ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX

jamesh · 24 May 2009, 01:06 AM

Background
The origins of this watch date back to the 1950’s when deep sea exploration was still a new frontier. A series of manned submersible vessels called bathyscaphes were developed to withstand huge pressures and were therefore capable of carrying people thousands of meters deep.

Longines supplied many of the instruments for one of these vessels – the Trieste, which set a depth record in 1953, carrying two people to a depth of 3,150 meters.

Alongside development of instruments for the Trieste, Longines also developed diving wrist watches to military specification and later for civilian sports divers. Longines recently re-released one of these watches in a modern-day version, called the “Legend Diver”.

Initially the classic design of the watch caught my attention but reading about the history really got me hooked. I have since noticed that Legend Diver, shares similar design characteristics to two other re-released classics: the Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Tribute to Polaris and IWC Vintage Acquatimer.

Packaging
The watch comes in a ridiculously LARGE box! Probably not very environmentally friendly but I must admit quite impressive, and contains a nice book about the Longines Sport legends collection. Quite interesting reading and nice to look at.

Name: IMG_0652 L.jpg
Views: 1995
Size: 40.6 KB

Name: IMG_0652 L.jpg
Views: 1995
Size: 40.6 KB

Case
A few specs: stainless steel, 42mm, domed saphire crystal, water resistant to 300m

The case has two crowns – one for winding and setting the watch and the other to access and set the rotating inner bezel. This is fairly unique feature and less common that the usual external bezel. I can also see a functional reason behind it in that it’s not possible to accidentally move the bezel by knocking it.

The case height is 13.5mm which I think is pretty “thin” considering it’s water resistant to 300 metres. It certainly feels comfortable on the wrist and does not sit too high. The reverse of the case is also imprinted with an image of a diver and spear.

Name: IMG_0636.jpg
Views: 1980
Size: 58.4 KB

Name: IMG_0636.jpg
Views: 1980
Size: 58.4 KB

Dial
The dial design is quite unique and special. It has a real classic, “retro” look about it with beige/cream batton hour markers which contrast nicely against the black face. For me legibility is good thanks to the simple face and strong contrast of the markers. In short, it’s simple, elegant and well laid out.

Name: IMG_0616 L.jpg
Views: 1984
Size: 46.7 KB

Name: IMG_0616 L.jpg
Views: 1984
Size: 46.7 KB

Name: IMG_0635 L.jpg
Views: 1964
Size: 50.4 KB

Strap
The strap is made from some sort of black synthetic material with off-white stitching. It is lined with black felt on the inside to aid comfort. It certainly looks nice and matches the style of the watch. My only real gripe is that even though I have average size wrists, if I use the tightest buckle hole, the watch is still a bit loose and therefore sits a little to the side. On the positive side I do like the buckle which has nice detail in the cross-hatch pattern adorned with the Longines hour glass logo.

Name: IMG_0639 L.jpg
Views: 1955
Size: 46.2 KB

Name: IMG_0639 L.jpg
Views: 1955
Size: 46.2 KB

Fit & Finish
It’s a well constructed watch and you can see and feel the quality. I like the small details like the cross-hatch pattern etched into the top of the crowns and buckle.

Movement
Longines L633 automatic movement, based on the ETA 2824-2

Accuracy
I’m not obsessed with accuracy but I know that this is part of any proper assessment of a watch’s quality. From the 6 months or so I’ve had the watch it seems to fall within +/- 5 secs a day which for me is more than accurate enough for a mechanical automatic watch.

In short
A handsome, classic well-designed watch with a great story behind it. A unique function with the rotating inner bezel accessed by a second crown. And not to mention, great value for around $US 2,000.

Asad · 1 June 2009, 06:37 PM

Good in depth review!

gettocard · 5 June 2009, 07:05 AM

Nice technical review ! I've just posted mine about the same watch with the date version,come see me if you like.

We love this watch,don't we ???

About the strap length,they finally decided to short it a bit on the date version.

jamesh · 14 June 2009, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gettocard

Nice technical review ! I've just posted mine about the same watch with the date version,come see me if you like.

