The Longines Hydroconquest is getting a long-awaited new generation this week, bringing the delightfully odd design first established with the Hydroconquest GMT into the time and date diver. The new collection launches in both 39mm and 42mm sizes across six different colorways, and while much of the exterior is new, inside remains the L888 movement providing 72 hours of reserve. It’s a familiar package and one that represents a value play as far as the Swiss legacy brands are concerned, but with it, the Hydroconquest may have lost a touch of its true personality.
The new Hydroconquest is a comfortable, safe design that falls in line with much of the dive watch genre meta, which will undoubtedly broaden the potential market for it in the long run. However, the watch it replaces was, well, weird and unique. The landscape of dive watches is filled to the brim with safe designs, so anytime we lose one with the kind of character found in the previous models, well it could be viewed as a net negative. It was the same story with the Hydroconquest GMT when it was first released in 2023. Here’s your reminder that the Ultra-Chron Diver still exists.
With that being said, the new Hydroconquest will certainly find its market of enthusiasts and collectors. Additionally, there’s still some funky details to be found here. The case and ceramic bezel look spot on for a modern dive watch platform, but the dial is where things get a bit more interesting. There are a plethora of shapes at work, from rectangles to circles to diamonds. It feels random at a glance, and it kind of is, but it breaks from the usual uniform look we find in these kinds of watches and I think it’s all the better for it.
A broad and expected array of colors is represented within the collection, including blacks, blues, greens, and greys. The only variation that feels remotely unexpected is a light blue dial with a navy bezel. It’s a solid starting lineup that I suspect will be further fleshed out in the years to come. The watch is offered on a steel three link bracelet, as well as a steel mesh design that leans into the old-school diver feel. Both offer a micro-adjustment system in the clasp.
This remains a no frills 300 meter diver at heart, so it gets a closed caseback and even manages a relatively svelte thickness of 11.7mm. This should be a very easy watch to get along with in day to day wear, and will even pull its weight at the formal end of most wardrobes. All in all, a tidy package that starts at $2,200 on the three link bracelet, and $2,400 on the steel mesh. It slots in neatly between the likes of Omega and Hamilton within Swatch’s portfolio. A welcome change, that gives a nod of respect to the outgoing generation. Longines
Header image credit: Devin Pennypacker