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Longines Legend Diver 42mm Mens Watch
Ref. L37744902
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Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The Legend Diver traces its form directly to Longines' 1959 super-compressor divers, and the commitment here is thorough rather than cosmetic. Most heritage reissues borrow the dial and little else; this one carries over the twin-crown compressor architecture that defined the original, with the crown at 2 o'clock driving an internal rotating dive flange rather than an external bezel. Because it sits inside the case, it cannot be knocked off count underwater or in a wetsuit cuff — the solution the original engineers devised, and one that still has few equals. At 12.7mm, the case is notably slim for a watch rated to 300 metres, and the downward-angled lugs distribute that 42mm footprint closer to the wrist than the dimensions suggest. The fumé blue dial deepens toward the centre, an effect that reads differently under artificial light than in daylight, and the box-profile sapphire adds a distinctly period-correct curvature overhead. Underneath, the L888.5 runs on a silicon balance spring — meaning magnetic fields that would have grounded a vintage movement leave this one unaffected — and its 72-hour reserve is generous enough to survive a weekend off the wrist without resetting.
- Reference
- L37744902
- Brand
- Longines
- Collection
- Legend Diver
- Case size
- 42mm
- Case thickness
- 12.7mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- ETA A31.L11
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 300m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Blue
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- 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), Leather Strap Watches (860), Blue Dial Watches (714) and Sports Watches (707).
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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
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 | L37744902 | R32138303 | ZO3560 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,350 | £2,300 | £2,299 |
| Case size | 42mm | 42mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 300m | 300m | 300m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | 80 hours | — |
| This watch | Closely matched | 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.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £2,350, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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