Famous watches and luxury watch brands Famous watches and luxury watch brands Today, the world of watch industry presents a huge variety of watch companies with a wide range of time meters. However, chronometers of certain brands have a central place. They guarantee their owners maximum precision, excellent quality and unique style. One of the most famous brands of luxury watches can rightly be called Rolex. In 1903, Hans Wilsdorf arrived in London, where he decided to establish his own watch manufactory, being sure that wristwatches are things of future. And he wasn’t wrong: today his famous watches are the best in the world. However, these timepieces are not just one of the most famous in the world, they are synonymous with elegance, luxury, high status in society and impeccable quality. This famous brand is an essential attribute of a successful person, its name has become common: if a person has Rolex watch on his wrist, then he is rich and successful. This famous watch brand is the only one to date that does not discount its products. Rolex's philosophy - "maximum quality at maximum price." Most of the money paid for these elite watches is a payment for image.

In addition to their great success at the global market of the watch industry, these famous watches have a number of other achievements. For example, in 1927, the watch “Rolex Oyster” on British sportswoman Mercedes Gleitze’s wrist swam the English Channel for 15 hours and 15 minutes. CEO Hans Wilsdorf spent 40 thousand francs on informing the public about the health of the swimmer and the time of the race each hour. The photos of smiling swimmer were headlined: "The greatest triumph of Rolex Oyster”. After the legendary swim, the Rolex watch took a leading position at the watch market, and “Rolex Oyster” was swept away from the shelves. In the movie "Agent 007", which appeared on the big screen in 1950-s, James Bond overcame various obstacles with “Rolex Submariner” on his hand. Specially designed and attached to the submersible "Trieste", the model of Rolex together with French scientists Jacques Piccard and Donald was at a depth of 10,915 meters in the Mariana Trench in 1960.

During the entire underwater trip the watch showed correct time. However, the main achievement of this elite and well-known watch brand is the fact that Rolex watches are known by everybody, and even by those, who do not delve into the specifics of the watch industry. Another famous watch brand is Breguet. Abraham-Louis Breguet, the founder of this brand, is still one of the greatest watchmakers in the history of watchmaking. The most famous persons in history preferred those elite watches: Napoleon Bonaparte, Marie Antoinette, Tsar Alexander I, Prince of Wales, Sir Winston Churchill - this is not a complete list of clients. "To carry a fine Breguet watch is to feel that you have the brains of a genius in your pocket." - once said Sir David Salomons, a famous collector of luxury watches. Luxury watches of Breguet fully justify this statement. The letter of the Greek alphabet, Omega, has been a sign of good luck and perfection for two and a half thousand years. And now, during 150 years, the well-known watch brand “Omega” fully corresponds to its Greek name.

23-year-old Louis Brandt founded the company in 1848 in the Swiss town of La Chaux-de-Fonds. First it was a usual workshop, specialized in watch assembly, which later became one of the most renowned watch manufactories in the world. Soon he was sent on trips to Europe in order to sell the products manufactured during winter. That work provided him with a fairly comfortable existence thanks to a stable demand for his famous watches. In 1965, already known Omega watches with watches of other manufacturers have been tested by NASA in zero-gravity conditions, under the influence of strong magnetic fields, as well as temperatures from -18 to +93 degrees Celsius. However, only “Omega Speedmaster”, which was chosen for the Apollo program, stood the tests. In 1970, the company released an ultra-sealed model “Seamaster 600” with water resistance to 600 meters, which was used by Captain Cousteau for researches at a depth of 500 m. The company did not pass by the film industry either. In 1995, Omega replaced the famous Rolex watch in James Bond film.