We love this watch,don't we ???

About the strap length,they finally decided to short it a bit on the date version.

Thanks Jackie! Just read yours - great review. It's interesting hearing others thoughts on the same watch - especially when it's not a watch you see every day...

Actually I'm quite surprised (and pleased!) to see that quite a few people know and like this watch - I thought it was one of those sort of "niche personal taste" watches...

louie · 2 August 2009, 03:20 AM

James,just collected mine today!

asadtiger · 2 August 2009, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louie

James,just collected mine today!

Hey Louie share pics man...congrats to you

good review James...the watch is really classy...its a dress kind of diver which is amazing

...the watch has some very desirable and subtle details...I went nuts about it when I first saw it...love it still...congrats to you too

regards,
Asad Abbas Awan.

louie · 3 August 2009, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asadtiger

Hey Louie share pics man...congrats to you

good review James...the watch is really classy...its a dress kind of diver which is amazing

...the watch has some very desirable and subtle details...I went nuts about it when I first saw it...love it still...congrats to you too

regards,
Asad Abbas Awan.

Thanks Asad,i 'm really happy and excited when i was informed the watch has arrived. I almost got sleepless...

Gone over to the shop the following day to collect this beauty during lunch time. I'm really impressed by the presentation boxes,catalog etc... She so BEAUTIFULL!

*Take this opportunity to thank cocobat & Paul for the help in getting this LLD. Thank you guys!

Photo By Leicashot

jamesh · 4 September 2009, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louie

James,just collected mine today!

Congratulations Louie - it's a great watch. Enjoy!

watch-nut · 16 September 2009, 08:07 PM

Great watch and a nice review, this has all but pusuded me to go and buy one, thank you

stratus · 17 January 2010, 03:06 AM

thank you nice review

Tony-GB · 17 January 2010, 03:41 AM

Not normally a lover of two crowns on a watch but this piece certainly pulls it off! Very classic looking & gorgeous dial.

Thanks for the review & pics- superb!

KarlFr · 30 January 2010, 08:49 AM

I've been re-reading this review and been debating with myself if I should get this watch or not.... It's beatiful but there's so much else out there ..

sam. · 5 April 2010, 10:38 AM

thanks for the info,i really like the classic look of this watch!

mingsta · 10 April 2010, 10:19 AM

Thats a lovely watch and great review. Love the retro dial and domed crystal!

Funnily enough, I've also just posted a review for a different 42mm swiss made divers watch, also with a double crown, rotating internal bezel and 28xx movement:

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=123927

...very different animal to your classic piece though.

wildsidemtb · 1 May 2010, 08:08 AM

Stunning watch I love the internal bezel timer it is similar to my Hamilton Khaki

jedinite · 11 December 2010, 03:11 AM

Awesome looking watch and a great review

WatchTimes · 4 January 2011, 04:36 AM

They are nice fun watches.
I have had mine a few mths and am actually going
to part with it soon, just need to get around to listing it.

It is a nice watch, sporty yet dressy and wears great I just do not
find it getting much wrist time at all :( I have worn it perhaps 1/2 dozen times.

As the OP said the box is really something! Rolex could take some lessons in this
department from Longines haha.

drtooth73 · 10 January 2011, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesh

Background

Longines supplied many of the instruments for one of these vessels – the Trieste, which set a depth record in 1953, carrying two people to a depth of 3,150 meters.

As a side note, one of the Rolex models was tested by Trieste.
here is a link: http://thescuttlefish.com/2010/11/th...randpas-rolex/

jamesh · 12 January 2011, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drtooth73

As a side note, one of the Rolex models was tested by Trieste.
here is a link: http://thescuttlefish.com/2010/11/th...randpas-rolex/

Ahh, the deep see special - I've seen pictures of that before. The height of the domed bezel looks pretty crazy. Is the extra height of the Rolex crystal because it went to a greater depth than the Longines...?

salem65 · 14 January 2011, 12:23 PM

Thanks for the great review and pics. It is a great looking watch; I love retro styling.

