Longines is on a vintage-inspired roll lately. Hot on the heels of their handsome Heritage Classic, they’ve released the new Heritage Military 1938, a gorgeous black-dialed beauty with sub-seconds based on a model from — you guessed it — 1938.
The new watch, which is limited to 1938 pieces, features a matte black dial with vintage-style lumed Arabic numerals, outer railroad minute track, sub-seconds at 6 o’clock, pencil hands, and a 1930s/1940s-inspired case with a step bezel and an onion crown. It’s powered by a handwound L507.2 (ETA 6492) movement with 53 hours of power reserve and ships with a patinated charcoal grey leather strap as well as a cognac-colored NATO-style leather strap.
Based on a vintage original ref. 4092 that was, remarkably, 43mm wide despite a manufacture date of 1938, the new model is a faithful reproduction in all but its use of modern materials. (See below for a photo of an original ref. 4092.) While many of the recent entries in the Heritage line have been sized at roughly 38.5mm (a perfect happy medium between original sub-35mm watches and the modern ~40mm norm), having an entry in the collection with a large case diameter seems justified given the original’s size.
If you’ve been eyeing a modern military watch but would prefer one on the larger end of the spectrum, the new Heritage Military 1938 may be the watch for you. Price is set at $2,450.
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