Compagnie des Montres Longines, Francillon S.A. was founded in 1832 by Auguste Agassiz, and is based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. Originally named Raiguel Jeune & Cie, the Longines name was adopted in 1867 after the company established its first factory in Les Longines (“long meadows”). Longines’ flying hourglass logo is the oldest unchanged active trademark registered with WIPO.
Longines developed its first chronograph movement in 1878, with early forays in equestrian sports. The brand’s first wrist watch, the Weems Avigation watch, was produced in 1927. By 1931, Longines had worked with Charles Lindbergh on the Hour Angle aviation watch.
The Swatch Group
In 1993, the parent company of Longines merged with SSIH, which resulted in becoming a subsidiary of the Swatch Group. Today, the Swatch Group also owns Blancpain, Breguet, Certina, Glashütte Original, Hamilton, Omega, Rado, and Tissot.
1952 Dutch Grand Prix
Longines appears to have been some sort of sponsor of the 1952 Dutch Grand Prix which was held at Zandvoort. The brand logo appeared on the official event program.
1952 was also notable for having been run under Formula Two regulations.
Custom Ferrari Timepieces
Scuderia Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari began commissioning small batches of Ferrari-branded watches from Bolognese jeweler Gerardo Veronesi in the 1950s to give as gifts to drivers, collaborators, and close friends. These early gift watches included Longines, as well as brands like Zenith, Vetta, and Super Royal. By the 1960s, brands such as Rewel, Lemania, and Girard-Perregaux were used.
Official Timekeeper of Formula 1
In the early 1980s, Longines bought Heuer’s ACIT (Automatic Car Identification Techhnology) system and became the Official Timekeeper of Formula 1 in 1982 along with Italian computer manufacturer Olivetti. The two companies retained the role until TAG Heuer took over in 1992.
Scuderia Ferrari
Longines was also a sponsor of Scuderia Ferrari from 1980 to 1989, and introduced the Ferrari collection in 1981. At least one example resides in the Musée Longines in Saint-Imier, Switzerland.
Nigel Mansell drives the Longines-sponsored Ferrari 640 at the 1989 Belgian Grand Prix. (Photo: by Polmars, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
A verified list of all Longines Ferrari models from the 1980s has been provided by Nicolas Chauvy of the Longines Branding and Heritage team. The case and bracelet of all models were two-tone, with dial variations of white, black, and gold:
| Year | Ref. | Caliber | Dial Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 4870.4 | L950 | Black |
| 1981 | 4888.4 | L111 | Black |
| 1981 | 4891.4 | L111 | Gold |
| 1982 | 4907.4 | L111 | Black |
| 1982 | 4908.4 | L111 | Black |
| 1982 | 4909.4 | L950 | Black |
| 1983 | 4919.4 | L111 | White |
| 1983 | 4920.4 | L270 | White |
Chauvy has also confirmed that high ranking Ferrari employees as well as drivers Didier Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve were gifted the ref. 4870.4 with the dial color of their choice. A unique solid gold variant (ref 6023) was also created for Enzo Ferrari.
Renault
Longines also had a partnership with Team Renault during the same time from 1981 to 1985. Chauvy has confirmed that no Renault-branded watches were ever produced, due to their concurrent contract with Ferrari.
Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Sponsorship?
While details remain limited, Longines also appeared to serve as an Official Timekeeper of Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1990 to 1994. Physical signage at Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing events can be seen in archive footage, as well as a digital logo below the leader board graphics during TV broadcasts. The Olivetti logo has also notably appeared up until the 1991 season, which seems to coincide with their F1 official timekeeping arrangement.
It’s also worth noting that a 2003 article on Crash.net supports this possibility, which included a statement that the Swatch Group “have provided the timekeeping facilities for the MotoGP World Championship since 1992”.
According to a Facebook post, Longines was also once the Official Timekeeper of the Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix on May 11, 1958 and presumably at least one other time before that. Longines and Olivetti branding also appears to have been present at the 1988 Nations motorcycle Grand Prix, which took place at Imola.
Pedro Diniz
Brazilian former Formula 1 driver Pedro Diniz was announced as a global brand ambassador for Longines in 1999. According to an announcement from the April 1999 issue of Diário da Manhã (page 34), Diniz was chosen to participate in the brand’s “Elegance is Attitude” campaign. The Brazilian driver has subsequently appeared in at least one Longines ad.
Related Pages
References
https://www.progcovers.com/motor/f11952.php
http://en.espn.co.uk/f1/motorsport/story/3836.html
https://www.europastar.com/news/1004020977-longines-celebrates-120-years-of-protection-for-a.html
https://www.grandprix.com/sponsors/longines.html
https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/a1973631/prancing-horses-and-sweeping-hands-history-ferrari-watch/
https://timeandtidewatches.com/ferrari-watch-collaborations/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0lRXh-4324
https://www.esquire.com/uk/watches/a33819319/hublot-ferrari-gt/
https://www.watchesandculture.org/forum/en/watch-brands-and-formula-1/
https://monochrome-watches.com/watches-formula-1-episode-1-history-rolex-official-timekeeper/
https://www.longines.com/en-us/magazine/pioneer-spirits/timing-formula-one
https://www.longines.com/en-us/magazine/pioneer-spirits/timing-ferrari-with-longines/
https://www.longines.com/en-us/magazine/pioneer-spirits/racing-with-renault/
https://magazine.tagheuer.com/en/2024/06/28/tag-heuer-a-long-history-of-performance-on-the-tracks/
https://youtu.be/oAbjOmKG_xk?si=nQ2DZKZzJdetvSMg&t=161
https://www.facebook.com/LonginesZA/posts/1324387397608406/