The 1950's Longines Manual Wind
It is sometimes difficult to pinpoint exactly what an everyday vintage watch looks like. It sort of feels like an oxymoron, especially given the age and fragility of some vintage watches. Of course there are watches that were produced as tool watches that have many of robust features to allow it to be an every day wearer. But, do you always want to be wearing a vintage Rolex Submariner, considering the cost that they are selling at these days? Well, Longines might have the answer.
Today we take a look at a simple Longines from the 1950’s. It is a steel cased manual wind watch that can be described as nothing else but a blank canvas. The watch, at 34mm in diameter, fits on the smaller side but would be no surprised for those of you who may be vintage watch lovers. The dial is super simplistic; white dial with silver applied sword hour markers.
The complications are also simplistic - hour minutes and center seconds. The watch is running on the manual wind caliber 23ZS, a movement that was produced by Longines after World War II. The 23ZS replaced the 23M which was produced until the Autumn of 1948, which was a feat on its own. The movement was one of only a few movements introduced right after World War II, which was really a time that Europe spent rebuilding. It comes as no surprise but the improvements that Longines wanted to make was to find a robust movement that was thinner but still of high quality. The 23ZS was used throughout the 50’s. The ‘S’ of 23ZS describes a sweeping center seconds hand, like the one in this watch.
They later produced the 23ZD, ‘D’ describing the addition of a date complication to the movement. In 1958, the 23ZS was replaced by the caliber 280 and caliber 370 in 1960.
Now, to the versatility of this watch. The watch comes on a stainless steel stretch bracelet, but to be honest, why would you keep it on that? With such a simplistic canvas, this is the definition of a strap-monster. Throw it on a leather, maybe even a NATO strap and you will be the happiest person ever. With one watch, one can easily imagine many different possibilities of combinations or events one could wear it to. You can dress this up and dress it casually, just have to have the creativity to do so.
The watch is available at our store here.
Enjoy!
