Watch brands love taking advantage of anniversary dates to release new watches, and Longines is ringing in 70 years of their Conquest collection with the new Heritage Central Power Reserve. This watch is a celebration of the Conquest’s history, and takes inspiration from the late ‘50s to bring us a unique, and quite beautiful, take on the power reserve complication. The result is a watch that serves as something of a spiritual center to the vast and diverse modern Conquest collection, as well as a reminder of the brand’s innovative heritage.
The Heritage Central Power Reserve is a bit of an amalgam of historic references. It features a mid-century design at its base with a nod to the 1959 reference 9028 which made use of the centrally located power reserve disk and Longines caliber 292. The feature works surprisingly well in the more formal environment presented here, and offers a rather creative take on a complication that is usually met with frustration. Rather than using an arrow placed asymmetrically, the remaining power left in the mainspring is displayed via centrally mounted discs.
There are two rotating discs at the center, one containing a hand, and the other a series of numbers representing the hours of reserve left. Upon winding, the hand will move its way up to the maximum 64 hours of reserve, and from there the two discs will rotate together. As the watch unwinds, the hand will show the depletion until it hits zero. It’s a slightly unconventional take, but means that the aesthetic of the dial is in a constant state of change.
Long applied hour batons line the perimeter of the dial while a large frame is set around the date aperture at 12 o’clock high. A gutter separates the outer and inner sections of the dial, and illustrates some dimension between the two areas. It’s a great looking design that evokes a certain era without directly referencing any specific watch. The dial takes on a range of personality depending on the the color, and Longines is offering three out of the gate with this one: champagne, anthracite, and black.
All of this is set within a 38mm steel case housing the Longines caliber L896.5, developed by ETA exclusively for Longines. It is visible through an exhibition caseback. The case measures 12.3mm in total thickness, which lends to an all around comfortable experience on the wrist. The Longines Heritage Central Power Reserve is priced at $3,800 on an alligator strap. Longines