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Longines Flagship Classic 40mm Mens Watch White
Ref. L49844186
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Stepping up in the same dial colour
The Flagship has been Longines's case for dress watchmaking since 1957, and the name has always meant a calibre built to a higher specification than the catalogue price might suggest. The movement here uses a silicon balance-spring, which is non-magnetic and requires no lubrication at the points it matters most, giving the 72-hour reserve genuine long-term reliability rather than a headline figure. At 40mm the proportions sit squarely in the middle of the dress-watch range — enough presence on the wrist to read clearly, not so much that the taper of the bracelet into the case starts to look forced. The white matt dial absorbs rather than throws light back, which keeps the hands legible without the mirror-finish shimmer that can make some dress dials harder to read quickly. The anti-reflective coating on the underside of the crystal reinforces this: the dial reads flat and clear at almost any angle.
- Reference
- L49844186
- Brand
- Longines
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- White
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- 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 2 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,531) and Automatic Watches (1,573).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 40mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 72-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Sits in the lower half of Longines's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Longines Flagship Classic alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | L49844186 | BMM0A10853 | 01 754 7785 4065-07 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,650 | £1,690 | £1,600 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | 38 hours | — |
| This watch |
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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.
Is 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 Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £1,650, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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