11 March 2017 | Longines

What does “VHP” stand for? That's quite easy; it is the acronym of “Very High Precision” and, when it comes to superior precision in watch-making, it definitely has something to do with the so-called quartz technology. That is the type of technology that deeply affected mechanic watch-making throughout the 70s and that is nowadays at its peak and, most of all, it is a type of technology that is often everything but economically viable and simple as the majority of people tend to think.

In the world of watch-making there are different types of quartz and the development of this material is constantly evolving; some brands, like Longines, started developing this technology in the 50s, marking the fact that the Swiss industry of watch-making didn't simply react to a new technology launched on to the market by others but it actually pioneered it (the competitors,nevertheless, definitely contributed to the large scale manufacturing process of this technology by flooding the market with it). Longines has a solid background in chronometry and this story can be easily told through the many sports chronometry instruments on display in the brand's own museum that you can review on here.

The first caliber sporting this type of technology was developed by Longines in 1954, it was quite successful in the Neuchâtel observatory and it formed the basis for the first racing chronometry instruments. In 1969 the Longines Ultra Quartz was released; it was the first quartz timepiece manufactured in series by Longines and in 1984 the brand presented its Longines Conquest VHP.

It is quite natural that the heir of that model that was presented last week holds the same name as its predecessor and is part of the brand's sports collection par excellence; the Longines Conquest VHP. ​What did the group's manufacturing company (ETA) develop for Longines?

It created an extremely precise calibre - keeping in mind that is features an analog viewing mode - (+/-5 seconds a year), new functions (like the ability to reset the hands after a shock up to 500g or when in the presence of a strong magnetic field), a very long duration of the battery, and the perpetual calendar complication too. It is pretty much a new platform that allowed the manufacturer to create a three-hand-watch (measuring 41mm and 43mm in size, respectively), a chronograph (whose case's size ranges from 42mm to 44mm) with blue, carbon, silver, and black dials coupled with a folding buckle.

These are new products that were pre-released at a special event held in St. Imier and that we will be able to view live in about three weeks' time when we visit Baselworld. On that occasion, we will try to get deeper into all the features and characteristics of a calibre that opens up to quite an unknown sector that represents a parallel proposal than smartwatches and that offers the classic beauty of the analog world and all the pros of the most evolved quartz technology in the world.

(Photo credit: courtesy of Longines)

Gaetano C @Horbiter

@Gaetano Cimmino 

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