Editorial G.r.r. Longines New Releases New Watches New Watches 2022

Thoughts On The Longines Spirit 37

The Longines Spirit 37 is an ideal addition to any collection, small or big, and should favour the owner’s various needs with its great daily wearable versatility.

Editor’s note: Like you, we are also excited for the Watches & Wonders 2022 novelties. Before we get to dive deep into them, here’s our preview & Gut Reaction Review (Grr…) of the Longines Spirit 37. For our detailed hands-on reviews, please head to our dedicated reviews section here. This is NOT a sponsored post.

Longines Spirit 37

The Longines Spirit 37 In A Nutshell

Longines sits in an interesting position within the watch industry. Once a major top player, it over the course of time has lost some of its high-end prestige. But Swatch has been rebuilding it, now placing it in a more affordable luxury watches segment, where it is simply ruling without much competition. 

The reason why this is important is that given it’s not commanding the position of brands like Omega or Rolex, it has the ability to be able to listed a bit more to watch enthusiasts’ requests and demands, and cater to those by tailoring products. This is something we see more in niche or micro brands like Formex. Bigger brands, especially ones with such as legacy as that of Longines, rarely do this. Or more aptly, it’s hard for them to suddenly change their approach.

So it comes as a relief that Longines has listened to the enthusiasts, and despite not completely redesigning the Spirit collection case to incorporate smaller lugs, they have released a nicely sized Longines Spirit 37.

And not only is the diameter reduced, they have also introduced a new colour to the Longines Spirit collection, a beautiful champagne hued beige-gold. 

Longines Spirit 37

My guess is that champagne dial is targeted towards bringing more women clientele into their fold, but quite frankly, I think this shade of colour does a great job of being more unisex. 

The new Longines Spirit 37 despite not quite being a ‘small watch’ with nearly 47mm lug-to-lug spacing is an excellent and welcome new addition to the Spirit family that was first launched in 2020 and available in 42mm and 40mm case sizes (with a choice of steel or titanium case materials and various dial and strap options). 

Longines Spirit 37

The 5W1H Of The Longines Spirit 37

The new Longines Spirit 37 features a 100m water-resistant 39mm diameter and 11.7mm thick stainless steel case with a lug-to-lug spacing of about 47mm and interhorn spacing of 19mm. 

This provides much needed respite for those with slimmer wrists, given the smallest version (until this new release) had a 40mm x 12.20mm case with  49.4mm lug-to-lug spacing. Given 50mm is my cut-off line, it still fit my ~16cm wrist fine, but truth be told, I would definitely prefer the Longines Spirit 37. 

Longines Spirit Collection 22
40mm Longines Spirit

Of course sometimes the dials make a big difference, and even the Longines Heritage Classic Chronograph ‘Tuxedo’ ref. L2.830.4.93.0 measures 40mm x 13.6mm x 49.2mm, it sits like a dream on my wrists.

Longines Tuxedo Dial 26
Longines Tuxedo Dial 30

All praise aside, a 47mm spacing on a 37mm dial is still a bit too much. And why oh why couldn’t they have gone for the standard 20mm lug interhorn spacing? For context, the popular Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue that’s universally loved for its “perfect” measurements for smaller to medium sized wrists measures 39mm in diameter, 12.5mm in thickness and 47.2mm in lug-to-lug spacing. 

The Longines Spirit 37 is available in three different colour variations and come with either a bracelet (3’600 AUD) or a leather strap (3’200 AUD):

  • ref. L3.410.4.53.0 – matt black dial on dark brown strap 
  • ref. L3.410.4.53.6 – matt black dial on SS bracelet 
  • ref. L3.410.4.53.0 – matt black dial on dark brown strap 
  • ref. L3.410.4.63.2 – sunray champagne dial on light brown strap 
  • ref. L3.410.4.63.6 – sunray champagne dial on SS bracelet 
  • ref. L3.410.4.93.0 – sunray blue dial on blue strap
  • ref. L3.410.4.93.6 – sunray blue dial on SS bracelet

There is a bit of a debate as to whether the Longines Spirit 37 is a limited or regular production release, given the brand’s Australian website lists them as “AVAILABLE ON REQUEST”. 

