Since I have known Stowa, that is to say since 2010, I have been circling around the Flieger without ever daring to cross the line, and finally acquire one. Then, while browsing a second-hand watch sales site, I came across this beautiful Flieger from 09/2023 (I am writing these lines in 04/2024), in perfect condition, full set, at a good price. Come on, go. I'll buy it. I was afraid that the simplicity of the dial would be problematic, but the reputation of the flieger being well established, I was still rather serene when validating the transaction; I just had to see what it would look like when worn. What a nice surprise: here is a watch that is not very thick (thanks to the beautiful mechanical movement, devoid of an oscillating weight), very readable, with generous luminova, offering incredible readability in all circumstances. The Stowa logo is very discreet (gray on a black background, and in small size), while the date is discreet at 6 o'clock. Its proportions are excellent (40mm) and its wear is most pleasant. The detail that kills: the blue of its absolutely magnificent hands, visible during light reflections, while they are invisible and confused with the color of the dial outside of any reflection. A real success!

History on the wrist

I had been looking for a long time for a chronograph that could be worn on any occasion, and it was during a stroll in Geneva that I was able to try out a few Longines models. Imagine my surprise when I wore this superb 42mm Longines Master Collection Chronograph on my wrist! Sporty and dressy, elegant and dynamic, it offers perfect readability thanks to its dark blue sunray dial and its leaf hands that catch the light wonderfully. At the back, its L688 movement is on display, sporting its magnificent blued column wheel, with a most beautiful effect. Its precision is excellent and it easily lasts the 66 hours announced. The chronograph buttons are easy to operate, everything is smooth and straightforward at the same time. Very comfortable to wear, it comes in 42 and 44mm, with a blue sunray background and stick indexes, and a white barleycorn background and printed Arabic numeral indexes, blue hands. I wear it almost daily, as it is so versatile and versatile. A real success for Longines!

Sportive chic

A magnificent combination of elegance, chic and sportiness, this beautiful new edition of the Master Collection immediately seduced me. The challenge of displaying so many complications without compromising the readability of the dial was brilliantly met by Longines, which has produced a warm and welcoming version of its Master Collection, combining sobriety, clarity and refinement without overloading its finely brushed vertical dial. The applied, rose gold-coloured Roman hour markers are beautifully readable, providing consistency and clarity to each time reading. The hands, all finesse and delicacy, offer the eye the pleasure of a more than successful polishing, reflecting the slightest photon of light. Finally, the date display on the periphery pointed by the half-moon hand brings a certain form of poetry, linked to the moon phase at 6 o'clock. In short, we have here a very well-executed model that skillfully combines sobriety & elegance while offering multiple highly appreciated complications.

Delicately Completely Chic!

One day in March 2021, I was talking with my mother, we were talking about my grandfather, who passed away in 1996. We were talking about his life, his journey, his story... and I asked a very simple question: "Did he have a watch?" My mother then answered me: "Yes, a Swiss watch, a... wait... I don't remember well. It's in 2 words I think, and it ends with "utre" or "outre". What emotion was not that invaded me then! A few days later, I had the immense happiness and the intense emotion of winding up my grandfather's magnificent JLC. I lack the words to describe what I feel each time my eyes rest on its dial, and each time I wind it via the crown that my grandfather wound every day... It is a Classic model of 34mm in diameter, a little small for my wrist, but what does it matter; I wear it for me, in memory of it, and not to show it off or display it. Its dial is rather well preserved despite its age (dated around 1965).

My grandfather's watch

While I was walking quietly in Lyon, I stopped to discover the Seiko boutique, my gaze passed without emotion over the divers, when suddenly... I (re)discovered the Presage series, beyond the photos and videos on the internet: I immediately fell in love with this magnificent Seiko Cocktail "Blue Moon"! Its dial superbly catches the light, as do its polished indexes and hands; its little "bonus" that makes all its charm? The integration of the power reserve: both discreet and so readable, it is useful, practical, and brings a touch of dynamism wonderfully well integrated into the dial. Whatever the position of the watch, its readability is perfect, and it can sometimes offer a dark blue rendering, sometimes gray, sometimes black... while always offering this crazy readability. I love it!

