Niche brand Vertex paired with fabric watch straps
Creative ideas for matching Vertex watches with custom fabric straps.
Match your Longines with a fetching RSM watch strap
We’ve noticed several members of our RSM watch community posting stunning Longines-and-RSM combinations on social media—thank you! We thoroughly enjoyed seeing your watch pairings endow your classic timepieces with unique and refreshing visages.
A long-time member of Swiss watchmaking’s billion-dollar club, Longines started as a humble workshop founded in 1832 by Auguste Agassiz. Its brand name, which is now recognised around the world, was registered in 1880. Its winged hourglass logo was registered in 1889, making it the oldest trademark that is still valid today, and this logo is still inscribed on modern Longines timepieces.
The brand takes its name from the precinct of Es Longines, where Agassiz’s nephew Ernest Francillon built the Longines factory, which was considered ahead of its time back in its day. Members of the public can still visit this facility and its comprehensive museum today.
Longines’ reputation precedes itself. The manufacture’s relentless pursuit of high precision chronometry has birthed several important milestones for the watchmaking industry, such as the world’s first dual time zone wristwatch in 1925, the first serial chronograph with flyback function in 1936, the first truly waterproof chronograph in 1937 and the first high-frequency wrist chronometer in 1959. As the official timekeeper of international competitions like the Commonwealth Games, Formula 1, the Indianapolis 500 and Tour de France, Longines to this end has developed devices that can measure up to a tenth, a hundredth and a millionth of a second.
If you’re shopping for a handsome but accessibly priced dress watch or sports watch, Longines must be included in that conversation. The brand offers a wide variety of elegant watches made entirely in-house, but won’t cost you an arm and a leg. And if you’re wondering how to spruce up your Longines watch with a fabric strap, here are how some Longines owners paired their watches with RSM watch straps.
Photo credits for header image: @jensb1954 (left); @watchdaddy1; @swtizknight
Longines is synonymous with aviation watches, and the brand’s Avigation Bigeye model is one of its most famous chronographs. While other Longines collections like the Conquest, Heritage, Master and Spirit ranges have their own chronographs, the Longines Avigation Bigeye stands out because its bezel and case have been slimmed, so as to direct the admirer's attention to its dial. To further improve legibility, this tool watch’s blacked out dial bears slim but distinct numerals and markers coated in Super-LumiNova.
Above, @ckstime has paired this obsidian dial with a midnight blue RSM engraved stripe strap, and so has @tyalexanderphotography. And below, @watchdaddy1 conferred his Avigation Bigeye with a rugged feel, by pairing it with an RSM camo strap.
A series of watches steeped in history, the Longines Spirit collection is now a core collection of the manufacture. The Spirit range recently welcomed a new titanium flyback model and enriched its Spirit Zulu family with a variety of new options. While the steel bracelets that Longines makes are unassailable, we loved seeing @jensb1954 match his Longines Spirit timepiece with RSM engraved stripe straps.
Another popular watch Instagrammer who is making a strong case for metallic cases on canvas dials, is Gérard Langlois aka @switzknight. He really brought the silver-coloured dial of his Longines Spirit to the fore when he paired it with a dark-coloured RSM fine canvas strap. Check it out below!
Thank you @gearetal for the kind words below. @gearetal has one of the coolest collections of gadgets ever, and we are honoured to be complimented by him.
