New: Longines Flagship Heritage Year of the Dragon

Longines celebrates the Year of the Dragon 2024 with a special edition of the Flagship Heritage model with moonphase. A collaboration with Chinese artist Zinan Lam.

Press Release details with commentary in italics.

New: Longines Flagship Heritage Year of the Dragon

The price for the Longines Heritage Year of the Dragon Ref. L4.815.4.09.2 is SGD 4,690 inclusive of 9% GST. Limited Edition of 888 pieces.

Commentary

This is Longines’ entry to the Year of the Dragon, traditionally perhaps the most important of the Chinese zodiac signs, given the legendary attributes of the mythical dragon, imbued with elegance, nobility, grace, power and courage. And the platform chosen is the classical Heritage collection and is the first Chinese zodiac watch by the maison.

The novelty is a collaboration with Zinan Lam, a multi-disciplinary artist based in Shanghai. Zinan began as a graffiti artist in 2003, and has created an interesting career spanning an array of mediums such as public art, painting, installation and sculpture in a practice grounded in the exploration of philosophy, Eastern culture and perceptions.

Perhaps more subtle than the other Dragon watches by other maisons, this novelty is perhaps more wearable throughout the year. It features a fumé style dial going from a brilliant red center to black in the peripheral. The rest of the dial is rather standard Heritage Moonphase. With Dauphine hour / minute hands and long slender central sweep seconds hands executed in gold. The hour markers are appliqué, with the date shown as a sub-dial over the 6 o’clock marker. The moonphase display is shown in the cutout within this date sub-dial. The case is 38.5mm and in stainless steel.

Movement is the Longines calibre L899.5, which is based on the ETA caliber 31.L91, manufactured exclusively for Longines. The movement is not visible from the case back which is solid and displays an engraving of a dragon’s head.

Though the release text talks about Zinan creating a dragon emblem, with details on design of the dragon head, body and scales, we do not see this in any of the release materials. These elements are also not represented in any shape or form on the watch as shown in the photographs in the release. The only dragon motif we see is on the case back, with stylised dragon head. engraving.

Release details

To celebrate the Year of the Dragon in 2024, Longines has launched a special edition of its FLAGSHIP HERITAGE moonphase model. Renowned Chinese artist Zinan Lam was invited to create the special design, which features an auspicious dragon with its head raised and soaring upwards, intricately engraved on the case back. This is the first Asian Zodiac timepiece ever to be launched by Longines, in a limited edition of 888 pieces.

One of the most significant figures in Asian culture, the dragon has long been a symbol of nobility, power and courage, representing invincibility and good fortune. Inspired by astrology and the ancient oracle bone script – the oldest known form of Chinese writing – related to the dragon, Longines has partnered with Chinese artist Zinan Lam to create a dragon emblem in celebration of the upcoming Year of the Dragon in 2024.

The dragon design takes centre stage as an intricate unity, where each element – from the head to the body and scales – carries its own unique significance. The ‘wood’ element attribute of the year 2024, according to the traditional lunar calendar, is harmoniously aligned with the East Asian constellation Azure Dragon, symbolizing the origin of all things and the profound connection between time and nature.

The peach blossom graphic, representing happiness and contentment, has been reimagined as a dragon raising its head, implying well-being and the eternal cycle of life in the Year of the Dragon. Additionally, Longines’ iconic winged hourglass has been artfully transformed into an auspicious dragon ball, providing a finishing touch that alludes to the perpetual cycles of the sun and the moon.

As an emerging Chinese artist who has garnered significant attention in recent years, Zinan Lam’s artistic creations often revolve around themes like natural philosophy, oriental culture and personal perspectives. His heartfelt, serene and diverse works seamlessly blend Western street graffiti culture with the profound aesthetics of traditional Eastern art, resulting in a distinctive and delicate visual language. With a contemporary artistic approach, he ignites innovative ideas from traditional cultural imagery.

The concept of blending diverse cultures and intertwining innovation with tradition resonates perfectly with Longines. Therefore, the winged hourglass brand has invited Zinan Lam to create an exclusive emblem and introduce the Flagship Heritage Year of The Dragon. This collaboration merges Longines’ rich heritage, cutting-edge technology, and timeless elegance with Lam’s unique delicacy and sensitivity, to bring to life a representation of an auspicious dragon, portrayed with its head held high and ready to take flight on a timepiece.

With an understated, timeless design, the steel case with a screw-down back measures 38.5 mm in diameter, exquisite and moderate in size and details. The distinctive domed dial, inspired by a historic watch from the 1950s, features a red gradient – symbolising vitality – for the first time. The dial is further enhanced by eleven applied gilt hour makers, elongated at 3, 9 and 12 o’clock. The engraved dragon screw-down case back is highly refined. This deeply etched execution illustrates the auspicious dragon with its head raised and soaring upwards in extraordinary detail and exquisite quality.

The timepiece is powered by the exclusive Longines calibre L899.5, equipped with a silicon balance-spring, offering resistance to magnetic fields and superior precision. It has a power reserve of up to 72 hours. Rotating on a small dial at 6 o’clock, the moonphase function is paired with the hour, minute and second hands in colour – and also stands out sharply against the red dial, which exudes an aura of oriental retro charm.

An emblematic line for the brand since the late 1950s, Flagship was one of Longines’ very first collections, known for its timeless elegance, simplicity and exceptional precision. In celebration of the Year of the Dragon, Longines has engraved the dragon emblem on the case back of a Flagship Heritage model featuring a moonphase function. It is available in a limited edition of 888 pieces.

Longines Flagship Heritage Year of the Dragon Specifications

REFERENCE NUMBER L4.815.4.09.2

CALIBRE

Mechanical self-winding movement
Exclusive Longines calibre L899.5
111⁄2 lines, 21 jewels, 25’200 vibrations per hour Magnetically resistant, with silicon balance-spring Power reserve: up to 72 hours

FUNCTIONS

Hours, minutes, seconds
Moonphase display and date ring with indication via a small hand at 6 o’clock

CASE

Diameter 38.5 mm, 11.90 mm thickness
Round shape, stainless steel
Sapphire glass with multi-layered anti-reflective
coating on both sides
Screw-down case back with special engraving of a dragon’s head and:
2024 YEAR OF THE DRAGON LIMITED EDITION / ONE OF 888 Lug width: 19 mm

DIAL

Domed, gradient red
11 gilt 2 N applied indexes

HANDS

Gilt 2 N polished, filled with Super-LumiNova® (hours
and minutes hands), paired in colours with the moonphase display, date ring and small hand

WATER-RESISTANCE Up to 3 bar (30 meters)

STRAP
Black alligator strap with new stainless steel buckle