Longines Chronostop Ref. 5681 - Black 'Gilt' Dial w/ Extract

Longines is one of the most well respected manufacturers of the 20th century, full stop. Founded in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, the company built a name for themselves early on as a manufacturer of quality in-house movements right from the start. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Longines also built a reputation for precision timekeeping, earning accolades at international exhibitions and becoming a trusted name in sports timing, particularly in horse racing and aviation — an association with continues until today.

By the mid-20th century, especially from the 1930s to the 1960s, Longines was at the peak of its technical and aesthetic prowess, producing a range of high-grade wristwatches admired today by collectors and vintage enthusiasts. The brand was known for its beautifully finished in-house movements, such as the 13ZN and 30CH chronographs, which are considered some of the finest column-wheel chronographs ever produced.

The piece that we have here, a 'Chronostop' Ref. 5681, hails from what many seasoned collectors of vintage watches consider to be the golden era of chronographs — the 1940s. This is a somewhat unusual chronograph in that it functions as a continuously-running timing function, with both central seconds and minute counters. At a glance, it might even look like a time-only piece until you notice that there are in fact four hands moving. The 'pump' pusher at the 2 o'clock position acts as a 'flyback' reset, not a hard reset. The case comes in at a nicely sized 37mm in diameter, with attractive 'stepped' finishing on the top case and nice thick lugs that gently slope downward. Inside, unlike a majority of Chronostops that come to market with silver dials, this example features a gloss black dial with luminous 'Arabic' indices, a subsidiary running seconds register at the 6 o'clock position, and both 'railroad' and 'hash'-style minute tracks on the outer edge. The 'syringe' handset matches the dial nicely, with non-luminous chronograph hands. Of course, this piece is powered by one of Longines' own Calibre 12.68Z manual-winding movements. 

Accompanying this piece is an extract from Longines archives, confirming the original date of sale in 1950.

This then is, for many, checks a heck of a lot of boxes as it pertains to vintage collecting. A storied brand, excellent condition, and its a wonderfully-sized chronograph to boot.