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Longines Master Collection 38.5mm Mens Watch Silver
Ref. L28434732
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Stepping up in Longines's range
The Master Collection carries a specific inheritance: it was drawn directly from Longines' 190th anniversary pieces, translating their limited-edition dress language into something made to be worn daily. The ivory opaline dial with its deeply engraved Breguet-style Arabic numerals and blued steel leaf hands is not a decorative pastiche but a considered act of continuity — the kind of dial that reads as archival without requiring explanation. At 38.5mm across and 44.9mm lug to lug, this sits closer to a slim vintage proportion than anything currently fashionable, and at 10.2mm it disappears under a cuff. The down-turned lugs pull it against the wrist rather than sitting proud of it, which matters on a watch intended for formal wear. The small seconds at six keeps the dial quiet and symmetrical rather than burdening it with complications it does not need. The L893 beneath the caseback is built on an ETA platform but reworked to a higher standard — a silicon balance-spring that resists magnetism, a 72-hour reserve that covers a weekend off the wrist, and a 25,200vph frequency that splits seconds cleanly. The grey alligator strap closes with a triple-safety deployant, which on a dress piece of this formality is worth having: it keeps the leather from stretching and the fit consistent day to day.
- Reference
- L28434732
- Brand
- Longines
- Collection
- Master Collection
- Case size
- 38.5mm
- Case thickness
- 10.20mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Ivory
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- ETA A31.501
- Functions
- Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Grey
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Vintage
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 44.90mm
- Power reserve
- 72 hours
Learn more about Longines
Auguste Agassiz began trading watches in Saint-Imier in 1832, but the modern company dates from 1860, when his nephew Ernest Francillon built a factory in the meadows beside the Suze — the longines of the local dialect — and consolidated the scattered outworkers of the region under one roof.
Longines registered its winged hourglass in 1889. It is the oldest watch trademark still in continuous use.
The company's identity was built on precision and on timing things in public. It supplied chronographs for the first modern Olympic events it timed in 1896, timed the 1912 Federal Gymnastics Festival with a broken-wire mechanism accurate to a hundredth of a second, and developed the photo-finish camera and the quartz timing devices used across twentieth-century athletics.
Its aviation associations are equally deep. Longines instruments were carried by Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic in 1927, and the Hour Angle watch, designed to Lindbergh's own specification to simplify longitude calculation, remains in the catalogue. Amelia Earhart and Howard Hughes both navigated by Longines.
The house was among the most decorated at nineteenth-century observatory trials, holding numerous precision records. Since joining the Swatch Group in 1983 it has occupied the accessible-heritage position: exclusive ETA-based movements, archive-driven designs through the Heritage line, and volume that makes it one of the group's most important brands.
- 1860
- Ernest Francillon builds the factory at Les Longines.
- 1889
- The winged hourglass is registered — the oldest watch trademark in use.
- 1912
- Broken-wire timing achieves hundredth-second accuracy.
- 1927
- Lindbergh crosses the Atlantic with Longines instruments.
- 1983
- Becomes part of the Swatch Group.
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 38.5mm suits most wrists
- 44.9mm lug-to-lug keeps the 38.5mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 72-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | L28434732 |  01 782 7811 4055-07 8 |  R27086162 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,350 | £2,400 | £2,450 |
| Case size | 38.5mm | 39.5mm | 38mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Ceramic bracelet |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | 41 hours | 80 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 72 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 44.90mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 38.5mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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