Longines

Founded in 1832 by Auguste Agassiz in Saint-Imier, Switzerland as a comptoir d'établissage (watchmaking concern). His nephew Ernest Francillon transformed the company by establishing the first factory in 1867 at a location called 'Les Longines' (long meadows), giving the brand its name. The factory produced its first in-house movement, the 20A, that same year. In 1878, Longines developed its first chronograph movement (20H), launching its legendary association with sports timing. The brand became synonymous with aviation in the 1920s-30s through collaborations with Charles Lindbergh, P.V.H. Weems, Amelia Earhart, and other pioneer aviators. Notable owners included Albert Einstein. In 1953, Longines developed its first quartz movement. The company joined what became The Swatch Group in 1983 when owner ASUAG merged with SSIH. In the 1990s, Swatch repositioned Longines as an elegant, classically-styled brand emphasizing heritage.