With the release of the new Hydroconquest, Longines has been widely touted by commentators as having bettered the Rolex Submariner. My own model is the previous generation (the snappily titled 9L3.781.3.98.7), which I think has more character than the more conservative design of the newer watches.
Longines Hydroconquest Overview
| Price | £1,500 |
| Case size | 41mm |
| Lug width | 21mm |
| Thickness | 11.9mm |
| Water Resistance | 300m |
| Movement | Longines L888.5 |
Case and movement
The 41mm case is well balanced and feels a lot thinner than most of my other dive watches. It’s help by its 52mm lug to lug length and 21mm lug distance which stretches out the profile a little. The finishing, as you would expect for the money, is flawless. The PVD coated bezel is suitably clicky and lines up perfectly (at least to my eyes). The crown is well sized with a handy nub to help pull it out, and winding feels buttery smooth.
The Longines L888.5 movement is based on an ETA calibre but with the beat rate reduced to 25,600 bps (5 ticks per second instead of the more conventional 6). This reduced smoothness is barely noticeable in real world use and has the pay off of extending the power reserve to an impressive 70 hours.
Dial and Hands
The sunray blue dial is what initially drew me to this watch. There is something about that blue, gold and steel that speaks to me and the Longines represented a relatively affordable entry into the two-tone look without paying Rolex Bluesy Sub prices. It looks great in sunlight, and has more depth in real life than is captured in static photographs. The lime glows well after a short exposure to natural light.
The applied elements are nicely polished and the date wheel is inoffensive. The hands are a flattened snowflake design and contrast well with the dial. Some feel the applied 9 numeral looks unbalanced, being paired with a dot marker unlike the 6 and 12, but I find the whole watch face works well as a complete package.
Bracelet
With a 21mm lug width, you’d better like the provided bracelet because it can be a pain getting odd sized straps. Luckily I like the bracelet. Longines have taken some odd decisions: the gold PVD only covers the outside of the links; there is no quick adjustment function and only three microadjustment holes in the clasp; but overall I am happy with it, and it’s no worse than the one fitted to many more expensive watches. The watch does come with a half-link to make sizing that bit easier but I take the point that the market has moved on – Christopher Ward’s new bracelets look to be superb, for example.
Longines Hydroconquest The WRUK Verdict
| What I Like | What I Don’t Like |
| Beautiful, legible dial | PVD coating only on the outside of the centre links |
| The colour scheme of my watch looks great | Limited adjustment on the clasp |
| Wears comfortably for a bigger watch | This model is discontinued |
Buy a Longines Hydroconquest
Your best bet to get one of these older Longines models is probably eBay – click here to shop with my affiliate link. Current prices begin at less than £500 for this watch so I think that it’s a great buy used, and well worth the money.