The Web has been abuzz in regards to the new Longines Pilot Majetek, the newest within the model’s lengthy line of aviation-inspired watches, and we have now to affix this social gathering too, having simply seen the watch within the steel. The brief story right here is that the little arrow you see there beneath the sapphire crystal turns together with the bezel, but the watch stays faithfully water resistant to 100m. This doesn’t sound like a lot, written so prosaically like this, however it’s fairly a pleasure to see the arrow flip in particular person. The opposite instant factor to notice in regards to the Majetek is the which means of the identify, which requires a fast detour into historical past.
The unique Majetek was made in 1935 and its full identify was Majetek Vojenske Spravy, though that was not a mannequin identify or something like that. It merely means property of the army administration, which it was as a result of Longines made it for the Czechoslovakian Air Power; the Majetek bit means property, though the nickname in all probability caught as a result of it sounds cool. Sadly, we solely have a lot area to get into this so we must return to this topic one other time. On to the present Majetek watch!
Cushion-shaped with a spherical fluted bezel and dial, the Majetek is typical of watches from the Thirties, though it’s possible you’ll increase an eyebrow (or two) on the 43mm dimension. It’s price remembering right here that this watch was in all probability worn over a jacket, because the aviators of previous used to do; it is vitally chilly within the environment and early planes didn’t even have pressurised cabins. Longines didn’t specify the precise case dimension of the unique watch, however the truth that it was an expert device (1,700 had been made for the pilots who flew alongside the RAF in WWII) signifies that it might need been fairly an enormous watch.
In any case, we had been happy to see a watchmaking innovation that has to do with the case reasonably than the motion. Feeling and manipulating the bezel is an actual deal with, akin to these watches that use the bezel to manage a motion operate, or the everyday unidirectional bezel of the dive watch. This one operates easily so don’t anticipate any clicks right here. Longines initially developed this cell indicator underneath the glass in 1930 in wristwatch kind, and it was a easy affair — a cell luminescent hour marker paired with a cell bezel. The aim right here was to permit pilots to trace departure instances, or another variable that will permit them to navigate on the fly.
The unique was not water resistant in any respect, and Longines needed to pioneer a brand new system to permit for this within the new Pilot Majetek; a plate on the case facet at 9 o’clock conceals a patented gear mechanism that Longines says permits the bezel to be linked with the marker underneath the sapphire crystal with out compromising water-resistance. The watch is powered by the automated calibre L893.6, which was developed completely for Longines, that includes a silicon hairspring with a operating time of 72 hours. The watch is COSC-certified so it’s a chronometer.
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