LONGINES
Longines: Elegance, Tradition, and Performance.
Present in the Swiss town of Saint-Imier since 1832, Longines boasts expertise rooted in tradition, elegance, and performance. Drawing upon its extensive experience as a timekeeper for world championships and as a partner of international sports federations, the Longines brand, renowned for the elegance of its timepieces, is a part of Swatch Group Ltd, the world's leading watchmaker. The winged hourglass maison has retail outlets in over 150 countries. In 1832, Auguste Agassiz enters the world of watchmaking by becoming associated with a watchmaking comptoir located in Saint-Imier. Agassiz soon takes over the company's leadership, and it adopts the trade name Agassiz & Co. During that time, the maison manufactures timepieces using the "établissage" technique: watchmakers work from home and supply their products to the comptoir. Agassiz develops a network of commercial relationships that enables him to sell his watches on other continents, particularly in North America.
In the 1850s, Ernest Francillon, Agassiz's grandson, assumes control of the comptoir. Taking charge of the maison, Francillon contemplates the possibility of improving the manufacturing methods used in the regional watchmaking industry. His reflections lead him to attempt consolidating the various stages required to create a watch under one roof. Francillon aims to establish a factory where he can assemble and complete each watch, utilizing certain mechanical processes.
His reflections lead him to attempt consolidating the various stages required to create a watch under one roof.
In 1889, Francillon registers a trademark consisting of the name Longines and the famous winged hourglass. Today, Longines is the oldest brand and logo still in use, in its original form, registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). As early as 1867, the maison used the winged hourglass symbol and the "Longines" brand as a guarantee of quality to combat counterfeit products attempting to capitalize on the brand's strong reputation.
To realize this project, in 1866, Francillon purchases two adjacent plots of land on the right bank of the Suze River, which flows through the Saint-Imier valley, and in 1867, he establishes the eponymous watchmaking factory in that location, known as Les Longines. Ernest Francillon then hires Jacques David, a young engineer who was a relative, to assist him in developing the necessary machinery for perfecting the production of timepieces.
Around 1870, the industrial choices made by Francillon prove successful, and the factory continues its expansion until the first three decades of the 20th century: by 1911, the Longines manufacture employs over 1,100 workers and distributes its creations worldwide. Longines' technical research is rewarded with several accolades, earning the company the reputation of a manufacture that has won the most awards at international and universal exhibitions, culminating in the 1929 Barcelona exhibition, where Longines receives 10 Grand Prix awards.
