finished the upper case surfaces with a fine satin brush and polished sides, while the fixed ceramic bezel protrudes above the downward-sloping case profile. The black, blue, or green ceramic bezels feature a tachymeter scale engraved around their circumference and have been coloured to match their respective subdials.
All of these Conquest Chronograph dials enjoy a “panda” configuration, with subdials that contrast against the off-white of the green and blue references and the champagne tone of the black bezel reference. As Longines is known for, the details have had significant attention paid to them with slimmed-down hands and hour markers that feature a careful application of Swiss Super-LumiNova.
Additionally, the circular snailing of the contrasting track beneath the hour markers is a subtle nod to the circular brushed track of historical references. Longines has also opted for no date window, maintaining a visually pleasing symmetry across the Conquest Chronograph dials in a design decision that will leave many collectors happy.
Beneath the dial is where you’ll find the automatic L898.5 calibre produced specifically for Longines, ticking away at 28’800vph and enjoying a healthy power reserve of up to 59 hours. It features an antimagnetic silicon balance-spring and is visible through the exhibition caseback, with attractive perlage decoration on the movement bridges and Côtes de Genève finishing on the automatic rotor.
In addition to the new dial colours, where these new references differ from the previous models are the strap options that are now available. The tapered three-link stainless steel bracelets remain an option, however, Longines now also offers comfortable Swiss-made rubber straps in colours that match the dials of the watches, further underscoring the reliable sportiness of the Conquest Chronograph collection.
Of the five new references, four are the new blue and green dial options paired with either a steel bracelet or rubber strap, while the fifth new reference is the champagne-coloured dial that’s now available with a black rubber strap. This nicely rounds out the Conquest Chronograph collection to offer no less than ten different references, including the light blue and black/silver references that launched in 2023.
All considered, the Longines Conquest Chronograph collection continues to fly the flag for “go-anywhere, do-anything” type watches that can span the gulf between work and play. Just as the Conquest name promised everyday reliability 70 years ago, so too does it today.
The new references within the Longines Conquest Chronograph collection are currently available from Longines boutiques and online. They arrive with an Australian RRP of $6,300 on the stainless steel bracelet and $6,125 on the rubber strap.
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