A cocktail with the most beautiful effect

My Stowa Antea 390 Day Date has been with me since my wedding in 2012. Wearing it reminds me with so many emotions of that beautiful day! I love the purity of its lines, its readability, its silver dial and its blued hands, which change from black to light blue depending on the light! This is an almost special version, offering the Day and Date display and was only produced for a few months by Stowa. It is powered by an Eta 2836-2 movement offering the display of the days (in German, natürlich!) within a dial that respects the rules of the Bauhaus: "Form follows function". My Stowa is my first "beautiful watch" in the sense that I made a financial effort to acquire it. Its 39mm diameter is versatile; it is particularly comfortable, going very well under shirts. You have to understand that it represents so much to me, that I wear it sparingly, and always with a lot of emotion; she is IRREPLACEABLE (adjective used in the video with Xavier) in my eyes!

The watch of a lifetime.

The Longines brand was created in 1832 by Auguste Agassiz in Saint-Imier, located in the Swiss Jura. First registered watch brand, Longines shares a large part of its history with the rise of sports, the two worlds having in common values ​​of tradition, precision and elegance. This DNA has allowed the brand to launch models that have marked watchmaking history, such as the Longines Chronograph 13ZN or the Longines HydroConquest.
The current Longines range offers classic watches like the Longines DolceVita or the <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/longines/master_collection">Longines Master Collection</a>, as well as sports watches like the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/longines/legend_diver"> Longines Legend Diver</a>,<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/longines/conquest"> Longines Conquest</a>,<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/longines/spirit"> Longines Spirit</a>,<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/longines/hydroconquest"> Longines HydroConquest</a> or<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/longines/ultra-chron"> Longines Ultra-Chron</a>. Longines has also been involved in polar and aerial expeditions, providing precise measuring instruments to explorers to calculate longitude and latitude. Indeed, it is notably the brand which was chosen by Charles Lindbergh to design a navigation watch during his famous transatlantic flight in 1927. The watch, called <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/longines/lindbergh_hour_angle">Longines Lingbergh Hour Angle</a>, was used to determine the position of Lindbergh's plane during the historic flight.
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does a Longines watch cost?</h2>
The prices of Longines watches sold on the brand's website vary between $900 and $8,950 depending on the models and finishes. Expect to pay $1,950 for a Longines Hydroconquest and $3,500 for a Longines Spirit Zulu Time.
The brand Longines is owned by the Swatch Group like the brands <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/omega">Omega</a>,<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/tissot"> Tissot</a>,<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/breguet"> Breguet</a> or<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/blancpain"> Blancpain</a> and produces around 1,700,000 watches per year, all models combined. Longines is part of the <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_swiss_watch_brands">Top most popular Swiss watch brands ranking</a>. To choose the Longines model that best suits you, the Dialicious owners' reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating different models through real owner experience.
(Updated December 2023)

Longines, partner of some of the greatest names in our history, wanted to mark the occasion and honor one of the first exploits of Man. The Master Collection model therefore serves as the basis for this watch limited to 100 pieces, celebrating Magellan and the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the world by the Navigator, who was unable to complete his journey. Love at first sight, it had to be included in my collection.

Longines honors the first round the world race

I love Longines and especially the “master collection” for its vintage and modern side at the same time. After looking at its moon phase model for a long time, my choice fell on the bi-compax chrono ref: 2.629.4.783. The first criterion was the date, and yes I can no longer imagine a watch without the date.... The second its low thickness for a chrono (less than 12 mm). And finally all the details that make this watch charming. 

