Just ahead of this year’s Watches & Wonders event, Longines has announced a new addition to their Spirit collection. The Longines Spirit Zulu Time retains all the design elements we’ve come to love from the aviation-inspired Spirit family while debuting a new GMT hand and 24-hour bezel.
When it was launched in 2020, the Longines Spirit collection was branded by many as one of the best modern-day pilots watches on the market. The series begun as a simple selection of time-and-date only models before shortly expanding to include a range of Spirit Chronographs. Both designs tied in beautifully with the Swiss watch manufacturer’s rich aviation history and offered impressive levels of legibility, robustness and precision. Now, Longines launches a new trio of Spirit watches, this time with a GMT complication. The Longines Spirit Zulu Time collection takes its name from a historic Longines watch from 1925 famously emblazoned with a Z flag on the dial. The Z stood for Zulu Time which, widely used in the military and in navigation, means a given time adjusted to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Zulu times are incredibly useful for aviators as they fly across many time zones.
Perfectly suited to those that find themselves jumping from timezone to timezone, the new Longines Spirit Zulu watch collection comes in three dial colours, each equipped with a large arrow-shaped GMT hand. The dial colours include matte black, anthracite sandblasted and sunray-brushed blue. The black dial is paired with a blue-coloured GMT hand and a black ceramic insert bezel decorated with a 24 hour scale. The anthracite dial opts for vintage-evoking gold hardware and an interesting green bezel while the blue dial completes the trio with a bright orange GMT hand and a matching blue ceramic bezel. All three follow in line with previous Longines Spirit watches with applied Arabic numerals, diamond-shaped markers and baton hands coated in Superluminova.
As for the cases of the new Longines Spirit Zulu Time watches, we’re treated to the same 42mm diameter which in this instance is engineered from brushed and polished stainless steel. There’s also a height of 13.90mm, a bi-directional rotating bezel and sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment on both sides. Courtesy of the knurled screw in crown at 3 o’clock and the closed case back screwed down by six screws, the GMT watches ensure a water resistant rating of 100 metres.
Powering the Longines Spirit Zulu Time watches is the L844.4 automatic winding movement. Just like previous editions, the watches are COSC certified marked by the five stars in relief printed on the lower end of the dial. We’re also treated to a silicon balance spring for anti-magnetism, a 72 hour power reserve and 25,200 vibrations per hour. Completing each of the Longines Spirit Zulu Time watches is a choice of a leather strap or three-link stainless steel bracelet. Both are fitted with interchangeable systems so you can easily swap them around for a change in look.
If you’d like to learn more about the new Longines Spirit Zulu Time watch collection and shop the watches for yourself, head over to the Jura Watches website here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
Specifications: Longines Spirit Zulu Time
- Case Size: 42mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Bi-directional with ceramic insert in black, green or blue
- Glass: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Crown: Screw in
- Case Back: Screwed
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: Calibre L844.4 automatic
- COSC: Yes
- Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, GMT
- Power Reserve: 72 hours
- Jewels: 21
- Frequency: 25,200vph
- Dial: Black, anthracite or blue with Superluminova numerals and hands
- Strap: Steel bracelet or leather
- Buckle: Folding
- RRP: £2,400 (Leather), £2,480 (Bracelet)
- Release Date: Available now
