Longines Conquest

Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Longines has been producing the Conquest since 1954. Originally designed as an elegant dress watch, the collection eventually evolved into a line of sports watches. However, modern timepieces retain much of the original's elegance and still look great paired with a suit and tie.

The Conquest collection contains three-hand watches, chronographs, timepieces with GMT functions, and models with moon phase displays. With sizes ranging from 29.5 to 44 mm in diameter, there are plenty of options for both men and women. The cases are all made of steel, gold, or a combination of the two. Longines equips each watch with either an automatic or quartz ETA caliber.

The V.H.P. (or " Very High Precision") models are especially interesting. They feature quartz movements made exclusively for Longines. These movements are exceptionally accurate and deviate by a maximum of +/-5 seconds per year. What's more, V.H.P. watches also come with a perpetual calendar and a special hand synchronization system that resets the hands to their correct positions if they are forced out of place by a magnetic field or strong jolt.

Other top Conquest watches include quartz-powered chronographs with an analog display. These timepiece can accurately measure periods of time to within 1/100th of a second. You can find this feature in the Roland Garros, Alpine Skiing, and Horse Racing models, among others. As the names imply, Longines has strong ties to tennis, skiing, and equestrian sports.

The Longines Conquest covers a wide range of prices, from 680 to 5,200 USD. The most affordable models are three-hand watches with quartz movements. Similar timepieces with automatic calibers demand between 1,000 and 1,500 USD. This price range is also where you'll find many Conquest V.H.P. watches.

Conquest chronographs with quartz, V.H.P., or automatic calibers generally cost between 1,200 and 1,700 USD.

Top models with sophisticated complications, gold cases, or diamonds require much larger investments of 2,800 to 5,200 USD.

The Conquest V.H.P. debuted in 2017 and is a technological highlight in the Conquest Collection. Thanks to its extremely precise quartz movement, it only deviates from the reference time by +/- 5 seconds a year. To compare, a chronometer-certified quartz movement from Breitling may deviate up to +/- 25 seconds a year, and a timepiece from Citizen or Seiko may deviate +/- 10 seconds a year. The Conquest V.H.P. is available as a chronograph or a three-hand watch with a date display, and you can also choose from various dial colors.

One special function of this timepiece is its so-called gear position detection system (GPD), which remembers the location of the hands and automatically moves them back to the correct position if a magnetic field or rough jolt affects the timepiece's accuracy. Impacts or magnetic fields can quickly cause watches to fall out of step. Mechanical watches are particularly susceptible to this.

If you would like to set your Conquest V.H.P. manually, you can do so using the smart crown. If you turn the crown quickly, the hands jump an hour forward or backward. If you turn the crown slowly, the hands move at their normal speed so you can set the time to the exact minute. You can also use the smart crown to set the perpetual calendar, which will remain accurate until the year 2400. By definition, you never need to correct a perpetual calendar manually, but if you were to cross the International Date Line, you would need to change the date.

The battery life of the Longines Conquest V.H.P. leaves many quartz watches in the dust. Most require a new battery after three years, while the battery in the Conquest V.H.P. lasts an impressive five years. What's more, ETA, a fellow member of the Swatch group, produces the Conquest V.H.P.'s quartz movement exclusively for Longines.

Longines offers the three-hand Conquest V.H.P. in three sizes: 36, 41, and 43 mm. The sunburst dial comes in your choice of white, black, or blue. There are also dials with a carbon-fiber pattern available. Prices for these stainless steel watches sit around 910 USD. If you'd prefer one of the models with a black PVD coating, plan on spending roughly 1,300 USD. Versions with mother-of-pearl dials and diamond indices require the investment of a further 110 USD.

V.H.P. GMT With "Flash Setting"

Frequent fliers should take a closer look at the Conquest V.H.P. GMT. It boasts all the features of the three-hand V.H.P. but with the addition of a second time zone. An additional hand and a 24-hour scale around the dial's edge enable the wearer to keep track of the time in a second location. However, perhaps the most interesting feature of the V.H.P. GMT is the small sensor between the "12" and "1" numerals. Using the sensor, you can automatically set the home and local times via light signals sent from your smartphone's camera's flash. Furthermore, you can press the smart crown twice to swap home and local times.

The stainless steel edition costs between 1,000 and 1,200 USD, while versions with a PVD coating demand roughly 1,500 USD.

Conquest Quartz: An Affordable Alternative

For something more affordable, Longines offers Conquest watches with standard, non-V.H.P. quartz movements. From a design perspective, these timepieces are a more classic version of their high-precision sister models. Moreover, Longines equips several of these watches with moon phase displays and produces two-tone editions, as well as variants with mother-of-pearl dials.

While they don't compare to their sister models in terms of accuracy, prices for these watches are more budget-friendly, ranging from 670 to 740 USD. You can purchase a timepiece with a moon phase display for as little as 720 USD. Top models combine two-tone cases with mother-of-pearl dials and diamond indices. Be sure to have around 1,100 USD on hand for one of these editions.

