Tap the image to enlarge
Longines Spirit 40mm Stainless Steel
Ref. L38104732
See more premium optionsHide
Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The Spirit collection is Longines' considered return to pilot-watch territory — clean dials, applied Arabic numerals, strong legibility — drawing on the brand's long connection to aviation timing. The five applied stars on the dial are not decoration for its own sake; they are a traditional Longines mark of movement quality, and here they sit above a calibre that earns them. The L888.4 beats at 25,200vph with a silicon balance spring, giving it meaningful resistance to magnetic fields, a 72-hour reserve, and METAS Master Chronometer certification — a standard stricter than COSC and tested in magnetic fields that would stop most movements cold. At 40mm the case reads as a conventional fit, but the 49.7mm lug-to-lug span means it covers more wrist than the diameter alone suggests, so those with shorter wrists should consider it carefully. The brown calfskin strap with contrast stitching pitches the whole thing warm rather than purely utilitarian, which suits the silver dial well. Legibility after dark is genuine rather than nominal — the lume coverage on hands and markers is generous enough to read quickly without hunting.
- Reference
- L38104732
- Brand
- Longines
- Collection
- Spirit
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 12.20mm
- Lug width
- 21mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- L888.4
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Brown
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Condition
- Ex-display
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 49.7mm
- 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 Spirit range (34), Stainless Steel Watches (3,084), Automatic Watches (1,759), Leather Strap Watches (1,005), Silver Dial Watches (702), Dress Watches (532) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (374).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 40mm suits most wrists
- 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 Spirit alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | L38104732 | CM3090C-L1J-BK | WAR215E.BD0784 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,850 | £1,755 | £2,150 |
| Case size | 40mm | 42mm | 39mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | 38 hours | 38 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
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 49.7mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ 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 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb list it at £1,850, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
More Longines watches like the Spirit
In stock, and close on style and price
