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Longines Legend Diver 39mm Mens Watch Grey
Ref. L37644996
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Stepping up in Longines's range
The Legend Diver traces its DNA to the "Super Compressor" cases of the 1960s, built by Ervin Piquerez for Longines and defined by their twin-crown system. The arrangement is unchanged here: one crown winds and sets the movement, the other operates an internal rotating diving flange — a mechanism that keeps the graduated scale protected behind the crystal rather than exposed on the bezel, and remains genuinely unusual among production dive watches today. The move from 42mm to 39mm was not cosmetic. The previous generation wore long on the wrist, its flat lugs pushing the lug-to-lug distance out in a way that sat awkwardly on most wrists. At 47mm lug to lug, this version resolves that, and 12.7mm of thickness means it disappears under a cuff more readily than most watches rated to 300m. The grey dial reads as cooler and quieter than the more common black, which suits the restrained silhouette. The L888.6 inside is a heavily modified ETA base fitted with a silicon balance spring and COSC chronometer certification, with a 72-hour power reserve. It is a movement that asks very little of its owner and delivers a great deal in return.
- Reference
- L37644996
- Brand
- Longines
- Collection
- Legend Diver
- Case size
- 39mm
- Case thickness
- 12.7mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Grey
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Bidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- L888.6
- Water resistance
- 300m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 47mm
- 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.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Longines Legend Diver range (15), Back in Stock (3,734), Stainless Steel Watches (2,581), Automatic Watches (1,570), Sports Watches (707), Dive Watches (505) and Grey Dial Watches (197).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 300m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- 39mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 72-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Longines Legend Diver alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | L37644996 | SM40-DT-SS-BK-B | 129372 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,200 | £3,600 | £3,300 |
| Case size | 39mm | 40mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 300m | 300m | 300m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Rubber strap |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | 50 hours | 38 hours |
| This watch |
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|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 300m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow 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 47mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 39mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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