Saint-Imier watchmaker Longines marked its 185th anniversary celebrations in the Chinese capital of Beijing. Hosted in the capital’s historic Imperial Ancestral Temple (Taimiao), the highlight of the event was the launch of the company’s Record collection. Actress Zhao Liying was also unveiled as the Chinese brand ambassador for the company during the gala event.
With four sizes (26, 30, 38.5 and 40 mm), the Record collection, showcased at Baselworld 2017, is designed for both women (seven dials) and men (six dials). All of the models feature the three working hands/date version, with a steel case – and a diamond-set steel case on two dials, for women – fitted on a steel bracelet or alligator watch strap.
A first for Longines, it is certified as a “chronometer” by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), a designation awarded to all of the pieces in the Record collection, informed the company. The movement of these watches is controlled by a single-crystal silicon balance spring with unique properties.
While raising the curtain over the new collection, Walter von Känel, President of Longines, said on the occasion, “Tradition, elegance and performance, three values dear to Longines, are perfectly combined in the new collection that we are launching today: the Record collection. Indeed, its models do not simply show Longines’ watchmaking expertise, but they are also a display of the brand’s signature classic style.”
Timepieces from the Record collection were exhibited alongside a selection of vintage mementos in the Longines 185th Anniversary Exhibition under the roof of the historic temple. A curated selection of vintage pocketwatches, timing devices, and early wristwatches directly sourced from the Longines museum in Saint-Imier accompanied the modern timepieces.
“Longines Through Time,” a historical book, written by Longines International Brand Heritage Manager Stéphanie Lachat was also launched during the evening. To cap the evening, Longines introduced its new Ambassador of Elegance, Zhao Liying who joins the decorated list of celebrities, including Kate Winslet and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, as Longines ambassador.
