Longines. A rare and unusual oversized stainless steel hour angle Aviator's wristwatch with indirect sweep centre seconds
Longines. A rare and unusual oversized stainless steel hour angle Aviator's wristwatch with indirect sweep centre seconds

SIGNED LONGINES, LINDBERGH MODEL, MOVEMENT NO. 5575372, CASE NOS. 20770 AND 3, CIRCA 1940

Details
Longines. A rare and unusual oversized stainless steel hour angle Aviator's wristwatch with indirect sweep centre seconds
Signed Longines, Lindbergh model, movement no. 5575372, case nos. 20770 and 3, circa 1940
Cal. 18.69N gilt-finished lever movement, 18 jewels, bimetallic compensation balance, hinged stainless steel cuvette, the white enamel dial with black Roman numerals, inner scale calibrated for 180 degrees with blue Arabic numerals, inner silvered rotating disc calibrated for 60 seconds and 15 degrees, blued steel moon-style hands, blued steel indirect sweep centre seconds hand, the large silver case with revolving bezel calibrated for 15 degrees in blue enamel and subdivisions in black enamel, hinged back, large ball-form crown, case and cuvette numbered, dial and movement signed
48 mm. diam.

Lot Essay

Accompanied by Longines original fitted presentation box.

The hour angle watch was invented by the renowned American aviator Charles A. Lindbergh and introduced to the market in 1932. Lindbergh rose to international fame in 1927 when he became the first person to make a solo, non-stop Trans-Atlantic flight.

As the accuracy of mechanical watches can be affected by conditions aboard ships and airplanes, the hour angle watch provided a means by which this variation could be readily calculated when used in conjunction with radio time signals.

For an illustration of the original drawing and explanation of the mechanism see Longines by Daria Marozzi & Gianluigi Toselli, pp. 75-79.

Similar watches are also illustrated in Ore d'Oro 2 by Jader Barracca, Giampiero Negretti, Franco Nencini, p. 200 and in Armbanduhren - 100 Jahre Entwicklungsgeschichte by Kahlert, Mühe, Brunner, fifth edition, p. 302.

More from IMPORTANT POCKETWATCHES AND WRISTWATCHES

View All
View All