This Seminal High-Beat Automatic Watch Is Back in Full Retro Splendor

In 2025, Longines has been on a nostalgia trip with retro collections like the Zulu Time, the Conquest Heritage and the Spirit Pilot.

It has all been beautiful, but for horological nerds like myself who care as much about the inside of a watch as the outside, the most intriguing release has to be the new Ultra-Chron Classic.

Longines

These days, high-beat automatic movements — classified as ticking at or above 36,000 beats per hour, or 5 Hz, with the seconds hand moving 10 times per second — are primarily associated with luxury names like Zenith’s El Primero and Grand Seiko’s Hi-Beat 36000 (a brilliant piece of marketing).

But Longines offered one of the first commercially produced high-beat automatic watches, the Ultra-Chron, which debuted in 1967 — beating Grand Seiko (and Seiko’s Lord Marvel) by a year and Zenith by two.

Longines brought back the Ultra-Chron name in 2022 with a revised version of the 1968 Ultra-Chron Diver, then gave it a modern carbon makeover at the beginning of 2025.

Longines

Now, the esteemed Swiss watchmaker takes us back to the beginning with the Ultra-Chron Classic, a faithful reproduction of the original 1967 reference 7827. Where the diver was an offshoot, this revival mirrors the design language that defined the collection for a decade.

The hands, indices, branding and wonderfully retro Ultra-Chron logo are all spot on. Even the date window frame has the original chamfered trapezoidal shape.

Longines

Longines went so far as to reproduce the five-link steel bracelet featured on the Ultra-Chron in the late 1960s, distinguished from a standard Jubilee bracelet by the etched line running through the center links.

The only significant physical change is that the original 35mm case has been scaled up to more modern 37mm and 40mm options. Even as a dedicated advocate for small cases, I think this was the right move.

Beat the beat up

Longines also modernized things inside the case. The caliber 431 was revolutionary fifty-three years ago, introducing a “dry-lubricant” called molybdenum bi-sulfide that could withstand the heightened friction longer than standard lubricants.

Longines

While the caliber 431’s declared accuracy of +/-2 seconds per day is still fantastic by modern standards, movement engineering has come a long way. Longines equipped the Ultra-Chron Classic with the same caliber L836 automatic movement that debuted in the 2022 Ultra-Chron Diver.

It is certified as an “ultra chronometer” by Timelab, a Swiss government organization that, unlike COSC, tests the entire watch for water resistance, anti-magnetism and accuracy over a 15-day period at various temperatures and power reserves.

Longines

This cutting-edge high-beat movement maintains the 36,000 beats per hour standard but now meets the COSC chronometer accuracy rating of -4/+6 seconds per month. It has a 52-hour power reserve, which is impressive considering the watch ticks twice as frequently as a standard movement.

Keeping the faith

The Ultra-Chron Classic is as faithful as a fifty-year-old watch revival gets. It is based on the debut reference with a circular case featuring a chamfered edge and angled lugs.

Longines played around with case shapes and other details as the line progressed, but the signature details that stuck around for years are all here. This includes the beveled baton hands with lume inserts, the stylized date window frame mentioned above and cross hash pin stripes.

Longines

The Longines wordmark, applied winged hourglass logo and script “Automatic” are identical. A small flourish has been added to the applied wave Ultra-Chron logo, which is now beveled to play off the light instead of having a flat top.

You may notice that all high-beat watches, especially the early models, have the same needle seconds hand. This is because the extreme beat rate requires a hand with the least weight possible to minimize friction.

Longines released multiple colors of the Ultra-Chron in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but the Ultra-Chron Classic debuts with just a steel case and radially brushed steel dial.

Longines

I’ve long been obsessed with high-beat movements, and it’s great to see Longines reclaim its seat at that table. But you don’t have to care one bit about its movement or history to appreciate the retro splendor of the Ultra-Chron Classic and benefit from its impressive accuracy.

Availability and price

The Longines Ultra-Chron Classic is available now from Longines and authorized dealers for $3,900 on a black genuine alligator leather strap with a steel pin buckle, and $4,000 on a reproduction of the original steel five-link bracelet.

As is often the case with Longines, the 37mm and 40mm sizes cost the same.

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