First of all its barley grain dial that changes from white to grayish white or even (who knows why) to a yellowed white depending on the light. Then its blued hands that change from blue to black. I also love the inclined flange that surrounds the Arabic numerals with a superbly stylized retro font. The sub-dials are furrowed/sunlit and nibble at the 3 and 9, just like the date positioned at 6 o'clock. In my eyes all this perfectly balances this dial. The crocodile strap is amazing with its double butterfly-type folding clasp, unusual on leather. There is also the open back nicely decorated with a good power reserve given at 59 hs. The only negative point that I find for its price is that it is not anti-magnetic, fortunately for me there were sales…. 

These are the reasons that made me fall for this beautiful watch, a bit sporty with the chrono and super elegant. I am getting married my son soon and there is no doubt it will be on my wrist.

Longines chrono bi-compax Master collection

This is the first watch I bought after deciding to start collecting watches, which has become a real hard drug. It represents everything I like in a watch, the blue dial is my favorite and after several purchases I always come back to this watch which is really everything I like

My first purchase, and my first favorite!

I wanted an elegant watch for special occasions, and I am not disappointed! a complete calendar + a moon phase + a chrono all on a very finely worked cream dial, what more could you ask for! ah yes a more qualitative bracelet would have enhanced the whole watch. It is an elegant and complete watch which has one flaw, it is the visibility of the time, in fact the date pointer having the same color as the hands indicating the time, this can sometimes be confusing but we will forgive it because it gives us the opportunity to admire this magnificent dial more carefully

An elegant complication!

This is my most elegant watch with a moon phase at 6 o'clock, thin enough to slip under a shirt sleeve and accompany me to major events and exuding incredible class with its sunray blue dial and diamond indexes. Like most of my watches, its back is transparent and lets me admire its exclusive Longines movement: the L899 which offers around 72 hours of power reserve, it's perfect for me who changes my watch almost every day. I bought it with a blue alligator strap that looks great, super comfortable, and a folding clasp engraved with the Longines logo. The crown is not screwed down and the watch is rated for a resistance of only 3ATM, I would have liked a higher resistance than that offered and should have opted for the steel bracelet - beginner's mistake - then bought the one in alligator leather because the price of Longines steel bracelets is quite discouraging.

Elegance

We regularly come across this model with a white dial but, much less often in this configuration which is perhaps a little less readable but in my opinion just as beautiful. The Roman numerals bring a touch of classicism and its crocodile strap is comfortable, the moon phase is very pretty and its open back is well worked. The perfect dress watch that amazes me with its complication and elegance.

Complications and elegance

This Master Collection is the Dress Watch I wanted. As a lover of blue dials, this Master Collection represents Longines for me: sobriety and elegance. The alligator strap nicely completes the whole thing. It is comfortable, can be forgotten and maintains a certain precision.

