Why This Watch Matters This Longines Admiral was first released to celebrate the brand's timekeeping at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. It's quite the horological flex. The Full Story Longines' design and quality during the mid-century period of watchmaking were second to none compared to competitors at the time. Beyond renowned chronographs, such as the 13ZN, this reputation can be traced back to oversized time-only "Calatrava" watches with extremely clean and minimalist dial layouts. The movements inside are some of the most well-built you'll come across. This reputation starts with being an innovator and pushing boundaries both horologically as well as in terms of design. The Admiral series has gone through a design evolution through the decades. It started out as a dressier style similar to the Conquest line, often characterized with five aligned stars on the dial. However, in the 1970s, there were numerous models produced under the Admiral series which had no relation to its previous design. The overall design became sportier, with larger, bold case designs often in stainless steel and with bright colors used on the dials. The Admiral reference we have here was actually a part of a collection released to commemorate the brand's service as the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games in Munich, 1972. Along with other Admiral references and a Conquest, the designs were full of color with many different dial variants and on the cutting edge of movement technology at the time. The "HF" seen on the dial of our example here stands for high frequency and is just the start of what makes the heart of this Admiral special. Operating at 28,800 vph (4 Hz), rather than the more standard at the time 21,600 bph (3 Hz), the Longines caliber 6952 inside is one the brand put some real work into. This was a flex for a time-only movement. Not only does it beat faster creating a bit of a smoother seconds hand but a specialized hacking feature stops the seconds hand at "zero" when the crown is pulled all the way out. If adjusting the time when the seconds hand is at say 40 seconds, it will keep running for 20 more seconds, stopping directly at 12 o'clock to aid in setting the time to the exact second. It is very cool to see the hand stop all the sudden at zero without touching the watch. We paired this Longines Admiral with our Bedford strap in beige to play off of the great lume patina on the dial and hands. The Fine Print Maker: LonginesModel: AdmiralReference: 2304-2Year: 1970sCase No: 546172Movement No: 52303058Material: Stainless steelDimensions: 37mm width x 40mm height; 9.6mm thicknessCrystal: PlexiglassLume: Yes, tritiumCaliber: Longines, manually-wound, caliber 6952Bracelet/Strap: HODINKEE Bedford Suede Watch Strap In BeigeLug Width: 18mmBox/Papers: N/A What We Love And What You Should Know Things We Love: - Blue dial with beautiful lume patina- "Zero hacking" high frequency movement- Sharp case condition Things To Know: - Light scratches on case This Longines is in overall excellent condition. The case is strong with light scratches, and the edges are still sharp. It appears to be unpolished. The original finishes are strong on the top of the case as well as the caseback. The caseback is crisp with brushing and clearly visible engravings of the batch and case number. The dial is in overall good condition with light patina. The hour markers and hands are in great condition with light patina. The lume on the dial and in the hands has developed patina and presents in a creamy yellow color. The dial, case, crown, and movement are all signed by Longines. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/6.9inch wrist.
