One To Watch | Longines Conquest 1/100th Alpine Skiing Chronograph
All eyes are on this Longines Conquest 1/100th Alpine Skiing Chronograph watch this month.
A chronograph specially designed for professionals, alpine ski enthusiasts and anyone wanting an instrument capable of measuring time to 1/100th of a second, it’s certainly a watch to be impressed with.
The History Of Longines & Skiing
Longines’ long history in sports’ timekeeping began in 1878, with the first chronograph movement manufactured by Longines. The brand began timing sporting events in 1896.
Rich in heritage and precision, the story of Longines and skiing dates back to 1933 when the brand timed the alpine ski trials in Chamonix. Ever since, Longines have continued to push the boundaries on the slopes with their adventurous innovations and passion for the thrill.
The Swiss brand is the Official Partner and Timekeeper of the International Ski Federation, and offers the highest level of expertise to measure a skier’s accomplishments.
Launched this year at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz, Longines’ created a brand new innovation – a chip attached to the skier’s boot, equipped with radar and motion sensors. The sensors enabled the real-time and continuous measurement of the skier’s speed, acceleration and deceleration, the time it takes to reach 100km/h and an analysis of jumps. All of this data is highly useful for athletes in their post-performance analysis to reach the highest level possible.
Which leads us nicely back to the purpose of this post... The Official Watch of this FIS Alpine World Ski Championships season was none other than the Longines Conquest 1/100th Alpine Skiing watch.
Measuring Time To One Hundredth Of A Second
An incredible feat, the Conquest 1/100th line meets the needs of athletes, professionals and sports fans. The watch is capable of measuring intermediate times (from the starting gate to the finish line, for example) to the hundredth of a second, shown on the analogue display using a separate hand.
This impressive accuracy means that for skiers plummeting down a difficult course at high speed, the variable of time can be tightly controlled in order to win races, stand on podiums and become a part of history.
The demands required for Longines to reach such an extreme level of precision led to the development of the new unique quartz movement, the L440, which was developed in partnership with ETA.
Now, we know what you’re thinking. Why have Longines chosen a quartz movement?
Well, there is a reason. The L440 includes a microcontroller with a flash memory that allows the watch to be reset instantly and split times to be recorded, obviously designed with alpine skiers who desire a watch that can measure gate-by-gate intermediate times.
Longines Conquest Design Aesthetics
With its recognisable dial featuring the large number 12 and the three symmetrical subdials, this Longines Conquest watch is still the quintessential expression of the brand’s sporting elegance. The extraordinary craftsmanship continues from the interior to the exterior, meaning it looks as good on your wrist in the city as it performs on the slopes.
The 41mm stainless steel case is an appealing size, not quite falling under the oversized category but still maintaining a powerful presence on the wrist. The hands are rhodium plated, the subdials include a 30-minute counter at 2 o’clock, a 12-hour counter at 10 o’clock and running seconds at 6 o’clock. The hand in red displays the time to one hundredth of a second, a detail which is understated yet a striking talking point.
Overall, it’s a beautiful looking watch that boasts a highly impressive timing feature. Whether you’re a black ski runner, an off-piste professional or simply an admirer of great technological feats, this Longines Conquest 1/100th Alpine Skiing Chronograph will impress you no end. And so will the price point; £940 for a watch to show off forever.
Fancy discovering five reasons why you should choose a Longines watch? Head over to our Longines Brand Focus, where you can also delve into their rich history, explore their world and learn all about their achievements.
Our Verdict
Things We Like
✔ You can boast about being able to measure time to one hundredth of a second
✔ It's a high performance sports watch that can also be worn as a dress watch
✔ The talking point of the sweeping red hand on the dial, displaying the time to one hundredth of a second
✔ The amazing price point
Perfect For
✔ Ski enthusiasts and professionals
✔ Anyone wanting an extremely precise watch
✔ Those who want a technical watch that looks beautiful on the wrist
✔ Those wanting a watch from a true Swiss heritage brand
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