110th Auction

2024/5/18

Lot 213

Longines
Hour Angle Watch - Lindbergh

An attractive "hour angle" aviator's navigation watch

Sold

estimated
1.8002.500 €
Price realized
2.300 €
specific features
Case
18 K gold, hinged push back with Longines logo, glazed movement, bidirectional rotating bezel with angle horaire.
Dial
Enamel/silvered.
Movement
Automatic.
Case no.25199061
Ref.989.5216
Cal.L.989.2
Diam.38 mm
Circa1988
Ctry.Switzerland


In the early years of aviation between 1920 and 1930 the majority of aviators wore watches created by Longines. The main reason for this was Longines' advantage in innovation, their most notable piece at the time being the Hour Angle watch.
As Earth makes one rotation of 360 degrees, a 12-hour dial is a useful tool for dividing up that distance over time. With the inner rotating bezel the aviator could use the hands of the watch to pinpoint his location accurately.