Power reserve indicators are arguably one of the most divisive complications in watchmaking. While they do provide a useful function, they can often disrupt the symmetry of a dial design with offset placement or unbalanced proportioning. There are, of course, several ways to remedy this in a watch design. The first and most common of these is to move the power reserve indicator to the caseback, but a bolder and more classical solution is the rarely seen central power reserve display. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Conquest nameplate in 2024, Longines looks into its back catalog for a refined, elegant execution of this rare complication from 1959. This new Longines Heritage Conquest Central Power Reserve offers a strikingly handsome, balanced look, integrating a pair of concentric central dial disks to create a tastefully eye-catching variation on one of horology’s most debated complications.
Measuring in at 38mm wide, the Longines Heritage Conquest Central Power Reserve’s stainless steel case is a new addition to the Conquest family, taking a gently modernized approach to classical dress watch cues. It’s a symptom of the current downsizing trend that this case is perhaps slightly oversized for its style (to the tune of about 1mm), but the balanced overall proportions and thoughtful design cues make it nonetheless attractive on the wrist. The narrow sloping bezel and low domed sapphire crystal are classic ‘50s-era throwbacks, but Longines smartly matches these with a sleek modern lug design. With wide polished upper surfaces and generous chamfers, these lugs could run the risk of visually overpowering the main case body, but clever contouring keeps these elements in balance. In short, Longines combines a gentle curving lug downturn with a sever, near-horizontal undercut to ensure minimize both the lug-to-lug length and the case’s overall footprint on the wrist. This, in turn, gives the case its light, classical stance during wear. The vertical brushing along the case sides adds a bit of contrast to this light, reflective case philosophy, giving the case a touch more visual substance on the wrist. Around back, Longines opts for a sapphire display caseback and rates the watch for a typically dressy 50 meters of water resistance.
The Longines Heritage Conquest Central Power Reserve’s dial is undoubtedly its star attraction, and it’s remarkably faithful to the 1959 Conquest that inspired it. The basic dial design is elegant, detailed, and suitably ‘50s dressy, with long faceted gold indices, matching syringe hands, and a matte-champagne dial surface accented by a pair of concentric grooves separating the outer minutes track from the main dial. While it’s a combination that works reasonably well on its own, the Heritage Conquest Central Power Reserve’s offbeat additions are what truly elevate it. The framed 12 o’clock date window starts off this quirky ‘50s charm right, but the titular central power reserve indicator steals the show here. Rather than a simple single hand to display the current remaining movement power, Longines instead uses a par of concentric rotating disks. The outer disk in this series is the coiling disk, containing the airily printed power reserve hours scale. Rather than simply printing these numbers on a static scale, however, Longines mounts them to a slowly rotating disk, ensuring that the dial’s appearance changes throughout the day even if the watch is kept fully wound. Inboard of this disk is the uncoiling disk, with a minimalist printed power reserve hand (the thicker segment of this hand, rather unintuitively, is the tip). As the watch is wound or runs down, this disk moves relative to the rotating uncoiling disk, requiring a far more complex mechanism than a single power reserve hand. The end result of this complex engineering is a remarkably elegant piece of mid-century design, one that both maintains the clean symmetry of the dial and keeps the look of this watch fresh on the wrist even after prolonged wear.
Longines powers the Heritage Conquest Central Power Reserve with the L896.5 automatic movement, manufactured exclusively for Longines by Swatch Group sister company ETA. The L896.5 is newly created specifically for this watch and offers the sort of high-end performance we’ve come to expect from Longines in recent years. A hefty 72 hour power reserve at a 25,200 bph beat rate is an excellent start, but the truly impressive numbers come through the accuracy specs. The L896.5 averaged just over -2.6 seconds per day throughout our testing period, well within COSC chronometer specs despite not being chronometer rated. Add in the movement’s uniquely intricate power reserve complication, silicon balance spring, and a magnetic resistance nearly ten times the ISO 764 standard, and this is a genuinely impressive modern performer. On the visual side, finishing is crisp and bright, with perlage for the bridges, selected blued screws, and a cutout rotor topped with even, smooth Côtes de Genève. To complete the design, Longines fits the Heritage Conquest Central Power Reserve with a suitably classical black alligator leather strap.
Designing a visually attractive, distinctive power reserve complication that doesn’t disrupt or visually unbalance a dial can be a major hurdle in watchmaking, as many enthusiasts can attest. For the new Longines Heritage Conquest Central Power Reserve, this challenge is a chance to attractively showcase both the brand’s refined aesthetic heritage and its contemporary movement prowess. The Longines Heritage Conquest Central Power Reserve is available now through authorized dealers. MSRP for this watch stands at USD 3,800 as of press time. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
