Call me naive if you want, but the Longines Legend Diver is a great re redition, and a very appealing watch!
Thanks to a Purist Friend who found for me this rare bird ( very difficult to get in France ), I'm now the happy owner of this great watch.
I spent quite a lot of time checking if this watch would have a nice place in my Collection of Diver Watches, but I was a bit afraid to be deceived, once in my hands.
The work made by Longines on this watch is really amazing, in terms of quality and finish.
The level of expectation was high, as I also own and love! ) the original model, with its very nice proportions, and a stunningly patined dial.
Compressor case ( shared with the JLC Polaris, the IWC Ref 812, the UG Polerouter Sub, and the Vulcain Nautical ), 200 meters Water Resistant, 2 crowns, one for winding the automatic movement, the other for setting the internal bezel, a huge, sexy and warm plexy, and a reliable movement, the Cal 290
.
All the ingredients are here to make a great watch.
Here mine, with another Vintage one, but in a stunning condition, anc coming with an original black dial...
Let's see some more pics of the Black Vintage Longines Diver, as the Re Edition comes with the black dial, too:
And here with the original bracelet:
45 years after the birth of this watch, Longines decided to re release this watch.
The Re edition is stricter than an Hommage, as you can't play with the conception of the watch while you want to make a Re Edition.
You have to strictly respect all the characteristics of the watch, as the dimensions, the dial, even if you can enhance some details, like the movement, for example.
And I have to say that Longines DID IT...PERFECTLY!
Let's begin by the Re Edition in itself:
The Compressor Case Style is totally respected, with these elegant lugs:
So are the crowns, with their special gridwork motif:
Maybe we can notice that the crowns on the Re Edition are a bit bigger, and less round than on the original, although.
On these profile pics, you will also notice that the plexy has been changed for a domed sapphire, what I regret a bit, as the plexy is more spectacular and warm, IMO.
But at least, the sapphire is domed.
The case has the same thickness and the same size ( 42 mm ), the only difference being that the plexy on the original Diver is much thicker and domed, as you can see on these 2 following pics.
The New Longines Legend Diver is a very faithful Re Edition.
The dial is strictly the same, with these Vintage Luminova indexes and numbers which clearly refer to the Vintage model, the same shape of the hands, the same bezel.
The only things that change may be considered as improvements :
The sapphire glass instead of the plexy ( once again, I regret it ).
The crowns which are now screwed on the re edition, which allow a water resistant to 300 meters, instead of 200 meters for the original model.
The movement, which is not anymore the Longines Cal 290, but a 2824 - 2 from ETA , still automatic, reliable, and really accurate..
A Faithful re edition is nothing if you don't feel the quality of a watch ,and here, Longines made an awesome work.
The dial, the case, the hands, the case back, the crowns, all is really remarkable.
When you put it on your wrist, you immediately understand that it is a great watch.
The dial has an incredible depth, and the contrast with the Vintage colored indexes is very appealing.
You will notice that the hands are non matching, but, at least for me, this is not a problem at all.
If you want to get the real interest of this Legend Diver, it has to be compared to the original, side by side.
The major problem, when releasing a Re Edirtion, is that the original is such a Cult Watch that this kind of exercise is a bit dangerous.
Everybody will have in mind the original, and will judge the re edition in depth.
And when compared to the original, you immediately get that Longines made an awesome work.
Here are the evidences, in pics:
2 the Black Together:
Isn 't it difficult to make the difference between the Vintage and the Modern???
One very small regret, when viewing this following pic, is that Longines did not release it with a brown dial...
It would have been awesome!
Here the 2 Vintage and the Re Edition side by side, for your greatest pleasure and greediness:
Even the details on the case back are fully respected, with a nice Diver engraving.
As to give a conclusion to this topic, I'd say that the Longines Legend Diver is an amazing watch, even more amazing if you consider its price.
When I compare it to 3 times more expensive watches, I'm totally amazed, yes.
The pleasure is really great to put it on your wrist, and this is an experience to live in the flesh, not only in pics.
One of these very good surprises of this year, indeed.
Best to all of you.
Nicolas
This message has been edited by amanico on 2009-04-14 13:30:39 This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2009-04-16 06:16:56 
