Longines has introduced their contribution to The Year Of The Dragon with a striking Fumé red dial version of their Flagship Heritage models, complete with moonphase.
Longines is the latest brand to add a Year Of The Dragon model to their collections. The brand has chosen to create a special version of their Flagship Heritage Moonphase to celebrate the Chinese New Year. To help them do this they’ve enlisted the help of renowned Chinese artist Zinan Lam who created the design on the caseback, showcasing a dragon raising its head. More on this later.
The domed dial, which is inspired by a historic watch from the 1950s, has been given a rich, red treatment that reflects the colour used in many Chinese New Year celebrations – symbolising vitality, and with the added gradient Fumé effect on the dial, makes this a good-looking piece that will stand out on anyone’s wrist. The golden applied indexes and hands create a beautiful contrast to the dial, and again, gold symbolising wealth and prosperity.
At the 6 o’clock position, the rounded moonphase dial and window showcase the month, as indicated by the dates on the outer track and gilt hand. Inside is the gold moon and stars on a deep navy sky, showcasing the phase of the moon within the month. The circular concentric circles add to the depth of this, which is always welcomed on complications such as this.
The steel case with a screw-down back measures 38.5 mm in diameter and a thickness of 11.8mm. Whilst not overly thin, under 12mm is respectable and with what appears to be relatively conservative lugs, should wear well on most wrists. The case is classic in design, with brushed steel sides, polished beveled lugs, and a polished domed fixed bezel.
Flipping the watch over, the solid caseback has been engraved by Chinese artist Zinan Lam, a multi-disciplinary artist based in Shanghai who has garnered significant attention in recent years. His artistic creations often revolve around themes like natural philosophy, oriental culture and personal perspectives, which he has given to the Longines Flagship Heritage Year Of The Dragon.
Longines states:
“The dragon design takes centre stage as an intricate unity, where each element – from the head to the body and scales – carries its own unique significance. The ‘wood’ element attribute of the year 2024, according to the traditional lunar calendar, is harmoniously aligned with the East Asian constellation Azure Dragon, symbolizing the origin of all things and the profound connection between time and nature.“
Inside the Flagship Heritage Year Of The Dragon is the Calibre L899.5. An automatic winding movement with a 72hr power reserve and an anti-magnetic silicon balance-spring that provides greater accuracy. The watch beats at 3.5Hz / 25,200 VpH and comes with Longines’ 5 year warranty. The Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase Year Of The Dragon is limited to 888 pieces worldwide.
Final Thoughts
With any limited edition or commemorative piece, you can go with either a full statement piece or more subtle with colour changes and caseback designs. Neither is right or wrong, but it comes down to the brand and the individual watch. For this piece, I feel that Longines has played to their strengths and created a piece that pays tribute to the Year Of The Dragon within the DNA of the Flagship Heritage models.
The domed and deep gradient black to red Fumé dial works well in contrast to the gilt hands and indices, and the moonphase/date dial is a nice touch on this piece that helps add more complexity to the dial. The engraved caseback showcases the artistry of Zinan Lam and is a great way to celebrate the Year Of The Dragon.
Reference: L4.815.4.09.2
Specification
- Size: 38.5mm, 11.9mm thick
- Case: Brushed and polished stainless steel
- Dial: Domed, gradient red with 11 gilt 2 N applied indexes and hands. Polished, filled with Super-LumiNova®
- Crystal: Sapphire glass with multi-layered anti-reflective coating on both sides
- Caseback: Steel engraved with Year Of The Dragon motif
- Movement: Automatic winding Calibre . Beating at 3.5Hz / 23,500 VpH and pivoting on 21 jewels
- Power Reserve: 72 hours
- Water Resistance: 30m (3ATM)
- Strap: Black alligator leather strap with steel buckle
