The name 'Greenlander' was initially tied to a claimed role in the 1952-54 British North Greenland Expedition, but has since since been debunked. The nickname, however, endures. Even without a Greenland expedition to its name, plenty of Longines watches saw real service on other missions through brutal Arctic conditions. Given that these watches were built for combat in the first place, the missing expedition does nothing to diminish the watch's pedigree. Battlefield or frozen frontier, the 'Greenlander' was engineered to hold up against either.
The example that we have here is offered in honest overall condition, with a very nice 36mm case retaining excellent (and attractive) 'stepped' finishing on the top case and nice thick lugs that gently slope downward. The matte black dial inside shows some wear and patina from age, unsurprising given the life that was intended for the piece, and bears the desirable 'Broad Arrow' on the top half with an oversized subsidiary register on the bottom. It is powered by one of Longines' own Calibre 12.68Z manual-winding movements and comes fitted to a fantastic re-production single-pass textile strap.
To many collectors of vintage, regardless of whether the focus is of military watches or not, this piece has everything going for it. Military issued, properly vintage, and its from one of the great brands.
This is a real piece of history — a phrase often repeated in the world of watches, though rarely as deservedly as in this case.
