The Origin of 10 Watch Logos

1. Eterna -  5 ball bearings.  In 1948 Eterna unveiled the Eterna-Matic which comprised of a low friction ball bearing used to support the rotor of the automatic movement. This led to a great increase in the efficiency of the rotor. The invention of the Eterna-Matic with its ball bearings had such an overwhelming effect on Eterna, it fashioned its logo after five ball bearings.

 2. Longines - Winged Hourglass - Oldest Valid Trademark in the in the International Registary at WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) . The iconic winged hourglass was originally registered in 1889 in Switzerland followed by a filing under the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks in 1893. Read More

3. Bulova - Tuning Fork - From Bulova's 1960's Accutron 214 movement, which was a ground breaker in electronic watches using a battery instead of a spring and a tuning fork instead of a balance.  This resulted in a watch that "hummed" rather than "ticked." Quartz eventually phased out the Accutron, but they are still well loved. Read more info on Bulova Accutron. 

4. Vacheron Constantin - Maltese Cross - First appeared on watches in 1880.  The logo is taken from the shape of the component of the movement  affixed to the barrel.  This hallmark component ensures the number of wheels can be kept low.

 5. Patek Philipe - Calatrava Cross -  A powerful symbol signifying  unbridled success.  The Calatrava Cross comprises of the Greek Cross with four fleur-de-lis at its ends. Created in 1158 by Pope Gregory VIII, as a symbol for the Knights of Calatrava (the name of an old Moorish castle that had been liberated), to bring victory in battle against the numerous and experienced Moors, as the Knights of Calatrava had been simple shepherds before becoming Knights.  The Knights of Calatrava were victorious, winning a battle outnumbered 10 to 1.  Patek chose this symbol very well.  He placed it on every Patek Phillipe timepiece to protect the timepiece and bring success to the wearer.

 

 6. Girard-Perregaux -  the Tourbillon Sous Trois Points d'Or or Tourbillon Under 3 gold bridges Crafted by Constant Girard Perregaux.  After which the design lay dormant for 115 years. In 1982 the design was revived in pocket watches and in 1991 adapted for wristwatches to commemorate the 200th birthday of Girard-Perregaux.

7. Breguet - Breguet Hands.  Breguet Hands were designed by  Abraham Louis Breguet in 1783 and are instantly identified by hollowed out points. 1775 inscribed below "Breguet" is the year that Abraham Louis Breguet, best known for the father of the tourbillon, founded the company. He was born in Neuchâtel, Switzeland on January 10th, 1747 and became one of the most revered watchmaking legends.



8.  JeanRichard - JR Initials of the company, name and date below.  Although there is no significant movement upon the logo, the date placing the foundation of the company deep within the 17th century is significant enough. The legend about the company's founder - Daniel JeanRichard is to intriguing to write here in just a few lines, but I recommend that you
Read it here - The Legend of Daniel JeanRichard 

9. Corum - Key to perfect time.
The name Corum stems from the Latin word Quorum meaning
"The minimum number of members whose presence is necessary to make the proceedings and decisions of an assembly or society valid. It is then said a Quorum is reached."
The number of a Quorum is very definite depending on the society,

The key is the key to perfect time, and the last person to arrive at a meeting whereby a decision has to be made is the key that unlocks the process. Without that one final person the door is closed and no decision can be made.

10. Omega, and its corresponding symbol Ω, is the 24th Letter in the Greek Alphabet.  In 1898, The company changed its name from Louis Brandt et Frères to Omega after its groundbreaking movement - the 19 caliber "Omega".  This relatively affordable movement introduced time setting via the crown as well as a new "assembly line" production procedure.

The Olympics Omega Lost to Longines.