The Conquest Collection contains many different quartz chronographs that are accurate to within 1/100th of a second. The "1/100" inscription at 8 o'clock indicates that the timepiece gets its power from the ETA-based caliber L440. The 30-minute and 12-hour counters sit at 2 and 10 o'clock, respectively. There's also a small seconds at 6 o'clock, and you can read the current date at 4. There are two central stopwatch hands for timing seconds and hundredths of seconds. You can use the scale around the dial's edge to read how many hundredths of a second have elapsed.

Each chronograph measures 41 mm in diameter. You can choose from a black, gray, or silver dial. Contrasting subdials on certain models make the chronograph counters easier to read. These watches also stand out thanks to their unique stainless steel and ceramic bracelets – a combination of materials that embraces the Conquest's role as a sporty yet elegant wristwatch. Leather straps with a fold-over safety clasp and push buttons are also available. Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating protects the dial from the elements.

An especially accurate chronograph like the Conquest 1/100th St. Moritz will set you back roughly 1,300 USD.

Conquest V.H.P. Chronographs

In 2018, Longines introduced chronographs with V.H.P. technology to the Conquest collection. While they can only measure times to within 1/10th of a second, they come with all the benefits of the V.H.P. system. These include improved accuracy and a perpetual calendar. You can easily recognize V.H.P. chronographs by their dial layout: There's a minute counter at 3, a date at 4:30, a small seconds at 6, and an hour counter at 9 o'clock.

Longines produces these timepieces in two sizes: 42 and 44 mm. Each has a stainless steel case, though you can choose from a black, white, or blue dial. The manufacturer also offers a version with a black PVD-coating and a carbon-pattern dial.

You can purchase a stainless steel Conquest V.H.P. chronograph for about 1,500 USD. Models with a black PVD coating cost around 1,600 USD.

In addition to the many quartz Conquest models, Longines also produces versions with automatic calibers. As of 2018, most men's watches use the caliber L888. This movement is based on the ETA A31.L01 and boasts a balance frequency of 25,200 vibrations per hour (vph), a 64-hour power reserve, and a date display. Automatic women's watches use the caliber L592, a modified version of the ETA A20.L01. This movement ticks at a rate of 28,800 vph and comes with a 40-hour power reserve and date display.

Like their quartz cousins, the automatic editions are available in various sizes and with white, black, or blue dials. Prices for the different models fall between 1,000 and 1,200 USD.

Automatic Conquest Chronographs

Longines ceased production of automatic Conquest chronographs in 2017. The Swiss manufacturer equipped these timepieces with classic movements like the Valjoux 7750, as well as newer calibers like the ETA A07.231. You can easily tell the two versions apart by their dial configurations. While the Valjoux has subdials at 6, 9, and 12 o'clock, the A07.231 follows a 3-6-9 layout with a date display at 4:30.

Depending on the watch's condition and movement, an automatic Conquest chronograph can cost anywhere from 1,200 to 1,800 USD.

The Conquest series has a long history stretching back over 60 years. The first models debuted in 1954, shortly before the famous Flagship. The earliest Conquest watches had much more classic designs than the current sporty models; they had 35-mm gold cases and a dial resembling the Omega Constellation, giving them the look of a typical men's watch from the 1950s.

In celebration of the Conquest's 60th anniversary, Longines launched the Conquest Heritage. It bears a strong resemblance to the original timepiece from 1954, including its trapezoidal indices and date display at 12 o'clock. You can choose between stainless steel or gold for the case and either a black or white silver-plated dial.

Depending on its size and dial color, a stainless steel Conquest Heritage will run you between 1,000 and 2,000 USD. Models with a rose gold case sell for anywhere from 3,700 to 4,400 USD. You can purchase a well-maintained vintage Conquest for as little as 1,900 USD on Chrono24.

Conquest Classic: Modern Timepieces With Retro Charm

In the Conquest Classic series, Longines combines timeless elegance with modern chic. Compared to other Conquest models, Classic watches have softer lines, something further enhanced by their lack of a crown guard. The dials are also tidier. Earlier Conquest Classic generations mark the hours with luminous bar indices and Arabic numerals at 6, 9, and 12 o'clock. Most of these timepieces use automatic calibers and are between 25 and 40 mm in diameter. Three-hand editions in stainless steel generally cost around 1,600 USD. Two-tone models that combine steel and gold demand roughly 2,800 USD. More complicated watches like the Conquest Classic Moonphase with a chronograph, triple calendar, and moon phase display require an investment of about 5,100 USD.

In 2020, Longines introduced an updated line of Conquest Classic watches with even more minimalist designs. Line indices and narrow baton hands display the time on these precise, quartz-powered watches. Since the redesign, the manufacturer has positioned the Classic as a women's watch. Thus, the cases are on the smaller side, ranging from 29.5 to 36 mm in diameter. There are also versions with diamonds available in both sizes. Prices for stainless steel models begin around 800 USD on Chrono24. Two-tone editions and those with diamonds change hands for between 1,300 and 2,000 USD.