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Longines’ 2023 season kicks off with the new Longines Pilot Majetek, a never-heard-before title fostering a specific chapter of the brand whose pursuit of the development of aviation needs no introduction and includes a massive supply to most air forces between the two world wars. The first release adds, therefore, to the Heritage product line named Avigation (Aerial Navigation), which prides itself on legendary, pioneering timepieces (Lindbergh, Weems) and their contemporary legacy (Spirit and Spirit Zulu).
The Pilot Majetek’s foothold
The Majetek moniker isn’t the achievement of the company’s new naming campaign but is rooted in the brand’s DNA and has been around for almost a century; it all began with a military-spec wristwatch worn by military pilots piloting some Avia B-354 combat aircraft. The original name is Longines Majetek Vojenske Spravy; hence the official watch adopted by the Czech Air Force between the 1930s and 1940s dropped here and there during some thematic auctions starring military watches up for sale.
Pictured above is an example of an original Longines 3582 sold by Antiquorum at the end of 2018. If we remove the strap – a contemporary aftermarket option – the case design is the new Longines Pilot Majetek’s forerunner. Its main features are the oversized (patented) cushion-shaped case (measuring 40 across) and a simple horizontal engraving on the case back paired with a knurled bezel whose primary function, back then, was first and foremost to guarantee waterproofness to case and glass couple. Case in point, the original Majetek housed a pocket-watch derived hand winding calibre, the glorious Longines 15.26 movement.
Longines took inspiration from the 3582 already when it introduced the Heritage 1935 model in 2014; yet, while that model aimed at mimicking the first Majetek in an even larger 42 mm case size, the new model is a class of its own, inside and out.
The 2023 Longines Pilot Majetek
The most “shocking” part is the watch’s silhouette. I mean that the design team has finally abandoned the one-to-one re-edition, as seen on countless Heritage models so far, to steer towards a new direction where new products evolve the original designs to something more aspirational; as a result, the case style holds to the 3582 but is unique to the new Majetek, and grows by one additional millimetre as opposed to the Heritage 3582 model.
First and foremost, the bold, protective shoulders surrounding the screwed-in crown give the renovated case a sleeker, sportier look; the tall midsection is brushed and houses a two-screw plate engraved with the year 1935, with a thin bevel on top running around the wide fluted bezel, thus empowering the cushion shape. No redundant “Automatic” wording nor date window adds to the powerful, masculine, quintessentially vintage personality of the Pilot Majetek.
The case is beautifully finished, and perceived quality is top-notch from every angle; it’s hard to find any flaw, which reaffirms Longines’ ambition to move upmarket.
The flat brushed case back bears the model’s name (thus removed from the dial), followed by a short list of specs as relevant to the owner as they get: here is a certified chronometer, an anti-magnetic, 100-meter waterproof watch. The short-cut lugs won’t help softly taper the watch around the wrist; wear it for at least one week or two, and you’ll probably get the most as soon as the leather strap softens.
The dial
That’s the perfect counterpart to such a case and the other way around. The Longines designers opted for a no-Italic historical logo as seen on the exquisite Heritage Military model, and far more attractive on a watch this inspired. The Arabic numerals pay homage to Longines’ pioneering flight instruments and showcase a three-dimensional shape.
They’re filled with plenty of vintage Super-Luminova™. In contrast, the running seconds counter at six is recessed, and a “chemin de fer” minute track runs along the inner and outer rings.
At first sight, it’s all about the right proportions and good vibes: the logo’s size, Arabic numerals and hands, and off-centred counter all come together to build a pleasant, compelling package where every subpart plays a key role.
The Longines calibre L893.6
There are only upscales with technical upgrades; the Pilot Majetek houses the already tried-and-tested self-winding calibre L893.6, whose balance wheel runs at 3.5 Hertz and sports a silicon hairspring. It was designed and tested to make the watch get the Chronometer certification. Once fully wound, the watch runs for three whole days. The brand’s foundation once was a running precision capable of meeting the most rigorous military-approved specifications; it’s no coincidence that the brand is investing time and money to get atop the most precise and reliable watches list.
Top performance is a must for all new Longines watches more than ever before; Longines is the brand within the Swatch Group to have made the utmost in raising the bar within its product category. As an example – Haute Horlogerie excluded – it has fostered high frequency with the most affordable 5 Hz timepiece, the Ultra-Chron. As long as the calibre is concerned, please move on to the “Final Thoughts” section.
Final thoughts
Longines is striving to move into premium and keeps providing collectors with everything they’ve long asked for: heritage, aviation-inspired, chronometer-certified timepieces and a bolder design, as proved by the new Majetek.
The new Longines Pilot Majetek is a thoroughly thought product, authentic, and a formidable brand image enabler. The watch stands out thanks to its stand-out size in a market where the smaller, the trendier; also, consider that any cushion case usually wears more prominent than its round-case siblings, and the listed 13,30mm thickness won’t help either. The watch comes standard with three bracelets: a brown and a green leather strap or a NATO strap you won’t want to miss during summer.
The Longines Pilot Majetek retails for €4,000, whatever the option, but comes as a “bundle” in a special box that includes leather and a NATO for €4,150. Both options are up for sale already. From a value proposition instead, I’d add an alternative hand-wound option to complete the self-winding model, i.e. the expected “bread and butter” for most of us. Such an option, produced in an exclusive edition, would barely help increase volumes and turnaround while attracting the most demanding watch fan and, better, faster fostering the growing brand awareness.
(Photo credit: Horbiter®)
Editorial team @Horbiter®