It is a great honor to be an Olympic Timekeeper - an honor which has been an unbroken chain of timekeeping triumphs for Omega since Los Angeles 1932. Almost unbroken that is... For whatever reason Omega lost its right to time the ill-fated Munich 1972 games.
In a recent exclusive interview with Master of Sports-timing ,since 1969, Omega's Peter Hürzeler and Swimming World, Peter explained:

"In those years, we were two big watch groups- OMEGA and Longines. We were timing competitions in our respective names, and were able to collaborate for major events, but, we were 30kms away doing the same thing. In 1972, after we lost (the right to time-sic) the Olympic Games in Munich, Swiss Timing was founded to be the leader in sports timekeeping. OMEGA returned as Official Olympic Timekeeper in 1976" 

So Longines got the right to time the  Munich 1972 Olympic games, a bitter sweet one-time honor clouded by the Munich Massacre in which 11 Israeli athletes and trainers were surprised in their sleep and captured by a Palestinian Terrorist Organization - Black September. The 11 Israelis and trainers were all murdered.

The New Longines Saint-Imier Collection

Strolling past the Longines Booth at BaselWorld 2012, one will notice an entirely new collection - The New Longines Saint-Imier Collection.  The collection pays homage to its birth place - Saint-Imier situated in a picturesque Canton of Bern in Switzerland.  Longines has not moved from Saint-Imier since its establishment in 1832 and now is the predominant factory in this largely agricultural region. The Longines Saint-Imier collection houses exclusively mechanical movements securely connecting this collection to the tradition of watchmaking.

The Collection is quite prolific consisting of no less than 18 models, all exceedingly elegant and efficient.   A quick yet intense glance at the Ladies Mechanical Timepiece assures me that the Longines watch will be an instant hit. The mother of pearl dial surrounded by an elegant 60 diamond studded bezel atop a steel case is a classic combination with a subtle sensuality. The varying lengths of pink gold and steel bracelet links surround a wrist in delicate embrace.  Beating within compact 26mm  case is the  Calibre L595 movement crafted  from the base ETA 2000/1 movement. Comprising of 20 jewels and beating at 28,800 vph, the automatic timepiece is equipped with a 40 hour power reserve. Superluminova coated pink hour and minute hands ensure optimal readout in the dark, and anti-reflective scratch resistant sapphire crystal ensure optimal read out under the glare of the sun.  12 Diamond hour markers add a glimmer of elegance hour after hour.

 

Chronograph Movements are all the rage among the ladies where elegance and note-worthy efficiency is highly respected. Mentioning efficiency in regard to this timepiece is of supreme relevance since this 39mm Chronograph is equipped with the L688 column-wheel chronograph movement exclusively developed and produced for Longines by ETA.  Since both companies are owned by The Swatch Group Ltd, ETA has taken great lengths to ensure that this exclusive movement is of exceptional quality. The column wheel component increases the timepiece's shock absorbant capability. The Calibre L688.2 self-winding mechanical movement is equipped with 27 jewels and beats at 28,800 vph with 54 hour power reserve.

 I always find it most fitting when Longines unveils a chronograph movement, since Longines is highly associated with equestrian sports and the chronograph function was first developed to determine exactly how long a horse race lasted. The Chronograph was actually invented in 1821 by Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec, at the command of horse racing enthusiast King Louis XVIII and patented in 1822, ten years before Auguste Agassiz founded Longines. 

The Silver Tone Dial of the  Longines Ladies Chronograph elegantly displays the 12 o’clock Arabic numeral marker and 8 applied hour markers.  12-hour, 30-minute and small seconds sub dials are located  at the  6, 3 and 9 o’clock respectively.  Boldly indicated beneath the 12 'o'clock position is the Longines winged hourglass - The Oldest Valid Trademark in the International Registry - click here for some fascinating information  

 

Longines pride of its collection The Longines Saint-Imier Retrograde Moon Phase Watch is a beauty to behold.  Its understated elegance coupled with a bold assertion of mechanical complications exude a potent mix of horological magnificence. The sleek stainless steel 44mm case houses a Calibre L707 (base movement ETA A07.L31)  mechanical automatic movement comprised of 25 jewels and beating at a frequency of 4 HZ equipped with a 48 hour power reserve. 