The watch “Omega Seamaster Professional Chronometer” showed off on the wrist of immortal hero in subsequent films. Omega was the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games 2008 and Winter Olympic Games 2010. A deserved and indisputable place in this list is given to the well-known Swiss brand of luxury watches “Patek Philippe”. The company was founded in 1839 by an immigrant - Pole Anthony Patek. The famous watches of this well-known brand are among the most expensive mass-produced watches in the world. The company adopted the Spanish Cross of the Order of Calatrava as its symbol. In 1993, Patek Philippe produced a complicated (24 functions) pocket watch for banker Henry Graves, which was sold for $ 11,000,000 after his death in 1999. That was the most expensive sale in the history of watches, which entered the Guinness Book of Records. In 1989, the masters of the company created one of the most complex models of watches ever produced - Calibre 89. That well-known watch was designed for the 150th anniversary of the company’s founding.

It contains 33 complex movements, including the date of the religious holiday of Easter, thermometer, time of sunrise, equation of time, sidereal time, and other indicators. The model “Calibre 89" can add an extra day to February in leap years and skip the extra days every 100 years. In the list of fans of these famous watches there are many political figures, heads of states, celebrities, as Hollywood actor Brad Pitt. The well-known watch brand “Cartier”, founded by Louis-Francois Cartier in 1847, was a small jewelry shop at that time. However, already in 1867, Cartier watches were exhibited at the World Exhibition in Paris. In 1888, the company released its first models, and since 1906 it has begun to produce wrist watches decorated with precious stones. In 1917, Cartier created its famous model “Tank”, the design of which reminds of a huge British tank from World War I. The watches of that model were presented to the American commanders (including General John J. Pershing) in gratitude for the liberation of France.

In 1933, specially for water treatment procedures of Pasha of Marrakesh a watertight luxury watch “Pasha” was designed. The brand “Longines” is one of the most elegant and famous brands in the world. In 1832, August Agassiz came to the town of Saint-Imier and took a job at a small shop that sold spare parts for clocks. From that moment the history of the famous watch brand began. The watches of Longines are preferred by historical figures. For example, Amundsen, the world-famous conqueror of the North Pole, and Byrd, overflying the South Pole. In sports, the company Longines was the official timekeeper at numerous summer and winter Olympics from 1905 to 1952. It should be noted that those famous watches in a unique and elegant form of "barrel" were preferred by George Peppard and Audrey Hepburn in the cult film "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Albert Einstein also preferred a watch of Longines, which after his death was sold at auction for 596.000 dollars.

The original watches of Maurice Lacroix are made by hand that makes them perfect in quality and design. These watches can be only enjoyed. The company was founded in a small town of St-Legier in 1961, when the family company “Desco de Schultess”, engaged in the manufacture of silk, expanded its activities and purchased equipment for manufacturing of watches. In 1975, the name of an ordinary manufacturer was chosen as an imposing name of the brand. Previously the models were manufactured under the name of customer. Since then the company has been constantly growing and improving, acquiring its own unique style and traditions, and it is one of the most famous watch brands. The company Franck Muller, founded in 1992 by Vartan Sirmakes and Franck Muller, has a relatively short history in the watch industry. However, during this short period, it has managed to win its unshakable place in the world of watches and stand in a line with the famous watch manufacturers. The company makes rather complicated watches, and every year it manages to show the world the inventions, unknown to the history of watchmaking.

For example, in 1998 the famous brand created the world's smallest tourbillon movement, setting a world record. For its short period of existence, the company “Franck Muller” introduced the world about 20 inventions, considered to be a "world premiere". The luxury watches of the brand show off on the wrists of such Hollywood stars, like Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. The well-known watch brand “Tissot” is known for its movements around the world. It was founded in 1853 by Charles-Felicien Tissot and his son Charles-Emile in Le Locle. Initially, it was a small shop under the title "Charles Tissot and Son." In 1858, Charles-Emile went to Russia, where he successfully started selling pocket watches, and since 1866 Tissot became the official supplier of watches of the Russian Imperial Court. At the end of the XIX century, Charles-Felicien founded subsidiaries in Frankfurt and Moscow.

