By virtue of being absent from any watch fair, some watches do end up being unsung heroes, such as this Longines Hydroconquest GMT. It debuted last year in a 41mm case, much as you see it here in 43mm; Longines might be one of the only brands sizing up aggressively in 2024, making this unusual dive and GMT watch combo significant. On that note, Longines does have a relatively new GMT model in its Spirit collection and this Hydroconquest uses a similar movement but it does bear a slightly different name; both the 41mm and 43mm version use the same automatic calibre L844.5 while the Spirit Zulu Time uses calibre L844.4. Further technical details on these calibres are not available at this time. We saw both the Spirit Zulu and the Hydroconquest 41mm on the debut of the models last year.
Anyway, the upsized Hydroconquest GMT is much the same as the 2023 version, bar the size. This means that the water-resistance remains 300m, which does make us think that the new size is just a reaction to market requests. We have not had both models in hand to compare but all the listed details, including the alternating satinated and polished surfaces, are the same. In fact, comparing the specs and descriptions, it seems that the 43mm version does not have gilt or silvered hands and hour markers, but the SuperLuminova is the same.
Now we do not typically bring up price so early in the discussion but both models are listed together on the Longines site and here too there are similarities. In fact, the 41mm and 43mm models are basically the same price, although the 43mm version does not have a Nato strap option to compare (we are looking at the bracelet, which will be the most pricey option, and these too are the same). Check your authorised dealer or the boutique for more details on this.
Digging into the details here, there is also no brown dial version for the 43mm watch; dial options are black, blue or green. The crown guards too appear to maintain the same shape between the two sizes; this feature differs from the standard Hydroconquest model, as confirmed by Robin Nooy at Monochrome. Now, since we did not get into calibre L844.5 when it came out, we will close this out with some specifications. The balance spring is in silicon, with other components (unspecified but typically all part of the escapement) in non-magnetic materials. Again, these are not spelled out.
Movement: Automatic calibre L844.5 with second time zone; 72-hour power reserve (approximately)
Case: 43mm in steel; water-resistant to 300m
Strap: Bracelet and rubber
Price: SGD 4,350 (with bracelet)
This article first appeared on WOW’s Summer 2024 issue.
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