Longines Does It Right With The Avigation Oversized Crown

From Longines for 2013 comes the Avigation Oversized Crown. This model from the watchmaking legend from St. Imier, Switzerland has been making waves in the world of horology since its release at Basel earlier this year. The watch is definitely Longines in its design but is reminiscent of their pilot’s watches from the 20’s. The word ‘Avigation’ is a contraction of the words aviation and navigation.

The very first thing one notices about the Avigation series is the oversized crown which isn’t oversized really but more long-stemmed. The crown is onion shaped and protrudes out quite far, a feature that worked when pilots wore thick gloves and still needed dexterity with their timepieces.

The case size of the Avigation is a conservative 41mm which puts it in a class of its own as most retro pilot’s watches come in the 46-48mm size bracket. The case of this model is made from surgical stainless steel. The bidirectional bezel is fluted for an easier grip while still looking trendy. The bezel also carries a triangular marker which can be used as timer.

This timepiece is powered by an automatic movement – ETA 2895-2 which in truth is a modified 2892. The movement provides about 42 hours of power when fully wound. The dial is very legible, a defining characteristic of pilot’s watches with luminous Arabic numerals and luminous gold plated hands which stand out very nicely against the black dial. The minute track is well defined and the date and subsidiary seconds dial fit neatly just above the 6 o’clock position.

Longines uses looping lugs to hold the white contrast stitched black alligator strap. This model uses scratch resistant sapphire crystal with several layers of glare proofing on the underside of the crystal. Water resistant to 3 bars (30 meters), the Avigation Oversized Crown retails at $2400 USD and carries a 2 year international guarantee.