This watch by Longines is an existing model that has been slightly redesigned for the 2015 collection, the latest addition to a series that has existed from 1954. It is a watch that has a lot going on, with chronograph, annual calendar and moonphase, with each of the three subdials providing more than one function. The 42 mm case is in steel in the lowest-priced version (€2,700), with steel and rose gold cap, or entirely rose gold, variants. The watch has a black alligator strap, or a bracelet matching the case. Water-resistance Is 50 metres.
Longines Classic Moonphase, steel case and bracelet, L2.798.4.72.6, €2,700
Dial layout
The subdial at 12 o’clock provides chronograph minutes, with two rectangular windows for day and month. At 9 o’clock there is a subdial with concentric scales, for a second time zone externally, and continuous seconds inside. At six o’clock, the moon phase display is surrounded by the chronograph hour counter. The date is shown by a hand with a crescent tip pointing to numbers on the outside of the dial, just inside the minutes chapter ring. It’s busy, but balanced and relatively clear, with the sort of logic that would appeal to people who like Patek Philippe but are looking for a lower-priced option.
Longines Conquest Classic Moonphase, rose gold case, black alligator strap, L2.798.8.72.3
Movement
The watch is powered by the L678 movement, visible through the sapphire caseback. The Longines L678 calibre is the VAL 7751, an automatic (self-winding) movement made by ETA, providing a 48-hour power reserve. The movement itself is 7.9 mm in thickness and so the complete watch will probably be around 15-15 mm thick. The movement offers quick correction of day, date, month and moon phases: the crown pulled out by one click is used to set moon phase by rotating in one direction, and month by rotating in the other direction, and when pulled out by two clicks is used for setting the time, and adjusting the date by simply going back and forth around midnight. There is a recessed pusher at 10 o’clock for changing the day. The ETA instructions specify some prohibitions on adjustment, and these are a bit confusing because they are all different: day correction using the caseband pusher is not possible between 9.30pm and 12 midnight, date correction is not possible between 10pm and 2am, moon phase cannot be corrected between 3am and 4 am.
The VAL 7751 movement, photo courtesy of ETA, www.eta.ch
Reference numbers
The Conquest Classic Moonphase is available with black or white dial, and with different case and bracelet materials. The steel models have reference numbers L2.798.4.52/72.6, the steel and rose gold cap models L2.798.5.52/72.7, and the rose gold models L2.798.8.52/72.3/5. As mentioned, the steel version starts from €2,700. The “rose gold cap” versions are presumably made with a layer of 18k rose gold bonded mechanically to the steel base.
Longines Conquest Classic Moonphase, steel and rose gold cap case and bracelet, L2.798.5.72.7
Longines Conquest Classic Moonphase, rose gold, black dial, black alligator strap, L2.798.8.52.3
