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Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase 38.5mm Mens Watch Brown
Ref. L48154622
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Stepping up in Longines's range
The Flagship line began in 1957 as Longines' case for what a dress watch could be at its most considered, and this moonphase variant extends that argument into complication territory without abandoning the original restraint. The sunray beige dial, with applied indices and a moonphase at six o'clock, is the kind of thing that changes character under different light — flat and warm at a desk, more layered in the evening when the phase display earns its keep. The movement underneath deserves attention. The L899.5 is built around a silicon balance spring, which makes it resistant to the magnetic fields that quietly degrade most mechanical calibres, and its 72-hour reserve means a watch left on the nightstand Friday is still running Monday morning. The caseback carries an 18-carat gold medallion with a hand-painted enamel caravel — the sort of finishing that takes longer than the movement to produce and is never seen while the watch is worn. At 46.3mm lug to lug, it sits neatly on a range of wrists without the presence of a larger modern dress watch, which suits the 1957 reference well. The alligator strap keeps the weight — 73.6 grams — from registering much on the wrist at all.
- Reference
- L48154622
- Brand
- Longines
- Collection
- Heritage
- Case size
- 38.5mm
- Case thickness
- 12.4mm
- Lug width
- 19mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- ETA A31.L91
- Functions
- Date, Moonphase
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Brown
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 46.3mm
- 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 6 collections
This watch appears in the Longines Heritage range (6), Back in Stock (3,734), Stainless Steel Watches (2,581), Automatic Watches (1,570), Leather Strap Watches (860) and Dress Watches (475).
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What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 38.5mm 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
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | L48154622 | R27197152 | 118535 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,950 | £2,850 | £2,645 |
| Case size | 38.5mm | 38mm | 39mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Ceramic bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | 80 hours | 42 hours |
| This watch |
| Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
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?
19mm. 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 46.3mm, 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 38.5mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £2,950, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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