Since 1904 Tissot has become the supplier of watches for the Russian army, producing the so-called "Tsar watches" for the officers of the Imperial Guard, which were engraved with the emblem of the Imperial Russian regiments. Throughout the existence of the famous brand the watches were owned by people like Elvis Presley, Nelson Mandela, Grace Kelly. The original Tissot watches have been used in the film "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith". The company is also the official timekeeper of the world championships of circuit racing MotoGP and NASCAR. This is not a complete list of famous brands, functioning at today's market of the watch industry. Here are the most important ones in the world of watches. You only need to choose what brand will suit you and reflect your temperament and style best of all. Longines | Bellagio Brand: Longines Longines Based in the Swiss town of St. Imier since 1832, Longines is celebrating its 180th anniversary in 2012. The famous Swiss watchmaker can boast a technical expertise born of tradition, elegance and performance.

With many years of experience as a timekeeper for world championships in sport or as a partner of international sports federations, Longines – famous for the elegance of its timepieces – is a member of the Swatch Group Ltd, the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. The brand known by its winged hourglass logo now has outlets in over 130 countries. In 1832 Auguste Agassiz entered the world of horology when he joined a trading office established in St. Imier. He soon rose to become the manager and the company took on the name Agassiz & Co. At the time, he was producing timepieces under the “établissage” system, whereby watchmakers worked at home and supplied their products to the trading offices. Agassiz built up a network of commercial contacts, which enabled him to sell his watches on other continents, in particular in North America. During the 1850s Agassiz’s nephew Ernest Francillon took over the running of the office. When Francillon took on this responsibility, he considered ways of perfecting the manufacturing methods used in watchmaking in the area.

He concluded that it would be advantageous to try to bring together the different stages that go towards making a watch under one roof. Francillon’s intention was to set up a factory where he could assemble and finish each watch, introducing a degree of mechanisation. In order to achieve this, he bought two adjoining pieces of land in 1866 on the right bank of the River Suze, which runs through the St. Imier valley. The site was known locally as Les Longines and he adopted this name for the factory which he built there in 1867. Ernest Francillon took on Jacques David, a young engineer who was also related to him, to help develop the machines needed for perfecting the manufacture of timepieces. During the 1870s, Francillon’s choice of industrial options was proved sound and the factory continually expanded until the first third of the 20th century: in 1911 the Longines factory employed over 1,100 workers and sold its products all over the world. Today Longines continues to be at the cutting edge of innovation, and works to ensure that all its watches offer a unique combination of precision and elegance.

It is a dominant player with a strong presence in equestrianism, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, downhill skiing, and tennis, and is ever present in supporting the defining moments of contemporary sporting history. Longines History Accessories The History of Longines Watches The Longines brand is not one to be overlooked - its history and pedigree are up there with the best of them. The company started way back in 1832 under Auguste Agassiz, who formed a partnership with a watch workshop in Saint-Imier. Originally called 'Agassiz and Compagnie,' it wasn't until 1866, when the nephew of Agassiz, Ernest Francillon, took over the business and moved it to an old amalgam mill on the banks of the river Suze on a patch of land known as, 'Les Longines ,' that the company was re-named 'Longines'. Francillon was one of the first pioneers of machine-manufacturing in watchmaking, producing movement blanks, or ébauches, in the Longines workshop.

In 1867, because of this development, he was able to entirely design his own calibre, the Longines 20A, a mechanical movement with pendant winding. Francillon and his engineers took this movement to the 1876 Philadelphia Universal Exhibition, where they discovered just how far ahead the Americans were with their machine-manufacturing. Despite resistance from the Swiss workers, Longines continued developing their manufacturing processes in an effort to keep Switzerland at the forefront of watchmaking technology. The product of their hard work earned Francillon and the Longines team numerous awards and distinctions in watchmaking, and such was their recognition and success that it became necessary to manufacture authenticity markings onto their movements. For this, the Longines winged hourglass logo was created. All the Longines names and logos were registered with the various intellectual property registrations during the 1890's, making Longines the oldest brand name to be registered with WIPO, the World Intellectual Property Organisation. When Longines increased its market to the Americas, it continued to improve its manufacturing processes, earning it the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition Grand Prize.

