The Longines 1832 L4.825.4.52.0 Heritage Collection Watch
If you are looking for a stylish and smart watch that is 'dressy' but also suitable for everyday use, then watches from the Longines 1832 Heritage collection might suit you.
The stark, Bauhaus inspired design ethos of form and functionality are at a zenith in this design. It harks back to the 1950's Longines era where the post WW2 designs with block hour markers were popular on the Silver Arrow and Silvergines models. I still have an old 1958 Silvergines which was my first Longines watch.
The Longines 1832 in Cream dial day / date version
The 1832 is available as the plain date version as shown here, called day/date, a Moonphase /date version and also a very rare Chronograph version.
The main three versions are available in either a matt Black dial or a Cream dial, more of a vellum colour light beige.
The Longines 1832 movement is superbly finished
The case is highly polished stainless steel with a plain, straight drum sided look to it, the lugs are parallel and fairly long although this I think adds to the modernist look and means that the strap ends don't wear against the case and mark it too.
The Longines Heritage 40mm Chronograph
The Longines 1832 very rare 42mm Chronograph
The strap is a buckle type not the deployment type seen on similar price level watches in the range, this might have been chosen as part of the vintage aesthetic, the watch employing design facets inspired from 1950's Longines watches in the design as mentioned.
I think this would look nicer with rings framing the
date chapter ring and the Moonphase face giving more definition
The movement is an ETA, a brand that Swatch group that owns Longines and Tissot uses as a base for their ranges and very good these movements are too. The movement is very nicely finished with machine turning and engraving to the parts, the glass exhibition window really shows off the beautiful movement very nicely.
The Longines 1832 Moonphase with cream dial -
The date Chapter ring is better defined here I think than on the black dial
The case front is topped with a Sapphire glass and this is anti-reflective coated helping to give crisp contrast to the dial. There are no nasty flaring back-reflections here, the black dial is a matt finish but looks 'glossier' face on thanks to the shiny glass.
The cream variant dial is a matt finish too, something adopted on the Seiko Zen Garden watches of late.
The Longines 1832 has a simple Longines branded buckle strap
On the wrist, the watch is a delight, not obtrusive, stylish for business or casual wear, the minimalist design really works. The 40mm case size is a good compromise, but it would have been nice to have had a 42mm option for those that like a slightly larger case and dial, the weight difference would be negligible as this is not a heavy watch by any means.
My 1832 was picked up from EBay NOS it had been worn once by the look of it so is like new. I may go for another one with the cream dial or for the black dial column wheel chrono version too.
So what is the final verdict? Overall, I really like the design of the 1832 series watches and the colours for the dials are good choices, a nice Blue dial option would really set the collection off, like on the 'old' Record Chronometer 40mm from a couple of years back which could be bought with silver, black or blue dials. I have a blue one of those and it works very well sharing the same 40mm case as the 1832.
My only addition would be as mentioned, the blue dial and perhaps 42mm case size versions - I think that this design overall is attractive, stylish and with good high street deals out there, you could get a nice watch that is suitable for formal or casual wear. A winner!
Longines is getting the price, style and design right with the superbly decorated movements elevating these watches into a bracket that makes them look more expensive than they are. In comparison to other Swiss brands, the pricing is competitive and the value for money very good.
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