Longines Greenlander 'WWW'
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Why We Love it
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Why We Love it
–Ah, the ‘Dirty Dozen.
Diehard collectors of these watches know the story, but it bears repeating. These watches — stamped W.W.W. for "Watch Wristlet Waterproof" — had to meet strict standards mandated by the British Ministry of Defense during the last half of 1945. The specs were these: black dial; Arabic numerals; luminous hands (radium); 15 jewel movement; and waterproof.
Twelve companies met these standards, and manufactured the watches that would be dubbed the ‘Dirty Dozen’ and fascinate collectors for decades. They were: Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, JLC, Lemania, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor, Vertex, and Longines. Of these, only Longines produced a watch with shock-protection.
Collectors have given the Longines Reference 23088 the nickname ‘Greenlander"’due to its purported involvement in the 1952-54 British North Greenland Expedition. This was recently proven to be false. But even though the ‘Greenlander’ never made it to Greenland, many Longines did in fact make it on other expeditions in extreme cold-weather conditions. So when you consider that these watches were meant to go to war, this fact doesn't take away anything from the watch's lineage. Whether worn in combat or on an expedition in the farthest reaches of the Arctic, the ‘Greenlander’ was meant to withstand it all.
This particular Greenlander dates to circa 1945 and features a 38mm stainless steel case with an acrylic crystal, an unsigned crown, a stepped bezel, and a matte black Radium dial with printed ‘Arabic’ indices, a large sub-seconds display, a ‘cathedral’ handset, and the ‘broad arrow’ symbol indicating Crown property. Powered by the hand-wound Longines Calibre 12.68Z movement, its caseback is inscribed with the ‘broad arrow,’ ‘W.W.W,’ and various serial numbers and it comes fitted to an appropriate forest green NATO strap from Phoenix®.
Already rare, this watch's lovely condition — with puffy lume plots and handsome dial — makes it very desirable.
Snag it before another collector has the same idea!
Brand Story
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Brand Story
+Most famous among Longines' forays into navigation pieces is the Lindbergh Hour Angle watch, a wristwatch designed by famed aviator Charles Lindberg in conjunction with the brand to allow aviators to calculate, with the help of a sextant and a known latitude, their exact geographic location.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, Longines also released a series of stunning time-only watches. Often referred to as “Calatravas” after the iconic model by Patek Philippe, most of these watches had thin stainless steel cases at 32-35mm, standard sizes for the time. Like the Patek Philippe Calatrava, these timepieces were known for their perfect proportions and the elegant simplicity of their designs.
But it wasn’t just time-only watches that drew the attention of clients the world over — particularly in the Americas: The company’s caliber 13ZN, first released in 1936, is widely regarded as one of the finest chronograph movements ever devised by any brand. This development would form the basis of work in sports timing, in which Longines developed timepieces with flyback functionality as well as 1/100th-second counters.
Today, Longines produces a remarkable number of watches annually — over 1.5 million of them — and rakes in over $1B in annual revenue through the sale of everything from simple quartz watches to sophisticated moon phases and chronographs. Incredibly, they produced their 51 millionth timepiece in 2019 and in some ways, it feels like the brand is just getting started.
A:S Guarantee
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A:S Guarantee
+Our Pledge
Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.
Condition
Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.
Warranty
We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.
International Buyers
Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.
Shipping & Returns
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Shipping & Returns
+All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.
Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.
We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.
Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.
We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.
Make it yours will fit standard 18mm watches
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Longines Greenlander 'WWW'
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- Sold