Why This Watch Matters Here is a great variant of the Longines Conquest, a watch that was designed and sold to be a "stepping-stone to progress." The Full Story Representing a "stepping-stone to progress," the Longines Conquest line was introduced in 1954. Today, vintage examples of the Conquest serve as excellent and pure representations of mid-century dress watch design. The clean, straightforward look led to the success of this line, which allowed the brand to create various iterations of the model. From stainless steel to solid gold, Longines watches under the name Conquest held down the catalog for decades offering customers variety under the same clean aesthetic. A throughline with Longines Conquests of any shape, size, metal, or complication is, in most cases, a screw-down caseback with a medallion in its center. While some Conquests from the 1960s featured a starry night's sky, the example we have today is a bit earlier and depicts a little green fish. Beyond the beautifully finished dial and carved case, this little caseback detail speaks volumes about Longines in this era. No expense was spared, no detail too small. Sure, the fancy medallion would sit against a wearer's wrist 99 percent of the time but, when the watch is taken off to show a friend, this medallion will stun. It is always great to see attention to detail at this level in a vintage watch. Another little detail is the "515" stamped on the rear of the 11 o'clock lug. This number corresponds to the case number inside the caseback telling us that the midcase and the caseback were born together. A nice little check of originality on these old Longines examples. The stainless steel, black dialed Conquest we have here is a classic and extremely sought after representation of the product line. Focusing in on that black dial, the surface finish is really amazing in the metal presenting as a soft matte and the applied details really show the level of detail that Longines was operating on in this period. If you're a lover of fonts, this Longines should be scratching you where it itches as well with the proud, cursive script. The long lugs go a, well, long way of making this watch wear substantially on the wrist and really complete the overall look. We paired this Longines Conquest with our aged grey strap to not draw attention away from those yellow gold dial and hand accents. Plus, no one loves grey like we do here at HODINKEE. The Fine Print Maker: LonginesModel: Conquest Calendar AutomaticReference: 9004-6Year: 1950sCase No: 515Movement No: 10305057Material: Stainless steelDimensions: 35mm diameter; 13.25mm thicknessCrystal: PlexiglassLume: Yes, radiumCaliber: Longines, self-winding, caliber 19 ASDBracelet/Strap: HODINKEE Aged Watch Strap In GreyLug Width: 18mmBox/Papers: No What We Love And What You Should Know Things We Love: - Black dial with yellow gold tone accents- Applied hour markers- Fish logo on caseback Things To Know: - Scratches on case- Patina on dial This Longines is in overall very good, honest condition. The case is strong and shows some scratches throughout with a few light nicks. The edges on the faceted lugs are visible. The bottom edge on the nine o'clock side has a slight indentation. The caseback has a few deeper scratches but the medallion is crisp with some green paint loss. There is a engraving on the caseback reading "B.H." The case number, "515," is stamped on the rear of the 11 o'clock lug. There are some scratches on the rear of the lugs from strap removal and placement. The dial has developed patina on the surface throughout. The dial has also developed patina around each of the lume plots. The hands and hour markers have developed patina. The lume on the dial and hands have darkened and are close to matching in color. The lume on the dial show some signs of degradation. The case, crown, dial, and movement are all signed by Longines. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/6.9inch wrist.