The development of quality control and production recording made Longines one of the first watchmakers to step into the mechanical age. By the start of the twentieth century, the Longines factory employed 1200 people in a village of barely 8000. Despite a serious lull through the First World War, and again through the great depression in the 1930's, Longines managed to pull themselves back out of the mire and begin developing calibres again. They followed the technological advancements of the era closely, producing their own chronographs, automatic movements and chronometer grade movements with good levels of success. The accuracy and robustness of the movements gave them a reputation as the professional go-to equipment, and although the Rolex Deep-Sea Special gains all the credit in the bathyscaphe Trieste dives in the 50's and 60's, it is little known that the bathyscaphe itself was fitted with Longines equipment. Rather than fighting technical development, Longines embraced it, and the quartz revolution that knocked out so many watchmakers heralded an era of invention for them.

In a collaboration with Paillard-Bolex, the Longines quartz-clock was combined with a high-speed camera to create a device that could record and time sport to within one-hundredth of a second. Many other collaborations were founded with sporting manufacturers, including Ferrari's F1 team, and Longines have continued to provide timing equipment for a variety of sports, as well as also producing elegant and robust wrist watches consistently through the years. Longines Series CHONG HING JEWELERS CHONG HING JEWELERS Longines Longines: 180 years of elegance, tradition and performance Based in the Swiss town of St. Imier since 1832, Longines is celebrating its 180th anniversary in 2012. The famous Swiss watchmaker can boast a technical expertise born of tradition, elegance and performance. With many years of experience as a timekeeper for world championships in sport or as a partner of international sports federations, Longines – famous for the elegance of its timepieces – is a member of the Swatch Group Ltd, the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. The brand known by its winged hourglass logo now has outlets in over 130 countries.

In 1832 Auguste Agassiz entered the world of horology when he joined a trading office established in St. Imier. He soon rose to become the manager and the company took on the name Agassiz & Co. At the time, he was producing timepieces under the “établissage” system, whereby watchmakers worked at home and supplied their products to the trading offices. Agassiz built up a network of commercial contacts, which enabled him to sell his watches on other continents, in particular in North America. During the 1850s Agassiz’s nephew Ernest Francillon took over the running of the office. When Francillon took on this responsibility, he considered ways of perfecting the manufacturing methods used in watchmaking in the area. He concluded that it would be advantageous to try to bring together the different stages that go towards making a watch under one roof. Francillon’s intention was to set up a factory where he could assemble and finish each watch, introducing a degree of mechanisation. In order to achieve this, he bought two adjoining pieces of land in 1866 on the right bank of the River Suze, which runs through the St. Imier valley.

The site was known locally as Les Longines and he adopted this name for the factory which he built there in 1867. Ernest Francillon took on Jacques David, a young engineer who was also related to him, to help develop the machines needed for perfecting the manufacture of timepieces. During the 1870s, Francillon’s choice of industrial options was proved sound and the factory continually expanded until the first third of the 20th century: in 1911 the Longines factory employed over 1,100 workers and sold its products all over the world. The technical research carried out at Longines was rewarded by various prizes which gradually gave the company its reputation of winning the most awards in international and world exhibitions until the 1929 exhibition in Barcelona, by which time Longines had won no fewer than 10 Grand Prix. In 1889, Francillon patented a trademark comprising the name Longines and the now famous winged hourglass. Today, Longines is the oldest trademark or logo still in use in its original form registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

As early as 1867, Longines was using the winged hourglass symbol and the tradename “Longines” as a guarantee of quality in order to combat counterfeit products aimed at taking advantage of the reputation already established by the company. Longines: 180 years of elegance, tradition and performance Based in the Swiss town of St. Imier since 1832, Longines is celebrating its 180th anniversary in 2012. The famous Swiss watchmaker can boast a technical expertise born of tradition, elegance and performance. With many years of experience as a timekeeper for world championships in sport or as a partner of international sports federations, Longines – famous for the elegance of its timepieces – is a member of the Swatch Group Ltd, the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. The brand known by its winged hourglass logo now has outlets in over 130 countries. In 1832 Auguste Agassiz entered the world of horology when he joined a trading office established in St. Imier. He soon rose to become the manager and the company took on the name Agassiz & Co.

