Longines Turns Up the Frequency on a Classic Revival

When Longines unveiled the Ultra-Chron in 1967, it was a declaration of technical ambition. The brand had already earned respect among chronometry circles for its relentless pursuit of accuracy.

Yet with the Ultra-Chron, Longines brought that expertise from observatory trials to everyday wear.

Almost sixty years later, the Saint-Imier manufacture revisits that legacy with the Ultra-Chron Classic, a timepiece that bridges mid-century design with contemporary watchmaking intelligence.

High-frequency watchmaking has long been part of the Longines DNA. In 1910, the brand patented a stopwatch capable of measuring a tenth of a second. By 1916, it had refined the idea to a hundredth.

These advances made Longines indispensable to professional sports timing and cemented its place in the evolution of precision horology.

The Ultra-Chron Classic traces that lineage directly. Its beating heart, the Longines calibre L836.6, operates at 36,000 vibrations per hour, or 5 Hz; a frequency that allows the movement to recover its precision more rapidly after shocks or positional changes.

Crafted with a silicon balance spring, it offers magnetic resistance ten times greater than the ISO 764 standard and a power reserve of approximately 52 hours. For enthusiasts who value performance grounded in substance, these are not marketing claims but measurable achievements.

Unlike conventional chronometer certification, which examines only the movement, the Ultra-Chron Classic is tested as a fully assembled watch by the Observatoire Chronométrique de Genève, overseen by the TIMELAB foundation.

Over fifteen days, it endures trials in multiple positions and temperatures to meet ISO 3159 standards for chronometric precision. It is a demanding process and one that very few manufacturers undertake.

The result is a timepiece that honours its 1960s predecessor with technical integrity that meets the expectations of today’s connoisseurs.

The Ultra-Chron Classic looks effortless because it has nothing to prove. Its domed silver sunray dial is a masterclass in understatement, catching light with a subtle warmth reminiscent of the 1967 original.

Polished indexes, slender hands, and the trapezoidal date window at three o’clock preserve the aesthetic vocabulary of that era.

Two case sizes are available, 37 mm and 40 mm, each remarkably slim at under 11 mm in height. The smaller reference, particularly, captures the charm of the vintage proportion while benefiting from modern ergonomics.

The stainless steel bracelet, reinterpreted from the distinctive grooved design of the original, alternates brushed and polished surfaces with finesse.

For those who prefer a softer touch, a black leather strap with a heritage pin buckle provides an equally elegant alternative.

At its core, the Ultra-Chron Classic represents the rhythm of watchmaking at its purest. There is something inherently satisfying about a movement that beats faster than the eye can follow yet operates with such composure.

This is not a reinterpretation created to chase nostalgia but an honest continuation of an idea Longines has explored for over a century: the pursuit of precision as an art form.

In reviving the Ultra-Chron, Longines has chosen not to embellish the past but to refine it. Every detail, from the curvature of the dial to the tactile confidence of the clasp, has been considered with the quiet assurance of a brand that understands its own story.

It speaks not only to collectors who appreciate heritage but to a modern generation that values authenticity and purpose in design.

The Ultra-Chron Classic is the continuation of one of the most important chapters in Longines’ history. It beats at the same high frequency that once defined an era, yet it belongs entirely to the present moment, proof that true precision never goes out of style.