An extension to the Spirit Flyback Chronograph collection that was released earlier this year, the timepiece now comes in a grade 5 titanium case!
Longines marked a new chapter in their long history of pilot’s watches with the release of the Spirit Flyback Chronograph models, which were introduced earlier in 2023. Now, keeping the same aesthetically pleasing looks, the model gets a lighter and more durable case with the addition of titanium material.
The Longines Spirit Flyback model is a special timepiece for the brand when you think about its history. It goes back to the brand’s roots with its pioneering spirit that has driven the brand to innovation and creating special pilot’s timepieces. Back in 1925, Longines was the first brand to produce a watch equipped with the flyback function. The winged-hourglass brand then filed a patent for this technology, which was officially registered on 16 June 1936.
For those that may not know, Longines explains the flyback chronograph function as:
“The flyback function, first invented by Longines, is a watchmaking complication that enables a chronograph to measure consecutive intervals of time smoothly and quickly. Unlike a traditional chronograph, whose seconds hand has to be stopped, reset and restarted, the flyback function enables the hand to return instantly to zero and start measuring time again with a single press of the push-button. This function proves particularly useful in situations where precision and speed are essential, such as in aviation.“
Now, this all-new version of the Spirit Flyback gets a material upgrade, with Grade 5 titanium, an alloy that is both lighter and tougher than steel. The 42 mm case comes with a satin-polished finish which plays with light beautifully, as at different angles of light, it gives contrasts between the dark shades and shine of the titanium material. The timepiece does measure in at 17 mm thick, which is quite large for a pilot’s watch, with the thickness being largely due to the domed sapphire crystal.
Longines is offering this new edition in either a titanium bracelet to match the case, with the same style of finishing, or a black and grey NATO strap which has been developed specifically for this timepiece. The titanium bracelet also wears much lighter than a traditional stainless steel bracelet, which makes for a more comfortable wear on the wrist.
The dial is well-balanced and pleasing to the eye. The choice of colours for this watch makes it stand out beautifully in a subtle way. The sunray anthracite dial is complemented nicely with the black ceramic bezel insert and also the two black sub-counters at 3 and 9 o’clock. The mixture of white and gold accents on the bezel and dial lettering works well against the background colours, along with just the right amount of extra colour being used with red for the chronograph hand tip and “FLYBACK” inscription on the dial. The hour and minute hands are also designed in the shape of aeroplane propellers. These hands, along with the Arabic hour indices and bezel chronograph markings have been filled with a generous amount of Super-LumiNova, giving the timepiece excellent low-light readability.
Matching the pleasing aesthetics of the dial is the performance of the engine running the timepiece. The high precision of the watch is produced by the brand’s in-house Longines L791.4 calibre movement. The movement is resistant to magnetic fields and also comes equipped with a silicon balance spring, which improves stability, performance, accuracy, and makes the movement resistant to thermal fluctuations and as mentioned magnetic fields. The L791.4 calibre movement operates at a high-frequency of 28,800 VpH (4 Hz) which gives it the high accuracy, along with an impressive power reserve of 68 hours. The watch comes with an open caseback, which gives a view to the L791.4 calibre movement and its finishing, more specifically the winding rotor which has been decorated with the winged-hourglass logo of the brand, “LONGINES FLYBACK” inscription and the globe.
A pioneer in pilot’s watches, Longines has kept the Spirit Flyback simple and straight to the point. While the case size of 42 mm may not be to everyone’s taste, the watch comes packed with beautiful design aesthetics, a sturdy movement and now a material upgrade. The Longines Spirit Flyback Edition is available for purchase from October 2023 at Longines boutiques, retailers and their e-commerce.
Reference: L3.821.1.53.6 (Titanium Bracelet), L3.821.1.53.2 (NATO Strap)
Specification:
- Case: 42 mm / 49 mm lug-to-lug / 17 mm thick
- Case Material: Grade 5 – Titanium and ceramic bezel insert
- Caseback: Transparent caseback with sapphire crystal
- Dial: Sunray Anthracite
- Crystal: Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, with several layers of anti-reflective coating on both sides
- Water resistance: 100 m / 10 bar
- Movement: Automatic flyback chronograph calibre L791.4
- Power reserve: Approximately 68 hours
- Strap: Titanium bracelet or black and grey synthetic NATO Strap.