Birth of the Cool
This Longines hand-wound rectangular watch was manufactured in the 1930s and 1940s. Its flowing case fits comfortably on the wrist, and it features a three-hand small seconds counter with pencil-style hands, a Roman numeral hour marker, and an Art Deco dial with straight lines.
The design has a mechanical rhythm typical of Art Deco, but also has an ascetic touch that seeks practicality. The contrast between the black dial and the simple white Roman numerals brilliantly emphasizes the tone of "use."
This watch embodies the era when Art Deco was in vogue and modernism was slowly beginning to emerge.
In an age where watches must now be used to advertise the luxury of their respective brands, a watch like Longines, which remains silent and devoted to its own aesthetic, seems all the more special.
At exactly the same time, a word was born to describe this watch.
A monochrome world constructed with lines of varying thickness. A modest combination of individuality and practicality.