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Longines Legend Diver 42mm Stainless Steel
Ref. L37744602
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Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The Legend Diver traces its DNA to Longines' compressor-style divers of the late 1950s and early 1960s, a period when the twin-crown layout was not an aesthetic choice but a functional one: the upper crown, at two o'clock, operates the internal diving flange directly through the case, so the bezel cannot be nudged by current or a brush against the hull. This is a genuine piece of Longines engineering history brought forward rather than simply quoted. At 12.70mm thick for a watch rated to 300 metres, it wears far flatter than its depth rating would suggest, and the lacquered brown dial — a sunburst that darkens toward the outer ring — reads differently under tungsten light than it does in daylight, shifting between copper and deep tobacco depending on the angle. The 52.60mm lug-to-lug measurement is worth knowing before you buy: the straight lugs are faithful to the original but long, and this watch fits a larger wrist in a way it will not fit a smaller one. The L888.5 movement runs on a silicon balance spring, which means magnetic fields that would pull a conventional lever escapement off rate are largely a non-issue. The 72-hour power reserve means a watch set down Friday evening is still running Monday morning, and the caseback carries an engraved diver in period style — the one piece of decoration that only the wearer ever sees.
- Reference
- L37744602
- Brand
- Longines
- Collection
- Legend Diver
- Case size
- 42mm
- Case thickness
- 12.70mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Brown
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Bidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- ETA A31.L11
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 300m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Brown
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Ex-display
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 52.60mm
- 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), Stainless Steel Watches (3,197), Automatic Watches (1,736), Leather Strap Watches (1,049), Sports Watches (784), Dive Watches (554) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (344).
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What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 300m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 72-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Longines's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- Leather does not suit regular contact with water
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 | L37744602 | R32145158 | 01 400 7763 4157 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,050 | £2,150 | £2,050 |
| Case size | 42mm | 43mm | 43.5mm |
| Water resistance | 300m | 300m | 300m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | 59 hours | 120 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
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?
22mm. 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 52.60mm, which suits wrists from roughly 17.5cm (7 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.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £2,050, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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