Longines Wrist Watches

Longines Watch Story

The Longines story starts back in 1832 when Auguste Agassiz arrived in Saint-Imier and entered the "Comptoir horloger Raiguel Jeune". One year later, he founded the "Comptoir Raiguel Jeune & Cie" together with Florian Morel and Henri Raiguel. One of Auguste's sisters married Charles-Marc Francillon, a shopkeeper from Lausanne and in 1834 they had a son, Ernest Francillon.

When Henri Raiguel retired from his functions in 1838, Auguste Agassiz and Florian Morel became the owners of the "Comptoir Agassiz & Cie", until Agassiz became in 1847 the sole owner. A few years later, in 1852, his nephew, Ernest Francillon, entered the company to finally become his uncle's successor in 1862. The new company "Ancienne Maison Auguste Agassiz, Ernest Francillon, Successeur" was born. At that time watchmaking in the area used the skills of people working outside the "comptoir d'établissage", often at home.

In 1866, Auguste's nephew, Ernest Francillon, bought two plots of land on the right bank of the river Suze at the place called "Les Longines" and brought all of the watchmaking skills under one roof - this was the first "Longines factory".

With the inauguration of the new factory in 1867, the production of the first Longines movement, the L20A, commenced. At that time, watches used to be wound by means of a key. The Longines watch however broke with these traditional watchmaking methods having a "lever" movement which was wound and the time set by means of the crown. It was Ernest Francillon himself who went to Paris to present this watch at the 1867 Universal Exhibition. He returned to Saint-Imier with a bronze medal.

Ever since his first watch in 1867, Francillon engraved a winged hourglass on all Longines movements. In his battle against counterfeits, he already in 1874 sent out his first warning to all Longines customers.

170 Years of Elegance in Watchmaking

Never modified, continually used, constantly updated, the world's oldest registered brand name in watchmaking - Longines, with its winged hourglass logo - enters the year 2002 with elegance, launching "Les Elégantes", a commemorative collection of three vintage jewelry watches during a party, celebrating 170 years of elegance at the Pavillon Ledoyen, located at the famous Champs Elysées. At the very same occasion Longines presents its ambassadors of elegance; Indian actress Aishwarya Rai, Italian actress Chiara Muti, Chinese actress Carina Lau, American actor Billy Zane and Russian actor Oleg Menshikov.