It’s rarely addressed directly, but it’s commonly accepted that there’s a collective “watch specs checklist” shared among the enthusiast community. Visit nearly any comments section in watch media (including here on ABTW), and you’re likely to see this checklist in action – sentiments like “anything over 39mm is too big,” “40-hour power reserves are antiquated,” or “caller-style GMTs are unacceptable” form the universal background radiation of watch enthusiast discourse. That said, there are a few releases each year whose makers firmly understand this shared gestalt watch checklist, and thoroughly fulfill every single one of the common community demands for a modern timepiece release. It’s a safe bet that when a watch manages to fill out this checklist, it’s going to be a hit. The new Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium is just such a release, hitting nearly every major modern enthusiast criterion and also adding a charismatic, richly nuanced character of its own for one of the brand’s strongest releases in recent memory.
Measuring in at 39mm wide and 13.5mm thick, the Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium shares its overall form with last year’s stainless steel Zulu Time 39mm, but with a more aggressive, purposeful edge. Of course, the Grade 5 titanium case is the largest factor in this, bringing a dark, moody tone to the tightly packaged vertical case sides, masculine angular lugs, and impressively mirror-polished continuous case side chamfers. Spirit series hallmarks like the oversized screw-down crown and deep, intense case brushing also benefit from the swap to titanium here, but the most interesting update is the bidirectional engraved ceramic GMT bezel. Longines opts for a subtle low-contrast two-tone effect here, with the upper half of the bezel in high-gloss black while the lower half receives a matte black treatment. The end result may not be as recognizable or as visually arresting as a classic “Pepsi” colorway, but this stealthy black-on-black look gives the watch a fascinating set of reflections from certain angles while fading into the background in others. In short, it’s a uniquely stylish take on the split-hue GMT bezel design that more brands should consider using. Like its stainless steel counterpart, the Spirit Zulu Time Titanium is fitted with a screw-fastened solid caseback, and rated to a respectable 100 meters of water resistance.
Compared to the changes made to the case, the updates to the Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium’s dial are relatively minor. That’s not a bad thing, as the Spirit line’s dials have always been a strong suit, and the gentle changes made here only serve to refine an already handsomely focused design. The yellow gold straight sword hands, rounded applied Arabic numerals, diminutive diamond-shaped outer indices, and the polished gold edge of the raised outer minutes scale are all series standbys and remain elegant and handsome components here, as well. However, Longines gives the familiar black-and-gold color palette a tweak here, courtesy of a more pared-back matte-black dial finish and a vivid red GMT hand. This red accent is echoed by the 6 o’clock “Zulu Time” text, lending a midcentury sports watch punch to the overall look while keeping the GMT hand at the center of attention. The cutout 6 o’clock date window remains a highlight of the design, with a dial-matching date wheel and gilt text that helps this useful feature blend in well with its surroundings.
Longines powers the Spirit Zulu Time Titanium with the L844.4 automatic GMT movement, made exclusively for Longines by Swatch Group sister company ETA. The L844.4 is a familiar sight in the Zulu Time series and offers impressively competitive specs throughout, including a beefy 72-hour power reserve, a 25,200 bph beat rate, COSC-certified chronometer accuracy, and a magnetic-resistant silicon balance spring. Of course, the most important component for many enthusiasts will be the GMT functionality, and the L844.4 does not disappoint here. Longines uses the more sought-after “flyer” quick-adjust local hours hand for this movement, which gives this watch another important point on the previously mentioned community watch specs checklist.
To complete the package, the Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium is fitted with a three-link bracelet in Grade 5 titanium. With a lightweight feel and handsomely polished edges in between the outer and center links, it’s an attractive and comfortable companion to the watch itself, but one element of this design is bound to be divisive. This watch’s lugs aren’t exactly short, to begin with, and Longines exaggerates this stance on the wrist with the bracelet’s long male end links. A set of female bracelet end links would give this watch a far more compact stance on the wrist, but as it sits it won’t be overpowering for most wrist sizes. Likewise, this is a case that’s crying out for a good strap pairing, and it’s easy to imagine a variety of leather, canvas, or NATO-style straps working well with this design.
Whether or not it’s ever directly called out, the watch enthusiast community-at-large tends to have a shared collective checklist of features, dimensions, and specifications that all new releases are judged by. Very few watches fulfill this enthusiast checklist as thoroughly or as compellingly as the new Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium, which blends a crowd-pleasing approach to case, dial, and movement design with a vintage-style warmth and a keen sense of proportioning that’s difficult to match. The new Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium is available now through authorized dealers. MSRP for this watch stands at $4,275 USD as of press time. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.