DCgator · 14 January 2011, 01:06 PM

Congrats on the good looking watch! Love that it has two crowns, definitely looks different and unique.

I bought an IWC Aquatimer BNIB from an IWC AD in 2004 and it has the similarity mentioned with your Longines. Two crowns and an inner rotating bezel gives the watch a unique look. I love it. Just not sure my Aquatimer is considered a "vintage" since as far as I know it is only about 8 y/o.

trvilanova · 28 January 2011, 03:40 AM

here in spain that watch is very apreciated, i like so much, i think that is one of my next buy

Jede · 17 April 2011, 11:56 PM

This has caught my interest lately.. JLC Tribute to Polaris would be cool, but I can't justify the price just yet.

zeit_geist · 21 September 2012, 03:48 AM

In part based on Jamesh's positive review, I recently purchased this LLD re-edition in stainless steel with date window from Tourneau and have been very pleased with it. I wear it frequently, suited up and dressed down, swimming in the ocean etc., and the watch is in perfect condition. It wears very comfortably on my wrist. It's a well-crafted timepiece, heavy and perfectly fitting at 42mm. I think I would have preferred the dateless version a tad bit. I also think that it loses quite a bit of its value so anyone looking to buy one should look for a slightly used model which can be had at around $1500 or so (retail was around $2200). As a big fan of diver's watches, I think this is a great addition to my small collection, though I think the JLC Deep Sea/Polaris would have been a better buy, albeit much more expensive. At its price, I think this is a great watch to own and I think I will enjoy it for many years to come. Sidenote: Tourneau originally sold me the LLD with a standard Longines box but thanks to Jamesh's review, I realized that there is a special box and booklet so after a quick call to Tourneau, they quickly sent me the original box and booklet.

InTime · 5 October 2012, 05:15 PM

just looked myself its listed at 2300

shhhoooot...

in 2009 it was 2000$

Chewbacca · 14 October 2012, 11:27 AM

nice review on a very underrated watch.

trelos · 16 October 2012, 02:25 AM

Just bought one used from a forum member.

Should be in today...Can't wait!!!

trelos · 16 October 2012, 02:59 AM

Just Got it!!!

already loving it!!!

The box it came in is quite impressive!

Thanks to forum member ABOEN for the watch, a great price and quick shipping!

24 May 2009, 01:06 AM	#1
jamesh "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 219	Longines Legend Diver Review Background The origins of this watch date back to the 1950’s when deep sea exploration was still a new frontier. A series of manned submersible vessels called bathyscaphes were developed to withstand huge pressures and were therefore capable of carrying people thousands of meters deep. Longines supplied many of the instruments for one of these vessels – the Trieste, which set a depth record in 1953, carrying two people to a depth of 3,150 meters. Alongside development of instruments for the Trieste, Longines also developed diving wrist watches to military specification and later for civilian sports divers. Longines recently re-released one of these watches in a modern-day version, called the “Legend Diver”. Initially the classic design of the watch caught my attention but reading about the history really got me hooked. I have since noticed that Legend Diver, shares similar design characteristics to two other re-released classics: the Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Tribute to Polaris and IWC Vintage Acquatimer. Packaging The watch comes in a ridiculously LARGE box! Probably not very environmentally friendly but I must admit quite impressive, and contains a nice book about the Longines Sport legends collection. Quite interesting reading and nice to look at. Case A few specs: stainless steel, 42mm, domed saphire crystal, water resistant to 300m The case has two crowns – one for winding and setting the watch and the other to access and set the rotating inner bezel. This is fairly unique feature and less common that the usual external bezel. I can also see a functional reason behind it in that it’s not possible to accidentally move the bezel by knocking it. The case height is 13.5mm which I think is pretty “thin” considering it’s water resistant to 300 metres. It certainly feels comfortable on the wrist and does not sit too high. The reverse of the case is also imprinted with an image of a diver and spear. Dial The dial design is quite unique and special. It has a real classic, “retro” look about it with beige/cream batton hour markers which contrast nicely against the black face. For me legibility is good thanks to the simple face and strong contrast of the markers. In short, it’s simple, elegant and well laid out. Strap The strap is made from some sort of black synthetic material with off-white stitching. It is lined with black felt on the inside to aid comfort. It certainly looks nice and matches the style of the watch. My only real gripe is that even though I have average size wrists, if I use the tightest buckle hole, the watch is still a bit loose and therefore sits a little to the side. On the positive side I do like the buckle which has nice detail in the cross-hatch pattern adorned with the Longines hour glass logo. Fit & Finish It’s a well constructed watch and you can see and feel the quality. I like the small details like the cross-hatch pattern etched into the top of the crowns and buckle. Movement Longines L633 automatic movement, based on the ETA 2824-2 Accuracy I’m not obsessed with accuracy but I know that this is part of any proper assessment of a watch’s quality. From the 6 months or so I’ve had the watch it seems to fall within +/- 5 secs a day which for me is more than accurate enough for a mechanical automatic watch. In short A handsome, classic well-designed watch with a great story behind it. A unique function with the rotating inner bezel accessed by a second crown. And not to mention, great value for around $US 2,000.