At the time, he was producing timepieces under the “établissage” system, whereby watchmakers worked at home and supplied their products to the trading offices. Agassiz built up a network of commercial contacts, which enabled him to sell his watches on other continents, in particular in North America. During the 1850s Agassiz’s nephew Ernest Francillon took over the running of the office. When Francillon took on this responsibility, he considered ways of perfecting the manufacturing methods used in watchmaking in the area. He concluded that it would be advantageous to try to bring together the different stages that go towards making a watch under one roof. Francillon’s intention was to set up a factory where he could assemble and finish each watch, introducing a degree of mechanisation. In order to achieve this, he bought two adjoining pieces of land in 1866 on the right bank of the River Suze, which runs through the St. Imier valley. The site was known locally as Les Longines and he adopted this name for the factory which he built there in 1867.

Ernest Francillon took on Jacques David, a young engineer who was also related to him, to help develop the machines needed for perfecting the manufacture of timepieces. During the 1870s, Francillon’s choice of industrial options was proved sound and the factory continually expanded until the first third of the 20th century: in 1911 the Longines factory employed over 1,100 workers and sold its products all over the world. The technical research carried out at Longines was rewarded by various prizes which gradually gave the company its reputation of winning the most awards in international and world exhibitions until the 1929 exhibition in Barcelona, by which time Longines had won no fewer than 10 Grand Prix. In 1889, Francillon patented a trademark comprising the name Longines and the now famous winged hourglass. Today, Longines is the oldest trademark or logo still in use in its original form registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

As early as 1867, Longines was using the winged hourglass symbol and the tradename “Longines” as a guarantee of quality in order to combat counterfeit products aimed at taking advantage of the reputation already established by the company. Official Longines® Website : Swiss Watchmaking since 1832 In honour of the 185th anniversary of Longines, discover an anecdote about the brand's history every day 19 JANUARY 1995 On 19 January 1995, the Curling Cup Longines was held for the second time, an occasion for a number of journalists and personalities from the alpine sports get together for some good-humoured entertainment. As a reward for their efforts, each contestant is offered a Longines pocket watch. Longines : definition of Longines and synonyms of Longines (English) A Longines self-winding watch with several horology complications - chronograph , moon phase , day, date and month display. Longines ( French pronunciation: [lɔ̃ʒin] ) is a luxury watchmaker based in Saint-Imier , Switzerland .

Founded by Auguste Agassiz in 1832, the company is owned by the Swatch Group . Its winged hourglass logo is the oldest registered for a watchmaker. Longines is known for its 'Aviators' watches. A company director was a friend of Charles Lindbergh ; after his transatlantic flight, Lindbergh designed a pilot watch to help with air navigation. Built to his specifications, it is still produced today. Longines provided timers used at the first modern day Olympics in 1892. In 1899, Longines went to the North Pole with Arctic explorer Louis Amédée de Savoie. It was the first to use automatic timekeeping for the Federal Gymnastics , at Basel in 1912. Today, Longines remains a widely recognized name in sport watches and chronographs. Contents This section does not cite any references or sources . (December 2007) Vintage Longines box. Based in Saint-Imier since 1832, the Compagnie des Montres Longines Francillon S.A. was among the world’s leading watch companies.

