Nostalgia-prone friends, we might just have found the perfect dress watch for you!

 
First introduced in 1957, the Longines Flagship collection is known for its thin profile with elegant, minimalist design. Past versions featured a clean dial with a date window and diamond or applied hour markers, making the collection exceedingly timeless and actually rather unisex as well.

During the 1950s, timepieces tended towards a more traditional look. Watch cases were generally round and came in various materials like yellow gold and stainless steel, while dials were kept simple and fuss-free with the fancier ones displaying perhaps a small seconds sub-dial or a date window. Case profiles were also kept relatively slim. In short, timepieces then were sleek, subtle and sophisticated, which goes a long way to attest to the enduring popularity of vintage-style aesthetics.

On a visit to the brand’s Saint-Imier headquarters, Longines Ambassador of Elegance, Kate Winslet fell in love with one of the models and selected it as the timepiece Longines would base their design on for the new Flagship anniversary edition.

A watch with nautical origins, the Flagship is named after the ship on which the commander-in-chief’s flag snaps in the wind. And, to drive home the point, a sailing ship, or caravel, is engraved on the caseback of all Flagship watches. 

Available in a very accessible a case size of 38.5mm which isn’t too large by today’s standards, the Flagship Heritage 60th Anniversary edition comes in a choice of yellow gold, rose gold or steel, with a two-toned brushed silvery dial and Dauphine hands which add a touch of vintage to the watch. The yellow and rose gold versions (limited to 60 numbered pieces) come with applied indexes in matching colours while the steel version (limited to 1957 numbered pieces) features rose gold indexes. 

The engine behind this commemorative timepiece is the self-winding Calibre L609, based on the ETA 2895/2 and comes with a 42-hour power reserve. It’s water-resistant only up to 30m so we wouldn’t advise any watersports with it. Not least because it’s finished with a gorgeous brown alligator strap.

The great thing about this timepiece is that it doesn’t try to be fancy or squeeze in any complications, which works in its favour as it is after all an homage to the 1957 watch. The beauty of it lies in its simplicity and sheer elegance, making it the perfect dress watch and one we’d certainly recommend to any dapper gent. Or lady, for that matter.

Case	38.5mm steel, 18K yellow gold or 18K rose gold
Dial	Two-toned brushed silver with small seconds sub-dial
Movement	Self-winding Calibre L609 (ETA 2895/2)
Strap	Brown alligator with buckle
Functions	Hours, minutes, seconds
Power  reserve	42 hours
Price	S$3,040 (stainless steel), S$11,930 (yellow/rose gold)