Longines has been based in Saint-Imier in Switzerland since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. With many years of experience as a timekeeper for world championships in sport or as a partner of international sports federations, Longines – famous for the elegance of its timepieces – is a member of the Swatch Group Ltd, the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. The brand known by its winged hourglass logo now has outlets in over 140 countries.
Longines started producing timing equipment in 1878. Using the expertise it gradually acquired, Longines established a network of links with the world of sport which enabled it to offer its skilled services to various prestigious disciplines during the 20th century.
In the early 2000s, Longines mandated ETA (one of the world's largest manufacturers of watches and movements and also a member of the Swatch Group Ltd) to develop a brand-new exclusive self-winding movement with a column-wheel for a wrist chronograph.
The reference number given to the new calibre was L688. It constitutes the present-day embodiment of the far-reaching experience in mechanical timekeeping that is the heritage of the brand.
Fitted with 27 jewels, the L688 movement is a self-winding calibre with a diameter of 30 mm and a height of 7.90 mm. The purpose of its column-wheel is to control the chronograph functions (start, stop, return to zero). This system, and in particular the column-wheel that was designed by ETA’s engineers, is exceptionally user-friendly for a mechanical chronograph, requiring only the finest touch to start and stop the mechanism and to reset the hands at zero.
The blue steel column-wheel is surrounded by the beauty of a movement which is in fact an updated version of a traditional technical system. In addition to its refined design, the L688 calibre reveals a construction designed to meet the demands of timing. Longines has so far created several timepieces as a tribute to this high-tech movement.
The purpose of the Longines Column-Wheel application is to demonstrate the column-wheel chronograph movement L688 fitted with a blue steel column. The application allows a virtual manipulation and the presentation of the functions of the chronograph and its column-wheel (start, stop and reset). Moreover, the application also offers a comparison with the cam chronograph system L678.