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Longines Conquest 41mm Mens Watch Black
Ref. L38304529
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Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The Conquest line has always sat at the practical end of Longines — a sports range built to perform rather than to pose, and this iteration carries that intent into the movement before anything else. The L888.5 runs a monocrystalline silicon balance spring, which gives it strong resistance to magnetic fields without the bulk of anti-magnetic shielding and keeps the 72-hour reserve ticking accurately through a weekend off the wrist. That is a movement specification normally found at a higher tier. At 41mm the case is proportioned squarely for the sport context, and 10.9mm of thickness means it sits flush enough under a cuff without announcing itself. The sunray black dial shifts between near-matte and quietly reflective depending on the angle, which keeps it readable in flat light while giving it some life in direct sun. The exhibition caseback means the movement is visible from underneath — the silicon spring is worth looking at. The rubber strap with its integrated micro-adjustment clasp is the detail that separates this from the steel-bracelet sibling: it beds in immediately, adjusts precisely between notches rather than in fixed links, and suits the watch's stated 100m rating without the slight formality a bracelet brings.
- Reference
- L38304529
- Brand
- Longines
- Collection
- Conquest
- Case size
- 41mm
- Case thickness
- 10.90mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- L888.5
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 49.10mm
- 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 4 collections
This watch appears in the Longines Conquest range (60), Back in Stock (4,908), Stainless Steel Watches (3,241) and Automatic Watches (1,645).
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What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 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 Conquest alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | L38304529 | T1494592105100 | 01 733 7805 4163-07 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £1,720 | £1,950 |
| Case size | 41mm | 41mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | 60 hours | 41 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.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 49.10mm, 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.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £1,800, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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