In 2007, Longines had its 175th anniversary. The brand evolved from a comptoir [1] to a full-fledged manufacturing [2] operation and then back down to an établisseur [3] today, since the early 1980s, as a Swatch Group company. The Longines’ story began in 1832, when Auguste Agassiz , brother of naturalist Louis Agassiz , found a job in the hamlet of Saint-Imier , joining Comptoir Horloger Raiguel Jeune (a trader of watch parts), in 1833 taking over the business when he and two of his associates set up a company named Comptoir Raiguel Jeue & Cie. The venture was run on the then-prevailing business model based on piecework by people making or processing watch parts in their own homes for the account of a jobber who delivered the blanks, or rough parts, and picked up and paid for the finished ones. The company soon found ways to market its timepieces in distant markets, not least in the Americas.

Agassiz & Compagnie In 1847 Agassiz became the sole owner of the company which he renamed Agassiz & Compagnie. In 1852, his nephew Ernest Francillon joined the company. During the 1850s, Francillon took over the business from his ailing uncle, focusing on increasing and improving the production of standard watch designs. Ancienne Maison Auguste Agassiz, Ernest Francillon, successeur In 1862 Francillon renamed the venture Ancienne Maison Auguste Agassiz, Ernest Francillon, successeur, adding his own name to his uncle’s. As he took over day-to-day management, Francillon looked for ways of improving and streamlining production, then parceled out to a number of different sites. The end result was a factory where the watches were both manufactured and assembled. Les Longines In 1866, Francillon purchased two adjoining plots of land at a place locally known as Les Longines (meaning "the long meadows" in the local dialect) on the right bank of the River Suze in the Saint-Imier valley. Here he built a factory, to gather the entire production under one roof.

By 1867, Francillon had convinced some of his pieceworkers to transfer their activities to his newly built factory and hired a young kinsman, the engineer Jacques David, to help him devise the tools and machines which he needed to improve the manufacturing processes. Jacques David was able to mechanize much of the process of watchmaking. Manufacture Longines The first in-house Longines movement was created in 1867. The same year Ernest Francillon returned from the World's Fair in Paris with a bronze medal for this watch. From the 1870s on, Longines’ industrial options proved judicious and the company grew steadily until the first third of the 20th century. The buildings themselves regularly had to be adapted to the needs of a flourishing enterprise which, by 1911, employed over 1,100 people and sold its timepieces worldwide. Logo In 1880, on 19 July, the Longines brand and logo were registered at the Swiss Federal Office of Intellectual Property, now the World Intellectual Property Organization .

The company had by 1867 already adopted its Winged Hourglass symbol both as a mark of quality and as a defence against counterfeiting. The Philadelphia Universal Exhibition of 1876 Jacques David traveled to the Philadelphia Universal Exhibition of 1876 and returned to write a report that triggered a wide-ranging debate within the Swiss watch industry of his day.[ citation needed ] The 1970s In the 1970s Longines experienced a breakthrough[ vague ] in development and production. In 1972, Longines was the first world watch maker to introduce a LCD -display watch on the consumer market. [4] There were advances in performance of the watches and their appearance continued to change. In 1980s there were a series of ultra-thin designs following another world record of Longines in 1979 - the thinnest[ citation needed ] quartz watch called the Feuille d'Or - it was just 1.98 mm thick. The 1980s In 1984 Longines introduced the Conquest VHP (Very High Precision) caliber - the first thermocompensated quartz movement.

It set new accuracy standards with a variance of only +/-12 seconds a year. Thermocompensation uses a highly sensitive thermometer to measure surrounding temperatures and slightly adjust the frequency of the quartz oscillator to compensate for adverse effects on timekeeping caused by temperature fluctuation. Thirty million watches On 19 February 2001 Longines produced the 30 millionth watch at their factory. In 2002 the brand celebrated the 170th year of the flying hourglass logo. Longines in sport Longines gradually built a special relationship with the world of sport. Present in Athens in 1896, the company has been closely associated with the worldwide development of sport, timing Olympic Games fourteen times, beginning with Oslo in 1952. Its partnership drove the company to devise a variety of inventions and developments enabling it to determine and display winning times. Aeronautics Longines Hour Angle Watch Official supplier since 1919 to the International Aeronautics Federation (FAI), Longines has provided the watches required to set and then certify numerous world flight records – not least Charles Lindbergh ’s 1927 first nonstop solo crossing of the North Atlantic.