The dress watch I wanted

La marque Ollech &amp; Wajs a &eacute;t&eacute; cr&eacute;&eacute;e en 1956 par Joseph Ollech et Albert Wajs &agrave; Zurich en Suisse. Albert &eacute;tait charg&eacute; de la conception, de l&rsquo;ing&eacute;nierie et de la fabrication des montres, tandis que Joseph s&rsquo;occupait du marketing et de la vente au d&eacute;tail. Avant de cr&eacute;er leur propre montres sous la marque Ollech &amp; Wajs, ils ont commenc&eacute; leur activit&eacute; en 1954 en fabriquant des bracelets en acier pour d&rsquo;autres marques.
La marque est connue pour avoir distribu&eacute; des montres &agrave; des unit&eacute;s de l&rsquo;arm&eacute;e am&eacute;ricaine pendant la guerre du Vietnam et pour avoir gagn&eacute; sa renomm&eacute;e aupr&egrave;s des plongeurs et pilotes du monde entier.
Apr&egrave;s 12 ans de n&eacute;gociation et apr&egrave;s avoir &eacute;t&eacute; son distributeur pour le march&eacute; fran&ccedil;ais, en 2017, Charles Le Menestrel, un passionn&eacute; d&rsquo;horlogerie, rach&egrave;te la marque. La gamme actuelle comprend des mod&egrave;les comme la Ollech &amp; Wajs P-101 et la <a title="Page Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104" href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/p-104">Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104</a>, la <a title="Page Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000" href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/c-1000">Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000</a>, la <a title="Page Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph" href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/ocean_graph">Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph</a> et la Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron.
<h2>Combien co&ucirc;te une montre Ollech &amp; Wajs ?</h2>
Les prix des montres Ollech &amp; Wajs &eacute;voluent et diff&egrave;rent selon les mod&egrave;les. La plupart co&ucirc;tent entre CHF 1,500 et CHF 2,000 selon les mod&egrave;les et les finitions. Comptez CHF 1,456 pour une Ollech &amp; Wajs 350CI et pr&egrave;s de CHF 2,300 pour une Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron Chronographe. Le march&eacute; de l'occasion est &eacute;galement une opportunit&eacute; &agrave; regarder pour acheter une Ollech &amp; Wajs moins ch&egrave;re. Les mod&egrave;les Vintage notamment les Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron et&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/astrochron">Ollech &amp; Wajs Astrochron</a>, sont tr&egrave;s pris&eacute;es des collectionneurs et ils convient de bien se renseigner sur le vendeur avant de franchir le pas de l'acquisition d'une vintage.
Ollech &amp; Wajs est une marque de montres ind&eacute;pendante et produit plusieurs centaines de montres par an, tous mod&egrave;les confondus. Pour choisir une Ollech &amp; Wajs qui vous correspond le mieux,&nbsp;les avis clients Dialicious sont une pr&eacute;cieuse ressource pour &eacute;valuer chacun des diff&eacute;rents mod&egrave;les &agrave; travers l'exp&eacute;rience r&eacute;elle des clients.
Consultez le <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/top/les_meilleures_marques_de_montres_suisses">Classement des meilleures marques de montres suisses</a> dont Ollech &amp; Wajs fait partie.
(Mise &agrave; jour Octobre 2024)

The brand Ollech &amp; Wajs was created in 1956 by Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs in Zurich, Switzerland. Albert was responsible for the design, engineering and manufacturing of the watches, while Joseph handled marketing and retail sales. Before creating their own watches under the brand Ollech &amp; Wajs, they started their business in 1954 making steel bracelets for other brands.
The brand is known for distributing watches to units of the American army during the Vietnam War and for having earned its reputation among divers and pilots around the world.
After 12 years of negotiations and after having been its distributor for the French market, in 2017, Charles Le Menestrel, a watchmaking enthusiast, bought the brand. The current range includes models like the Ollech &amp; Wajs P-101 and the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/p-104"> Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/c-1000"> Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/ocean_graph"> Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph</a> and the Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron.
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does an Ollech &amp; Wajs watch cost?</h2>
The prices of Ollech &amp; Wajs watches change and differ depending on the model. Most cost between CHF 1,500 and CHF 2,000 depending on the models and finishes. Expect to pay CHF 1,456 for an Ollech &amp; Wajs 350CI and close to CHF 2,300 for an Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron Chronograph. The second-hand market is also an opportunity to look at to buy a cheaper Ollech &amp; Wajs. Vintage models including the Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron and<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/astrochron"> Ollech &amp; Wajs Astrochron</a>, are very popular with collectors and they should find out about the seller before taking the step of purchasing a vintage one.
Ollech &amp; Wajs is an independent watch brand and produces several hundred watches per year, all models combined. To choose an Ollech &amp; Wajs that best suits you, Dialicious owners' reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real owner experience.
Consult the<a href="https://preprod.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_swiss_watch_brands"> Ranking of the best Swiss watch brands</a> of which Ollech &amp; Wajs is part.
(Updated October 2024)

Longines Master Collection Owner Review : Chic, sporty and elegant

Sportive chic

Other reviews published by Guillaume-T

Stowa
Flieger