This timepiece features a traditional analog time display surrounded on all four sides by retrograde displays. The days of the week are placed just beneath the 12 'o'clock.  The date and the second time zone straddle either side of the dial and a retrograde small second indicator is located below the day night indicator.  A triple folding safety clasp ensures maximum protection for the flagship model of this collection. 

This collection will be on prominent display at Basel World 2012. 

The Oldest Valid Trademark in the International Registary at WIPO celebrates 120th Anniversary

Beneath the 12 'o'clock position of this fine watch crafted by Longines, a winged hourglass logo is visible. Longines logo holds as much profundity as the company itself. The Longines winged hourglass logo is the oldest valid trademark in the International Registary at WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization). An organization created by the United Nations in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world" as stated at a convention to establish its existence.

The WIPO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, an horological hotbed.

The iconic winged hourglass was originally registered in 1889 in Switzerland followed by a filing under the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks in 1893. In 1893, the Madrid Agreement included only six member States: Switzerland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Longines was the 14th application filed in the Registery, but it is the only mark still in use today as opposed to the 13 other marks which have lapsed in years past.

In 1867, in Les Longines, Mr. Ernest Francillon consolidated his families watch making skills under one roof. He renamed his company, Longines, a name now associated with the finest in Aviatiors Watches. The most iconic of which was designed by the legendary Charles Lindbergh immediately after his transatlantic flight.

On May 20, 1927 at 7:52 a.m., Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island for Paris. 33 1/2 hours later, (10:22 p.m. French time) Lindbergh set the Spirit of St. Louis down at Le Bourget Field near Paris. He had flown 3,600 miles and became the first to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic. He became an instant celebrity, and to this day he is an icon in aviation. It seems that while he was on his long voyage, he gave much thought to a watch that would be ideal for a pilot. He returned to the US and immediately began to draw up plans for a special pilot’s watch. Linbergh turned to Longines to create a perfect and practical pilot's instrumental watch. Longines watchmakers immediately went to work . A few months later the first prototype was presented to Lindbergh. He was extremely satisfied with the result.

Longines winged hourglass is engraved on all its pieces, the original version on the case back and the updated version on the dial. Longines is a company geared to innovation with over 160 patents for new watch movements and technical innovations in Switzerland.

Longines can boast a long list of firsts; Longines was the first to drop the winding key and invent the integrated crown mechanism for winding and setting the time. This new invention was presented at the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris where it received a bronze medal for invention.

In 1905, Longines was the first to produce a wristwatch mechanically. In 1979 the Longines "Feuille d'Or" model became the world's thinnest watch, at 1.98 mm powered by a quartz movement wholly integrated within the slim case. In 1984, Longines made a breakthrough by unveiling a timepiece with a VHP or Very High Precision Movement - a system of thermo compensation which proved to be five to ten times more accurate than quartz.

Longines also made waves in its new and innovative watch designs. In the Art Deco period of the 1920's and 30's, Longines crafted its watches utilizing organic form and structural geometry.

In commemoration of the 120th anniversary of the original registration Longines has unveiled a themed exhibition at the Cité du Temps in Geneva and published a study about the logo, as well as creating two limited series of numbered watches, each of 120 pieces.

Ultra-thin Swiss Watch found in 400 year old tomb in China!

No matter how you wrap your head around this watch mystery it's a real puzzler. I have looked at a million different websites to gain some sort of perspective on this mystery, but I am still puzzled. If you have any insight, please help me out.

Read related article here

Last month, archaeologist were caught by surprise when they found a 100 year old tiny swiss watch in an ancient tomb that was sealed more than 400 years ago. They believed they were the first to visit the Ming dynasty grave in Shangsi, southern China, since its occupant's funeral. This discover occurred while the archaeologists were filming a documentary with two journalists from Shangsi town.


But inside they uncovered a distinctly tonneau-shaped miniature watch in the shape of a ring marked 'Swiss' thought to be just a century old. The mysterious timepiece was encrusted in mud and rock and had stopped at 10:06. Watches were not around at the time of the Ming Dynasty and Switzerland did not even exist as a country, an expert pointed out.

