{"id":26620,"date":"2021-05-13T16:16:11","date_gmt":"2021-05-13T16:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.horbiter.com\/the-longines-legend-diver-watch-bronze-hands-on\/"},"modified":"2021-11-26T14:52:10","modified_gmt":"2021-11-26T14:52:10","slug":"longines-legend-diver-bronze-watch-hands-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horbiter.com\/en\/longines-legend-diver-bronze-watch-hands-on\/","title":{"rendered":"The Longines Legend Diver Watch Bronze hands-on"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most watch brands boast a hero product in their portfolio, a timepiece whose formula can capture watch aficionados\u2019 appreciation and stand the test of time. Compared to industries like the automotive one, where a new car model draws inspiration from the past, the watch industry is commonly synonymous with reissue and evolution rather than revolution. The market is crowded with reissues, but the The\u00a0Longines Legend Diver Watch<\/strong><\/span><\/a> is an excellent example of how a historical piece has turned into a hot seller while preserving DNA and core design values.<\/p>\n

\"the-longines-legend-diver-watch-3\"The Longines Legend Diver Watch Bronze<\/strong>\u00a0is the most recent release of one of Longines<\/strong>\u2018 best-selling models, as long as the Heritage<\/strong> collection concerns. It won\u2019t outperform the top-selling Hydroconquest<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. The modern Legend Diver<\/strong> was a trendsetter when it first came out: the hype surrounding vintage timepieces is nowadays crazy, and the rush to craft the ultimate reissue, which includes plenty of diving watches, has quickly filled a new class of products. Here is the Longines<\/strong>\u2018 template: a no-frills diving watch with an inner rotating bezel, two crowns, uncluttered dial, straight lugs, and a \u201cSuper Compressor\u201d<\/em> sealing-like case. In summary, the modern proposition just turned tool-watch specs into core design traits.<\/p>\n

\"the-longines-legend-diver-watch-5\"The original reference (there are quite a few) is fetching premium market prices of as much as\u00a0ten thousand euros\u00a0and above, and\u00a0The Longines Legend Diver Watch Bronze<\/strong>\u00a0aims at being as aspirational as the original Legend Diver<\/strong> is to the most demanding watch connoisseur. However, the new model is exploiting uncharted territories, given the new bronze case. It proves, first and foremost, that the Legend Diver<\/strong> was far from achieving full potential; also, I think it is a means to move the brand upmarket, avoiding any overlap with Omega<\/strong>, whose price point has concurrently grown too. Thus, the bronze case (with a titanium case back) is just a tiny piece of a larger project.<\/p>\n

\"the-longines-legend-diver-watch\"Longines<\/strong> is late in making a bronze watch, in any case. The bronze watch trend is not over, but a bronze watch is no longer breaking news. With the Titanium Big Avigation<\/strong><\/span><\/a> the\u00a0Legend Diver\u2019s new smoky blue and brown dials<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, and with The Longines Legend Diver Watch Bronze<\/strong>, Longines<\/strong> is somewhat shaking things up and refreshing its brand image. A no date window dial proves how relevant the Voice of Customer is when crafting pieces belonging to the Heritage<\/strong> collection. In contrast, a brown smoked dial\u00a0adds a nice contrast and vivid look to an otherwise flat and black dial you usually find on an ordinary Legend Diver<\/strong> in steel.<\/p>\n

\"the-longines-legend-diver-watch-4\"I would have gone for a 40 mm<\/strong> large case and smaller crowns, honestly. I think they protrude too much, and a smaller case would hopefully enlarge the fan base in this specific class of products. I guess that product marketing at Longines<\/strong> were afraid of affecting a timepiece whose 42 mm<\/strong> case is mainstream and successful. What kind of patina would you expect on a Legend Diver Watch Bronze<\/strong>? It is a hot topic when you decide to add a bronze watch to your collection.<\/p>\n

\"the-longines-legend-diver-watch-6\"As far as the oxidation process concerns, I assume it is going to age on the likes of a Black Bay Bronze<\/strong>, which I think it\u2019s a timepiece Longines<\/strong> chose to benchmark the Legend Diver Watch Bronze<\/strong> against; yet the Longines<\/strong> costs 30% less, approximate, like for like (they offer comparable specifications). You can opt for a leather strap or a nylon replacement strap as standard; you won\u2019t, therefore, bring\u00a0The Longines Legend Diver Watch Bronze<\/strong>\u00a0underwater, it seems.<\/p>\n

\"the-longines-legend-diver-watch-8\"The Longines Legend Diver Watch Bronze<\/strong>\u00a0retails for 2820 Euros<\/strong>, thus far exceeding the 2000 Euros<\/strong> threshold, which is the average price you\u2019d pay for a steel Legend Diver<\/strong>. The new Bronze is, without a doubt, the talking piece of the collection and an \u201caverage price extender\u201d<\/em> approaching the 3000 thousand Euros<\/strong>, a first-ever for a Legend Diver<\/strong> (Gold Legend Diver excluded).<\/p>\n

\"the-longines-legend-diver-watch-1\"With this addition, Longines<\/strong> equally aims at top spenders and newcomers looking for a Longines-branded bronze watch, whose add on is a five-year warranty<\/strong> rather than the L888.5 calibre<\/strong> istelf, which is a sturdy mechanical movement but offers standard specification across the Group and out.<\/p>\n