From 1968, this gentleman’s vintage Longines Admiral in stainless steel is an exceedingly high quality model that is very wearable while at the same time being an appreciating asset. Longines has one of the most spectacular histories of any of the grand Swiss houses, but curiously, the prices for its vintage output still lag noticeably behind those realised for watches by its competitors. When judged on its case or movement finish and dial quality, the Admiral is the equal of Omega’s Seamaster or the Rolex Oyster Perpetual from the same period. Yet with a little bit of effort, even an immaculate example, like the one here, can be sourced for less than £600. The value for money that this represents is nothing short of astonishing and it seems inevitable that prices for classic Admirals and Flagships have to correct sharply upwards in the near future to reflect the high standard of the movements inside them.

The condition of this particular watch is almost perfect throughout. Its large stainless steel case is virtually unmarked throughout, with just a few tiny imperfections here and there which must be expected on even the most carefully treated vintage example.

The case back interior is signed with “Longines, Fab. Suisse, Swiss Made” together with the company’s winged hourglass emblem. Also here is the wording “Acier Inoxydable”, the French term for stainless steel, and the model reference number 8181-2.

Inside the case back, the original spring steel compression washer is still in place. These are so often lost by careless watchmakers and its presence is very reassuring that this piece has been in conscientious hands throughout its life.

Externally, the wording “Longines, Waterproof, Anti-magnetic, Shock-Absorber, Swiss Made” is written around the case back centre. Inside this is the stamped case serial number 15 254084.

The original winding crown with which the watch started life in 1968 is still in place and in mint condition. This is signed on its flat outer face as “Longines”, again with the winged hourglass device. While it may seem excessive to the casual browser that we mention these details, they are important in the eyes of the purist collector. While average examples are fine for the majority of buyers, our business caters for the specialist collector and effort should be made to acquire only the very best preserved, totally original pieces if the objects of the exercise are long term ownership and investment gain.

Maybe, if there really wasn’t any alternative, we might recommend accepting a restored dial on a watch manufactured in the 1920s or ‘30s, but this would be only as a last resort after a lengthy search for a more worthy example. Under no circumstances would we suggest making the same compromise on a model from the post-war years and any item we considered for our stock from this period would have to feature an original dial in nearly mint condition. The dial is the key defining feature of any vintage wristwatch and the most critical one in setting its value. An original dial will add enormously to the desirability of a piece and conversely, a restored dial will reduce its value as it otherwise would have been by at least 40%.

This dial is completely original and untouched. Its condition is almost as new and a better example probably could not be found anywhere. The brushed silver finish is free from spotting or deterioration. Above the dial centre point is the signature “Longines, Automatic”, while below this is the wording “Admiral, T Swiss Made T”. The “T” letters in this context tell us that the luminous material present in the hands is based around the tritium element rather than the earlier radium based paint.

All three hands are completely original and correct for this model. These are in chrome and match the similarly plated parallel sided batons perfectly. The applied chromed Longines winged hourglass logo on the dial, and the five chromed stars beneath it are shiny and not in the least bit dulled.

When the threaded case back is unscrewed, we gain unhindered access to the calibre 501 movement inside. Introduced in 1968, this self-winding mechanism was a beautifully finished unit created by purchasing an ebauche ( this is the Swiss term for a raw movement in its unfinished state, without gears, pinions or any other components) from A Schild and then heavily remanufacturing it to Longines’ standards. Experienced collectors will already be familiar with the A Schild company. Founded in 1896, it unquestionably qualifies as one of the most respected movement manufacturers of the 20th century. Its position was an interesting one as it didn’t market watches to the public, but simply produced mechanisms that were sold to the prestigious major houses. The list of A Schild clients is long and includes, at one time or another, almost all the brands that we regard as household names today. Jaeger LeCoultre, Ulysse Nardin and Rolex have all used Schild movements and it would be difficult to name a manufacturer that had more credibility with insiders in the Swiss luxury watch industry.

Schild’s reference for this movement was calibre 1753, but interestingly, we have never seen it other than in the form of this mechanism by Longines, which prompts surpicion that Schild designed and manufactured it specifically for its famous customer. It replaced the Longines calibre 340, introduced in 1962. While this was a technically advanced movement, it was excessively costly to manufacture. The 501 was sturdy, extremely accurate and as a consequence of its relative simplicity, inherently reliable.

The condition of this particular movement is almost mint. Its rhodium plate finish is untarnished and gleams brightly, just like that in a brand new watch. The rotor is signed “Longines” and features the winged hourglass emblem, while the bridge has the calibre number 501, “Swiss” and “Seventeen Jewels” on it. Also here is the individual serial number for this movement, 14452535. Theoretically, using only its serial number as a guide, this movement was manufactured in late 1967. In fact, we know from Longines records that calibre 501 appeared for the first time in early 1968, so can assume that the usually quoted serial number run for 1968 of 14500000 to 15000000 isn’t strictly accurate.

Having been serviced regularly, this watch works perfectly. Longines today is very keen to take an active involvement in the care of its vintage output and offers reasonably priced servicing to a very high quality standard. Provided it is cleaned and lubricated every three or four years without fail, this example should last almost forever and potentially be an heirloom item in the future. Unlike their modern equivalents, vintage watches by the top tier makers were built to be possessions for life. Even in the 1960s, it was assumed automatically that a high-grade mechanical watch would give decades of service, which certainly a model like this one can achieve with ease.

We have fitted this watch with a high quality crocodile skin type strap. This is not a genuine Longines strap, but it is almost identical to the one that would have been supplied with this model when new in 1968. It certainly does not need to be changed in the foreseeable future.

The price of this watch is £575 GB pounds. A similar sum would buy almost nothing on the high street, yet here it secures a near mint self-winding vintage model by one of the most respected luxury watch brands in the world. To return to the opening paragraph of this description, it has to be said that classic Longines models are still almost ridiculously undervalued at present. Prices have climbed steeply in the last twelve months, but it is so obvious that all the elements are in place for Longines values to soar dramatically with the assistance of the right catalyst, just as vintage Omega models rocketed in the wake of Antiquorum’s much-publicised themed “Omegamania” sale of April 2007, sponsored by the Swatch Group. The Swatch Group owns both Omega and Longines, and given the boost in the public profile of the former brand after the sale, it must be likely that a similar event centred around Longines will occur in the next two or three years. When this happens, good, and by this we mean immaculate and all original, vintage Longines watches will shoot up in price almost overnight and pieces like this one will no longer be available for anything remotely like the sums they can be acquired for today. Longines has a glorious past, a wide diversity of vintage models behind it, exceptional quality and the current backing of a strongly financed corporation intent on raising its visibility with the buying public. Our bet is that even five years from now, immaculate 1960s vintage Longines Admirals for sale for less than £1000 pounds will be nothing more than a fond memory.