Instruments designed and built by Longines have thus helped world explorers and trailblazers of the skies. Thus, in 1927 Longines timed Lindbergh's transatlantic flight , which lasted 33 hours and 30 minutes. In the middle of the 20th century Longines was part of the rise of women's aviation , with Amelia Earhart who was another famous wearer of the brand. This period also marked the appearance of the first in-house self-winding watches and the company won several prestigious awards. Among those awards there were four Diamonds-International Academy Awards and the Prix d'Honneur of Lausanne . In the mid 1930s Longines patented the flyback chronograph . American sports The Longines name was once conspicuously displayed above large analog clocks topping many scoreboards at various sports stadiums and arenas , in the days before the time of day was kept digitally. Three notable examples in baseball parks were the scoreboard clocks at Yankee Stadium before the stadium was remodeled during the early 1970s, at Shea Stadium , removed at the end of the 1979 season and replaced with a digital clock, and at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio .

So nostalgic were Cincinnati fans for the latter a replica was installed at Great American Ballpark when it replaced Crosley's "cookie cutter" successor, Riverfront Stadium . The Longines logo received much free publicity when Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski 's 1960 World Series-winning home run was hit directly above a Longines sign at Forbes Field . Similarly, a Longines sign was prominently visible at San Francisco's Candlestick Park when San Francisco 49ers receiver Dwight Clark made a famous catch of a touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Montana in the 1981 National Football Conference championship game. While many of these original Longines clocks have been removed, a handful remain, including one in full working order above the basketball court at the University of Kansas 's Allen Fieldhouse . Equestrian sports In 1952, its Photogines was the first device to visualize the finish line as it measured times. By 1960, the Contifort combined moving images and timing functions. These and other inventive developments contributed to Longines’ sporting credentials. Longines started equestrian timekeeping in 1926 at the Concours Hippique International in Geneva.

It has since then officiated at more than one hundred national and international show-jumping competitions in Europe and in North America,[ citation needed ] providing timing services at competitions including World Championships, European Championships, and Olympic Games along with many CSIO meets as well as, more recently, Arab League competitions. Gymnastics After the great success of wristwatches at the beginning of the 20th century, the Longines factory underwent a massive reorganization of methods of production during the 1920s and 30s. In 1912 Longines began a close partnership with gymnastics as the official timekeeper for the 1912 Swiss Federal Gymnastics Meet in Basel. The result of this partnership was the introduction of automatic timing. In 1912 at the Swiss Federal Gymnastics Meet, it introduced the "broken wire" automatic timing system. Formula One racing Longines' mastery of advanced technologies[ vague ] moved it also to approach Formula One racing,[ citation needed ] an experience that ultimately led to a partnership with Ferrari of Italy.

Skiing Longines started in skiing in 1933, and returned to it in 2006, becoming official timekeeper for the FIS ’s 2006-2007 Alpine World Cup competitions. Tennis Longines has been the official timekeeper and partner of the French Open since 2007, as well as the Kremlin Cup and the Japan Open Tennis Championships since 2009. [5] Former world ATP No. 1 Andre Agassi and WTA No. 1 Steffi Graf were named "Ambassadors of Elegance" in 2008 [6] and Longines has been a longtime partner and sponsor of Agassi's Foundation for Education and Children for Tomorrow. [7] In 2010, the brand has announced its U.S. and global tennis program aimed at supporting and developing junior athletes.

