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Longines HydroConquest 42mm Mens Watch Black Mesh
Ref. L37884906
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Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The HydroConquest was reworked for this generation with a deliberate step back from the aggressive. The crown guards went, the oversized Arabic numerals went, and what remains is a cleaner, more symmetrical layout that reads closer to a vintage dive watch than to a tool watch trying to announce itself. The blue ceramic bezel insert against the lacquered black dial is the sharpest visual decision in the collection. At 42mm the watch has genuine presence, but 11.70mm is slimmer than most divers rated to this depth, and it moves under a cuff without the bulk you might expect from a 300-metre watch. The mesh bracelet suits it well — finer in character than a conventional link bracelet, and the tool-free micro-adjustment on the folding clasp means fit changes take seconds rather than a trip to a jeweller. The L888.5 runs a silicon balance-spring, which puts it beyond the reach of magnetic fields that would disturb a conventional lever escapement, and the 72-hour power reserve means a watch left off the wrist over a weekend returns to work on Monday still running. At 3.5Hz it is unhurried by modern standards, but the movement's reputation is for longevity rather than spectacle.
- Reference
- L37884906
- Brand
- Longines
- Collection
- HydroConquest
- Case size
- 42mm
- Case thickness
- 11.70mm
- Lug width
- 21mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- L888.5
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 300m
- Bracelet / strap
- Mesh bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 51.20mm
- 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 HydroConquest range (42), Back in Stock (3,734), Stainless Steel Watches (2,581), Automatic Watches (1,570), Sports Watches (707), Dive Watches (505) and Mesh Bracelet Watches (139).
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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
Longines HydroConquest alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | L37884906 | ZO3552 | R32105203 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,050 | £2,199 | £2,200 |
| Case size | 42mm | 42mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 300m | 300m | 300m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Mesh bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | 38 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?
21mm. 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 51.20mm, 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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