2 August 2009, 03:20 AM	#5
louie "TRF" Member Join Date: May 2008 Real Name: Lewis Location: Earth Watch: The Beast Posts: 1,352	James,just collected mine today! __________________ " I THINK PERFECTION IS UGLY. SOMEWHERE IN THE THINGS HUMANS MAKE, I WANT TO SEE SCARS, FAILURE, DISORDER AND DISTORTION" - YOHJI YAMAMOTO

17 January 2010, 03:41 AM	#11
Tony-GB "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Real Name: Tony Location: Oxfordshire, UK Watch: 116680 & 116622 Posts: 3,953	Not normally a lover of two crowns on a watch but this piece certainly pulls it off! Very classic looking & gorgeous dial. Thanks for the review & pics- superb! __________________ "...why oh why, didn't I take the blue pill...?" http://www.helenanddouglas.org.uk/ www.cheetah.org

4 January 2011, 04:36 AM	#17
WatchTimes 2024 ROLEX DATEJUST41 Pledge Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Real Name: JYogi/Jeremy Location: Metro Detroit USA Watch: It's a Rolex! Posts: 5,787	They are nice fun watches. I have had mine a few mths and am actually going to part with it soon, just need to get around to listing it. It is a nice watch, sporty yet dressy and wears great I just do not find it getting much wrist time at all :( I have worn it perhaps 1/2 dozen times. As the OP said the box is really something! Rolex could take some lessons in this department from Longines haha. __________________ "You won't rise to the occasion - you'll default to your level of training." Barrett Tillman Kentucky Colonel, Tennessee Squire & Combat Leprechaun

21 September 2012, 03:48 AM	#24
zeit_geist "TRF" Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Bogota Watch: Submariner 16610 Posts: 2	Great Timepiece In part based on Jamesh's positive review, I recently purchased this LLD re-edition in stainless steel with date window from Tourneau and have been very pleased with it. I wear it frequently, suited up and dressed down, swimming in the ocean etc., and the watch is in perfect condition. It wears very comfortably on my wrist. It's a well-crafted timepiece, heavy and perfectly fitting at 42mm. I think I would have preferred the dateless version a tad bit. I also think that it loses quite a bit of its value so anyone looking to buy one should look for a slightly used model which can be had at around $1500 or so (retail was around $2200). As a big fan of diver's watches, I think this is a great addition to my small collection, though I think the JLC Deep Sea/Polaris would have been a better buy, albeit much more expensive. At its price, I think this is a great watch to own and I think I will enjoy it for many years to come. Sidenote: Tourneau originally sold me the LLD with a standard Longines box but thanks to Jamesh's review, I realized that there is a special box and booklet so after a quick call to Tourneau, they quickly sent me the original box and booklet.