"When we tried to remove the soil wrapped around the coffin, suddenly a piece of rock dropped off and hit the ground with metallic sound ," said Jiang Yanyu, former curator of the Guangxi Museum.

"We picked up the object, and found it was a ring. After removing the covering soil and examining it further, we were shocked to see it was a watch," he added. The Ming Dynasty - or the Empire of the Great Ming - was the was ruling dynasty in China from 1368 to 1644.

The People's Daily reported the watch had stopped at 10:06 am, and the word "swiss" was engraved on the back.

Now there are several things I found weird about this story:
a) The watch was found in a undisturbed 400 year old tomb.
b) The watch is tonnneau-shaped. Tonneau shaped watches was unveiled by Cartier in 1906
c) The watch is extremely slim and if the watch is 100 years old its thin case can be compared to Concord's Delirium 1 which was unveiled in the 1979 - the flattest analog watch ever made at under 2mm.
d) The tiny size of the watch. It seems a ring watch but the clasp seems so small. It could have been a cuff link which was quite popular at one time.
e) The watch has the words "Swiss" on it rather than "Swiss Made"; however, there were many fakes made in that time so the word "Swiss" meant little.
f) The news articles all claimed the watch stopped at 10:06 AM. Why AM? It does not seem to be a 24 hour watch. Why not PM.?

So now I have asked loads of questions, I have a few scenarios. Not all are mine some I picked up from web pages, black back round with stars twinkling about them ,writing about time traveling objects and tiny holes in time and space whereby objects slip through into other dimension. I am sure you can come up with your own too. Please share!

a) This 400 year old tomb had previous visitors, and one such visitor was wearing a tiny ring watch on her baby finger.
b) This watch is not real but rather an advertisement gimmick used to promote the new torneau shape. This watch could have been placed on a store front mannequin. In the early 1900's there was no T.V or Internet to announce new styles, companies had to be inventive like creating small gimmicky models of their products.
c) This watch is actually a time traveler that fell through a doorway in the early 1900's and arrived 400 years earlier to rest beside a tomb.
d) This whole thing is a hoax, a clever marketing ploy for something or other.
Remember the You-Tube Cellphone popping popcorn sensation?


Well I suppose only time will tell!

Longines Luxury Watch Company official timekeeper for CSIO 08 Barcelona

Longines is the official timekeeper and partner of the CSIO Barcelona, the final, which is underway from September 18th to September 21st. The CSIO is an International Show Jumping Event which is held in the most prestigious show venues on the international circuit:
La Baule (France), Aachen (Germany), Rome (Italy), St.Gallen (Switzerland), Rotterdam (Holland), Hickstead (Great Britain), Dublin (Ireland) and currently the finals in Barcelona (Spain).

Longines equistrian history dates back to 1926 where Longines participated in its first International Horse Show in Geneva Switzerland. In 2000 Longines started awarding the Longines Prize for Elegance in equestrian sports. This year the Prize for Elegance will be awarded in Barcelona. A jury of seven journalists from the equestrian and sporting press coming from the seven countries where Longines is an official timekeeper, will elect the most elegant female and male rider having achieved the most points in the six previous events. The winners each will receive a check in the amount of 20,000 swiss francs, a trophy, and a set of Longine Luxury Watches.
Against the magnificent backdrop of the Barcelona CSIO, Longines is launching its new Watch Collection - The Admiral Watch from Longines Sports Collection.



The Admiral is elegant yet sporty. The bold dials, numbers and hands create a distinct look of intense motion and urgent adventure. This watch is designed for the organized adventurer who has the need for a second 24 hour time zone. Longines has created a watch that radiates life and movement. Longines has masterfully blended precision, elegance and sports culminating in a collection of unique trend-setting watches. Available in this series is 24hour watches, tachymeter and chronograph.

Longines has more than 125 years of sporting heritage as a Timekeeper for World Championship events.