Best Foot Forward

In addition to the smaller diameter, the other striking feature about the new Longines Spirit 37 is the introduction of the subtle gold-beige champagne dial that should appeal to both men and women. It reminds me of last year’s Panerai Luminor Due Piccolo ref. PAM01249 / PAM01248 with a similar ivory coloured dial.

This smaller Panerai timepiece aimed again at both men and women features similar dimensions of 38mm diameter and 11.2mm thickness, but a more compact 46mm lug-to-lug spacing. Just like the Longines Spirit 37, Panerai’s P.900 calibre also offers a 3-day power reserve. 

We have gone hands-on with it, and frankly, it is one hell of a looker, and on my ever burgeoning personal list of watches to acquire in life. But, it does, however, retail for 9’100 AUD. 

Coming back to Longines Spirit 37’s best features, that 6’o clock window placement on the Longines Spirit 37 which brings in better symmetry to the dial should also win Longines more converts too. IWC and Oris pilot’s style inspired watches beware; there is a new worthy competitor in town, one that with rock solid specs and inexpensive pricing may very well take the crown in the entry-level luxury segment.

Longines Spirit 37

Basic Specifications Of The Longines Spirit 37

Inside all the new Longines Spirit 37 ticks the calibre L888.4 which is an automatic-winding mechanical movement developed specifically for Longines and found exclusively in their Record and Spirit families.

The calibre L888.4 is an automatic, COSC-certified, 25.60mm diameter movement featuring 21 jewels, a silicon balance spring, beating at the frequency of 3.5 Hz (25’200 vph), and provides the functions of central hours, minutes, seconds and a date complication. 

Longines Spirit 37

The recent gradient dialled Longines Legend Diver 42 and HydroConquest XXII Commonwealth Games use the calibre L888.5 which has the exact same specifications as that of the calibre L888.4 movement found in the new Longines Spirit 37, barring the COSC (chronometer) certification. 

Both of these are based on the ETA A31.L11 that itself is based on the ETA 2892-A2. The calibre L888.4 improves upon the base ETA calibre 2892-A2 by substantially increasing the power reserve from 42-hours to the present 72-hour power reserve and should have an accuracy of -4 to +6 seconds per day. 

Quotable 

“The dial now displays the date centred at 6 o’clock for an even more harmonious aesthetic, while retaining the collection’s characteristic features, such as the 5 appliqué stars which recall a tradition of the Longines workshops: the more stars a watch has (up to 5), the more reliable its calibre”.

Press Release 
Longines Spirit 37

Our Thoughts On The Longines Spirit 37

We went hands-on with the Longines Spirit Prestige Edition ref. L3.810.4.93.9 a little while back and as much impressed as were with it — online brand pictures don’t do it justice, you really should strap one of these on your wrists to really get the feel — for the value proposition, the sizing courtesy long lugs was a bit hard to justify for those with slim wrists like myself. 

The new Longines Spirit 37 obviously changes that but retains every other bit of charm and design styling from the 40mm and 42mm elder brothers. 

Longines Spirit Collection 4

We can see these selling like hotcakes, simply because they just tick every damn box that there is: low price-point, COSC-certification, good 72-hour power reserve, decent daily wearable 100m water resistance and a screw-down crown, beautiful sun-ray dials, comfortable bracelets with triple safety folding clasp and push-piece opening mechanism, bold appliqué numerals with lume, PVD Grey polished hands for contrast on the champagne version or red-tipped hands on the other versions for better contrast, matching date wheels for blue and black dials, big crown that tapers inwards and is easy to use, Longines brand recognition, and a 5-year warranty. 

Longines Spirit 37

As usual, the diamond shaped hour marker lume pips of the chapter ring are in the form of cutouts that nicely integrate the raised outer flange with minute track on the lower dial. 

The Longines Spirit 37 is an ideal addition to any collection, small or big, and should favour the owner’s various needs with its great daily wearable versatility.

Longines Spirit 37

To find out more about the new Longines Spirit 37 and their other watches, please head to their website here. All images unless otherwise stated are courtesy are © 2022 Longines Watch Co. Francillon Ltd., All rights reserved.

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