1 June 2009, 06:37 PM	#2
Asad "TRF" Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Stillwater, OK Posts: 96	Good in depth review!

5 June 2009, 07:05 AM	#3
gettocard Banned Join Date: Dec 2008 Real Name: Andy Location: EU Watch: them come and go.. Posts: 2,052	Nice technical review ! I've just posted mine about the same watch with the date version,come see me if you like. We love this watch,don't we ??? About the strap length,they finally decided to short it a bit on the date version.

16 September 2009, 08:07 PM	#9
watch-nut Banned Join Date: Feb 2009 Real Name: David Location: UK Watch: Too Many Posts: 88	Great watch and a nice review, this has all but pusuded me to go and buy one, thank you

17 January 2010, 03:06 AM	#10
stratus "TRF" Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Real Name: Stratos Location: Piraeus Posts: 30	thank you nice review

30 January 2010, 08:49 AM	#12
KarlFr "TRF" Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Scandinavia Watch: ♛ Posts: 1,330	I've been re-reading this review and been debating with myself if I should get this watch or not.... It's beatiful but there's so much else out there ..

5 April 2010, 10:38 AM	#13
sam. Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Real Name: sam Location: s.wales GB Watch: Oyster Royal 6246 Posts: 429	thanks for the info,i really like the classic look of this watch!

10 April 2010, 10:19 AM	#14
mingsta Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: UK Posts: 185	Thats a lovely watch and great review. Love the retro dial and domed crystal! Funnily enough, I've also just posted a review for a different 42mm swiss made divers watch, also with a double crown, rotating internal bezel and 28xx movement: http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=123927 ...very different animal to your classic piece though.

1 May 2010, 08:08 AM	#15
wildsidemtb Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Australia Watch: Sea Dweller, 5512 Posts: 602	Stunning watch I love the internal bezel timer it is similar to my Hamilton Khaki

11 December 2010, 03:11 AM	#16
jedinite "TRF" Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Real Name: TC Location: GMT -8 Watch: SeaDweller Deepsea Posts: 582	Awesome looking watch and a great review

14 January 2011, 12:23 PM	#20
salem65 "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada Watch: JS Watch co. 101 Posts: 1,395	Thanks for the great review and pics. It is a great looking watch; I love retro styling.

14 January 2011, 01:06 PM	#21
DCgator "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: PNW Watch: DS,BLNR,SubLV,DJ2 Posts: 8,123	Congrats on the good looking watch! Love that it has two crowns, definitely looks different and unique. I bought an IWC Aquatimer BNIB from an IWC AD in 2004 and it has the similarity mentioned with your Longines. Two crowns and an inner rotating bezel gives the watch a unique look. I love it. Just not sure my Aquatimer is considered a "vintage" since as far as I know it is only about 8 y/o.

28 January 2011, 03:40 AM	#22
trvilanova Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: spain Posts: 21	here in spain that watch is very apreciated, i like so much, i think that is one of my next buy

17 April 2011, 11:56 PM	#23
Jede "TRF" Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Real Name: Jesse Location: Finland Watch: 14060M Posts: 67	This has caught my interest lately.. JLC Tribute to Polaris would be cool, but I can't justify the price just yet.

5 October 2012, 05:15 PM	#25
InTime Banned Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: BermudaAntarctica Posts: 892	just looked myself its listed at 2300 shhhoooot... in 2009 it was 2000$

14 October 2012, 11:27 AM	#26
Chewbacca Banned Join Date: May 2012 Real Name: CJ Location: Kashyyyk Watch: Kessel Run Chrono Posts: 21,112	nice review on a very underrated watch.

16 October 2012, 02:25 AM	#27
trelos "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: North Jersey Watch: Rolex ref 1500 Posts: 87	Just bought one used from a forum member. Should be in today...Can't wait!!!

16 October 2012, 02:59 AM	#28
trelos "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: North Jersey Watch: Rolex ref 1500 Posts: 87	Just Got it!!! already loving it!!! The box it came in is quite impressive! Thanks to forum member ABOEN for the watch, a great price and quick shipping!

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)