Do you know? Longines’ Czech Air Force 1935 watch is more than just a watch, it has a rich history and technological evolution behind it! The limited edition watch to be launched in 2024 not only pays tribute to history in design, but also achieves a breakthrough in movement, improving anti-magnetic capabilities and stability. What’s the story behind this? Let us uncover the mystery of this watch together!

The evolution and history of the Longines Czech Air Force 1935 watch

The L2.838.1.53.2 to be launched in 2024 is the latest generation of Longines Czech Air Force 1935 series limited edition watch, with the words “1935-2024” on the case. In fact, this watch is not a new design, but an updated version of the L2.838.4.53.2 launched in 2022.

In 2022, Longines released a new version of the Czech Air Force 1935 watch, which removed the calendar window and made the design more in line with the historical original. The new watch sets the countdown by rotating the bezel, and its functional design better meets the needs of pilots.

The Czech Air Force 1935 watch was designed for the Czech Air Force and features flight watch features such as a pillow-shaped case, a large crown, a luminous display and large hour markers. The limited edition of 1935 pieces pays homage to history and enhances the collection value of the watch.

The history and brand influence of Czech Air Force flight watches

The Czech Air Force flight watch is not exclusively customized by Longines. Historically, brands such as Lamania and Qinianhua have also participated in the manufacturing, collectively known as “MAJETEK”. “MAJETEK” means “property” in Czech, and the common feature of these watches is that they all have the word “MAJETEK” on them.

The design and movement of the 2022 Czech Air Force 1935 watch

The 2022 Czech Air Force 1935 watch model L2.838.4.53 is equipped with the L893.6 self-winding movement, which has a special vibration frequency and antimagnetic performance of up to 600 Gauss, and has been certified by the Swiss Official Observatory. The biggest change in the design is the removal of the calendar window, which is more in line with the historical original.

In terms of movement, L893.6 is based on L888, has higher anti-magnetic performance and vibration frequency, and has been certified by the Observatory. In terms of antimagnetic, this movement has an antimagnetic capability of 600 Gauss, which is at the top level among flight watches.

The movement also has a power reserve of approximately 72 hours and is equipped with a “wooden needle” pendulum. Wood needles are a synthetic material similar to silicon and have excellent properties such as anti-friction, anti-magnetic, and corrosion resistance.

Details and technology of the 2024 Czech Air Force 1935 watch

The appearance of this L2.838.1.53.2, which will be launched in 2024, has not changed much, but the movement has been upgraded from L893.6 to L893.8, which has higher technical content.

The movement is similar to the L893.6, but the vibration frequency is increased from 28,800 Hz to 25,000 Hz. This change improves the stability of the movement. It also has an anti-magnetic capability of up to 1200 Gauss and retains observatory certification.

This watch will use grade 5 titanium to make the case, and adopt a sand surface treatment process, which can effectively improve the corrosion resistance of titanium. A watch made of this material is very light to wear, which is unmatched by the 2022 titanium version.

In terms of design, the 2024 Czech Air Force 1935 watch basically continues the design of the 2022 model. For example, the huge pillow-shaped case, large luminous hour markers, pencil-style hands and so on.

This watch has certain improvements in details, such as changing the pointer style from “snake head needle” to “pencil needle”, changing the 12 o’clock luminous time scale style from dots to triangles, etc. In addition, the crown has also been changed from a design without a bridge guard to a design with a bridge guard.

It can be said that this 2024 Czech Air Force 1935 watch has achieved a balance between modern technology and classic style in terms of material and design.

The fusion of early reproduction and modern technology

Looking back at history, Longines launched the first modern Czech Air Force 1935 replica watch as early as 2014, model L2.794.4.53.2. The 2014 replica watch made adjustments to the details while retaining the essence of the original design, such as increasing the diameter of the watch and adding a calendar window.

This replica watch is also equipped with ETA 28952 movement. Although the performance of this movement is excellent, as a limited-edition replica, the level of the movement it equipped was still not high enough at the time.

The new watch perfectly combines history and modernity by upgrading the movement. This also proves from the side the importance Longines attaches to the Czech Air Force 1935 series.

Conclusion

Through the evolution and technical analysis of the Czech Air Force 1935 watch, we can see Longines’ clever balance between inheritance and innovation. As a watch enthusiast, I feel that this watch is not only a practical tool for pilots, but also a witness to history. What do you think? What are your thoughts or expectations for this watch? Welcome to share your views in the comment area, and don’t forget to like and support!