A look at the prolific run of new-old or contempo-retro watches at Longines.
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Avigation Big Eye in titanium (2021)

The demand for modern watches with retro styling has outlived the expectations of many industry observers. And when a design is backed by the brand?s own heritage, as in the case of Longines, the appeal can only be magnified. To be sure, Longines is hardly unique amongst the Swiss brands, or really watchmaking brands from around the world, in avidly mining its own heritage. Even within the Swatch Group, Longines hardly cuts a lonely figure in this regard; Swatch Group is the parent company of a wide range of brands, from Breguet and Blancpain to Mido and Hamilton. Somehow though, Longines feels like it represents the retrostyled watch, or new-old nostalgia timepiece to a tee. In WOW, we call these contempo-retro watches.
?The watch universe is the only sector I know which builds on its traditions to go further and innovate,? said Longines CEO Matthias Breschan. ?In watchmaking, perpetuating a tradition is what makes us alive. This is particularly true for Longines.?

READ MORE: An Exclusive Interview With Matthias Breschan

This might be because Longines has been keeping historic designs alive in their modern portfolio even before this current trend gathered pace. We traced it back to the 2007 Legend Diver, but we concede that it might be even earlier than this. The later increase in intere...