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Longines Spirit Zulu Time 39mm Mens Watch Black Stainless Steel
Ref. L38025536
Sits in Longines’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Longines watches we list, which start at £900.
Price range £900 to £22,850 across 249 Longines watches in stock.The Spirit Zulu Time line was drawn from Longines' long involvement with aviation and precision timekeeping, and the Zulu Time designation signals its purpose plainly: this is a watch for tracking a second time zone, not as an afterthought but as the organising principle of the design. The 39mm variant exists specifically to bring that proposition to wrists that found the original 42mm too wide, and at 46.5mm lug to lug it sits with noticeably less overhang than the larger model. The movement behind it earns attention. The L844.4 is COSC-certified and built around a silicon balance-spring, which makes it resistant to the magnetic fields that quietly degrade most mechanical movements in daily use. Critically, it runs as a true traveller's GMT: the local hour hand advances independently in one-hour steps, so changing time zones means no interference with the running movement and no reset of the minutes. The 72-hour power reserve means a weekend off the wrist is not a problem. The two-tone execution is understated rather than showy — an 18k yellow gold bezel frame with a chocolate brown ceramic insert against the anthracite dial, warm without being loud. At 147.6 grams on the integrated bracelet it has real presence, and the twin push-piece folding clasp holds securely; the tool-free quick-release system is a thoughtful addition, though the 21mm lug width does narrow the field of compatible straps considerably.
- Reference
- L38025536
- Brand
- Longines
- Collection
- Spirit
- Case size
- 39mm
- Case thickness
- 13.5mm
- Lug width
- 21mm
- Case material
- Two-tone
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Anthracite
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Bidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- L844.4
- Functions
- GMT, Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Two-tone
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 46.5mm
- Power reserve
- 72 hours
- Origin
- Swiss made
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 6 collections
This watch appears in the Longines Spirit range (34), Back in Stock (4,361), Automatic Watches (1,554), Two-Tone Watches (445), Grey Dial Watches (227) and GMT Watches (220).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 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 Spirit Zulu Time alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | L38025536 | 01 400 7778 7150-07 7 20 01TLC | ALT39-DT-SS-BK-B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,100 | £4,150 | £3,950 |
| Case size | 39mm | 39mm | 39mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Titanium bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | — | 68 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 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for 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 46.5mm, 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
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £4,100, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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