Longines’ Retooled Entry-Level Dive Watch Is the Best You Can Get for the Money

It’s a big day for the Swatch Group. Not only did Omega add a shot of adrenaline to its neglected Constellation line with the stunning new Observatory dress watch, but sister brand Longines has also turned heads with a major reboot of its entry-level dive watch, the HydroConquest.

I admittedly have never been a fan of the HydroConquest. The dated design, with its big Arabic numerals at 12, 6 and 9, just didn’t do it for me. Something about it just felt kind of cheap, at least compared to the kinds of watches Longines has been putting out over the past handful of years.

Back in 2023, the brand launched the HydroConquest GMT. It introduced a more contemporary and cleaner design, more premium materials and better finishing. In doing so, it gave a glimpse of what Longines’ entry-level diver could be if the standard model followed the same roadmap.

That’s exactly what Longines has done today, effectively using the HydroConquest GMT as a template for a new HydroConquest diver. The result isn’t just a stunning and capable modern dive watch, it’s by far the best diver you can get for the money anywhere.

Longines

Setting the (30) bar

The new HydroConquest is available exclusively in stainless steel and comes in two sizes: 39mm and 42mm. I of course prefer the smaller version, but it’s nice of Longines to offer two sizes right out of the gate. As one of their reps told me, “We sell a lot of 42mm watches.”

The case is completely new and is much more subdued. The oversized crown guards are gone, as are the long lugs, and in their place is a standard-looking, admittedly Rolex Submarinish dive watch case with a fully brushed finish.

I think what surprised me most about the reworked diver is its thinness, with both sizes measuring just 11.7mm thick. That’s very thin for a 300m dive watch, making it not only 1mm thinner than before but also considerably more trim than luxury leaders like the Rolex Submariner and Omega Seamaster Diver 300M. As you’d expect, it wears like an absolute dream on the wrist.

The dials are all new and are decidedly more contemporary and attractive than the outgoing models. The lume-filled, rhodium-plated handset and applied indices are borrowed directly from the GMT model, with a broad triangle at 12:00, dots at 6:00 and 9:00, a date window at 3:00 and thick batons everywhere else. Longines’ winged hourglass logo, the coolest in the biz and the world’s oldest continually used trademark, is applied below 12:00.

There are four new dial colors, three of which are lacquered in black, dark blue or green. The fourth is a light “Frosted Blue” sunray dial. These dials are available with new polished ceramic bezels featuring a luminescent pearl at the pip and an improved ratcheting system borrowed from the Ultra-Chron Diver. The bezel’s action is very crisp and snappy, and they look absolutely gorgeous, especially the two brighter colors: “Luminous Blue” and “Verdant Green.”

The movement powering the new HydroConquest is the Longines-exclusive Calibre L888 automatic, the same engine that powers the brand’s more expensive Legend Diver. It has a robust 72-hour power reserve and is equipped with a silicon balance spring that grants it magnetic resistance ten times greater than the industry standard. And before you scream, “But it’s not in-house!”, you should understand that ETA has a wing devoted exclusively to Longines movements with employees who only work on Longines calibres.

Lastly, we have the bracelets, and there are two options. The three-row Oyster-style is familiar and is borrowed from the GMT, featuring the same on-the-fly microadjustable clasp. It’s available on the dark blue, all-black, and Verdant Green models (that last one, by the way, makes for a pretty killer affordable Rolex Hulk alternative). There’s also a boutique exclusive on the three-row that pairs the Frosted Blue dial with a dark blue bezel.

Next is a Milanese mesh bracelet that’s entirely new. At first glance, it appears quite similar to those used by Omega on its Seamaster, but it’s actually quite different. Rather than using Omega’s pin-hole and deployant buckle system, the Longines mesh opts for removable links and full folding clasp — complete with a push-button, on-the-fly microadjust mechanism.

The mesh looks great and removes some of the Rolex vibes from the model, and is available on the Frosted Blue with black bezel, black dial with Slate Gray bezel, and black dial with Luminous Blue bezel. The latter is a real looker, and is easily my pick of the bunch. I think its Longines’ pick, too, considering how it’s been front and center of the brand’s marketing push.

Longines

Availability and pricing

The new HydroConquest marks a massive improvement over the outgoing model with improved looks, a more premium build and better specs, but I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet, and that’s the price. On the Oyster-style bracelet, the watch retails for just $2,200. On the mesh, it’s $2,400.

Those prices are nuts. I fully expected this to cost a full grand more, and I’m not even sure what Longines’ competition is supposed to be here. I guess the Oris Aquis Date, which retails for $2,800 on a bracelet? Or Christopher Ward’s titanium Trident Lumière, which goes for $2,470?

Those are probably the closest competition to the new HydroConquest. Maybe I’m taking the CW if I want something more unique, but for an everyday dive watch, I think this new HydroConquest has set a new industry standard. Now it’s up to everyone else to catch up.

Longines

Longines HydroConquest

Specs

Case Size	39mm, 42m
Movement	Longines Cal. L888 automatic
Water Resistance	300m

• $2,400 at Longines

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