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In-Depth: The Longines Observatory Chronometer Cal. 360
In the field of precision timekeeping, one inevitably encounters Longines with its multi-facetted and remarkably rich history. The unwavering persistence of the firm’s celebrated régleurs and its long lineage of in-house chronometer calibres fostered Longines’ reputation for excellence in precision timekeeping, far beyond the borders of Switzerland. The Saint Imier-based manufacturer ventured into precision chronometry as early as 1888, amidst the dawn of observatory chronometer competitions in Switzerland, when its cal. 21.59/60-based chronometer obtained an observatory-issued Bulletin de Marche, or rate certificate. And after almost a century of steadfast participation in prestigious chronometry trials, the last Longines timepiece subject to observatory-governed testing, a cal. 262 based chronograph (movement no. 14’701’394), received its certificate in 1972. The Neuchâtel observatory announced its first chronometer contest on December 5, 1865. Eight decades later this Longines advertisement portrayed the observatory chronometer contests as an uphill battle, referencing the record of N=5.00 obtained by the wristwatch-sized cal. 15.68Z in 1945 at Neuchâtel. Towards the end of the 1950s, a pure-bred competition calibre named the cal. 360 became Longines’ final masterpiece in the hard-fought race for glory in precision. A proven workhorse that won countless prizes and accolades at both the Neuchâtel and Geneva observatory competitions, the cal. 360 was a pu...