[8] Tour de France In addition to the Olympic Games, Longines has timed 31 Tours de France .[ citation needed ] Worldwide acclaim Over the years, the company’s various technical research projects earned so much acclaim abroad that Longines could claim the title of “leading prize winner” at international exhibitions up to the Barcelona Exhibition of 1929. It garnered ten Grands Prix (Antwerp 1885, Paris 1889, Brussels 1897, Paris 1900, Milan 1906, Bern 1914, Genoa 1914, Paris 1925, Philadelphia 1926 and Barcelona 1929). In 1969, Longines’ corporate tradition of technical innovation yielded the first cybernetic quartz electronic wristwatch ever designed by a watch manufacturer’s in-house research facilities.[ citation needed ] Notes ^ In a business system based on an agreement between producers or salesmen, the comptoir acts as the intermediary between them and their customers. ^ A manufacture is a watch factory which itself produces the components (particularly the ébauche) needed for the manufacture of its products.

The ébauche is an incomplete watch movement which is sold as a set of loose parts, comprising the main plate, the bridges, the train, the winding and setting mechanism and the regulator. ^ An établisseur is a watch factory which is engaged only in assembling watches, without itself producing the components, which it buys from specialist suppliers. Longines Watches, Collections, History & News | WorldTempus Contact About Longines Based in Saint-Imier since 1832, Longines boasts a long tradition of watchmaking. It all began with Auguste Agassiz, who went into partnership with a watchmaking shop, and soon took it over. At that time the firm made timepieces using the établissage method, with the work being done at home. Agassiz developed commercial links that enabled him to sell his watches on other continents, in particular in America. During the 1850s, Ernest Francillon, Agassiz's nephew, took over management of the business. He undertook to bring together the different stages of finalisation of the watch under one roof.

To carry out his project, in 1866 he bought two adjoining plots of land in the locality of Les Longines and in 1867 founded the Longines factory. In 1889, Francillon registered the Longines brand and its winged hourglass logo. Over the following years, Francillon's industrial operations expanded, and the manufacture enjoyed continuous growth well into the first third of the twentieth century. In 1911, the manufacture employed over 1100 workers, and its output was distributed worldwide. The technical research carried out at Les Longines was rewarded by various distinctions, giving the firm the status of the “most awarded” watchmaking firm at international shows and Universal Expositions, through to the Barcelona World's Fair in 1929, with no fewer than 10 Grand Prix. In the early twentieth century, Longines also asserted its attachment to sports timekeeping.Very active in horse racing from as early as 1878, the Firm excelled with a first jockey's watch; by 1926 it was timekeeper for the Concours Hippique International Officiel de Genève.

At the same time, Longines became connected with gymnastics, downhill skiing, tennis and archery – and still is to this day. Now part of the Swatch Group, the world's leading manufacturer of watches, the Longines brand has operations in over 130 countries. Longines' philosophy Today Longines is the oldest brand still in business, unchanged, in the international registers held by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The firm has a long tradition, characterised by the elegance of its watches. Benefiting from the skills built up within the company, Longines has gradually forged special ties with the world of sport, where it demonstrates its knowhow in precision measurement.

Longines' 5 key dates 1832: Auguste Agassiz goes into partnership with a watchmaking outlet in Saint-Imier 1889: the name Longines is registered 1927: Longines times Charles Lindbergh's historic non-stop flight from New York to Paris 1983: Longines becomes a part of the Société Suisse de Microélectronique et d'Horlogerie, now known as the Swatch Group 2012: Longines celebrates its 180th anniversary Longines' collections Elégance: The Longines PrimaLuna, Longines DolceVita and La Grande Classique de Longines collections display a delicate balance of refinement and classicism. Tradition Horlogère: The Longines Master Collection, Conquest Classic, The Longines Saint-Imier Collection and Longines evidenza embody the brand's technical and aesthetical expertise. Sport: In The Longines Sport Collection, the brand confirms its commitment to the world of sport. The Conquest and HydroConquest lines illustrate the quest for performance – without compromising elegance in the slightest.

Héritage: Longines here combines the aesthetic appearance of its historical models with the most modern watchmaking techniques. Heritage timepieces pay tribute to the pioneering spirit that has inspired Longines watchmakers over the centuries. Contact Longines Compagnie des montres Longines Francillon SA CH-2610 ST-IMIER

Question: The company ‘Longines’ are famous for manufacturing which luxury items?
Answer: Watches