Longines Conquest

Longines has been producing the Conquest since 1954. Originally designed as an elegant dress watch, the collection eventually evolved into a line of sports watches. However, modern timepieces retain much of the original's elegance and still look great paired with a suit and tie.

The Conquest collection contains three-hand watches, chronographs, timepieces with a GMT function, and models with moon phase displays. With sizes ranging from 29.5 to 44 mm in diameter, there are plenty of options for both men and women. The cases are all made of steel, though some also have a black PVD coating. Longines equips each watch with either an automatic or quartz ETA caliber.

The V.H.P. (or " Very High Precision") models are especially interesting. They feature quartz movements made exclusively for Longines. These movements are extremely accurate and deviate by a maximum of five seconds per year. What's more, V.H.P. watches also come with a perpetual calendar and a special hand synchronization system that resets the hands to their correct positions if they are forced out of place by a magnetic field or strong jolt.

Other top Conquest watches include quartz-powered chronographs with an analog display. These timepiece can accurately measure periods of time to within 1/100th of a second. You can find this feature in the Roland Garros, Alpine Skiing, and Horse Racing models, among others. As the names imply, Longines has strong ties to tennis, skiing, and equestrian sports.

The 2017 Conquest V.H.P. is among the technological highlights of the Conquest Collection. Thanks to its extremely precise quartz movement, it only deviates by five seconds a year. By comparison, a chronometer-certified quartz movement from Breitling may deviate up to +/- 25 seconds a year, and a timepiece from Citizen or Seiko can deviate by a maximum of +/- 10 seconds a year. The Conquest V.H.P. is available as a chronograph or a three-hand watch with a date display. You can also choose from a variety of dial colors.

A special function of this timepiece is its so-called gear position detection system (GPD), which remembers the location of the hands and automatically moves them back to the correct position if the watch is affected by magnetic fields or strong jolts. This would normally cause a watch to desynchronize. Mechanical timepieces are especially susceptible to such influences.

If you need to manually set your Conquest V.H.P., you can do so using the smart crown. This type of crown can detect if it needs to adjust the hands by just a few minutes or a couple of hours. You can also use the smart crown to set the perpetual calendar, which will require no manual correction until 2400. By definition, perpetual calendars should always be accurate; however, if you were to cross the International Date Line, you would need to adjust the date.

Even the battery life of the Longines Conquest V.H.P. leaves many quartz watches in the dust. Most require a new battery after three years, while the battery in the Conquest V.H.P. lasts an impressive five years. ETA produces the Conquest V.H.P.'s quartz movement exclusively for Longines. Both companies belong to the Swatch Group.

Prices for the Three-Hand Conquest V.H.P.

Longines offers the three-hand Conquest V.H.P. in three sizes: 36, 41, and 43 mm. The sunburst dial comes in your choice of white, black, or blue. There are also dials with a carbon-fiber pattern available. Prices for these stainless steel watches sit around 780 USD. If you prefer one of the models with a black PVD coating, plan on spending roughly 970 USD. Versions with a mother-of-pearl dial and diamond indices require an investment of a further 220 USD.

Frequent fliers should take a closer look at the Conquest V.H.P. GMT. This watch has an additional hand and a 24-hour scale around the edge of its dial that enable the wearer to keep track of a second time zone. The stainless steel edition costs about 970 USD, while those with a PVD coating demand some 1,300 USD.

For something more affordable, Longines offers Conquest watches with standard, non-V.H.P. movements. While they don't compare to their sister models in terms of accuracy, they also sell for a more budget-friendly 590 USD. You'll even find watches with a moon phase display starting around 650 USD.

The Conquest collection contains many different quartz chronographs that can accurately track times to within 1/100th of a second. The inscription "1/100" on the dial at 8 o'clock indicates that these timepieces are powered by the caliber L440, based on an ETA caliber. The 12-hour counter is at 10 o'clock, and the 30-minute counter is at 2. There's also a small seconds at 6 o'clock and a date display at 4. There are two central stopwatch hands for timing seconds and hundredths of a second. You can use the scale on the edge of the dial to determine how many hundredths of a second have elapsed.

Each chronograph measures 41 mm in diameter. You can choose from a black, gray, or silver dial. Contrasting subdials on certain models make the chronograph counters easier to read. These watches also stand out thanks to their unique stainless steel and ceramic bracelets . This combination of materials embraces the Conquest's role as a sporty yet elegant wristwatch. Leather straps with a fold-over safety clasp and push buttons are also available. Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating protects the dial from the elements.

Prices for Conquest Chronographs

Models like the Conquest 1/100th St. Moritz and Conquest 1/100th Alpine Skiing change hands for between 970 and 1,100 USD.

In 2018, Longines introduced chronographs with V.H.P. technology to the Conquest collection. While they can only measure times to within 1/10th of a second, they come with all the benefits of the V.H.P. system. These include improved accuracy and a perpetual calendar. You can purchase a stainless steel Conquest V.H.P. chronograph for about 1,200 USD. Models with a black PVD coating cost around 1,500 USD.

In addition to the many quartz Conquest models, Longines also produces versions with automatic calibers. As of 2018, most men's watches house the caliber L888. This movement is based on the ETA A31.L01. It has a balance frequency of 25,200 alternations per hour (A/h), a 64-hour power reserve, and a date display. Automatic women's watches use the caliber L592, a modified version of the ETA A20.L01. This movement ticks at a rate of 28,800 A/h. It also comes with a 40-hour power reserve and date display.

Like their quartz cousins, the automatic editions are available in various sizes and with a white, black, or blue dial. Prices for the different models range from 860 to 980 USD.

Longines ceased production of automatic Conquest chronographs in 2017. The Swiss manufacturer equipped these timepieces with classic movements like the Valjoux 7750, as well as newer calibers like the ETA A07.231. You can easily tell the two versions apart by their dial configurations. While the Valjoux has subdials at 6, 9, and 12 o'clock, the A07.231 follows a 3-6-9 layout with a date display at 4:30.

Depending on the watch's condition and movement, an automatic Conquest chronograph can cost anywhere from 1,400 to 2,000 USD.

The history of the Conquest collection stretches back over 60 years. The first models were introduced in 1954, shortly before the famous Flagship. Early Conquest watches have a much more classic design than current models: They featured gold cases, a diameter of 35 mm, and a dial resembling the Omega Constellation. The result is the epitome of a men's watch from the 1950s.

In celebration of the Conquest's 60th anniversary, Longines launched a limited edition model, the Conquest Heritage. It bears a strong resemblance to the original timepiece from 1954. Its 35-mm case is rather small by modern standards. The combination of the smaller size and overall classic design makes this retro timepiece the perfect men's dress watch. New stainless steel watches are available for less than 1,100 USD; new gold models cost around 4,300 USD. A well-maintained vintage Conquest goes for a similar price.