Longines Conquest: The First Named Collection

The Conquest occupies a specific place in watchmaking history: it was the first collection to carry a proper name, rather than a model number or calibre reference, in the Longines catalogue. The patent was filed on 3 April 1954, establishing the Conquest as a distinct product identity at a moment when sports and precision were becoming central to the brand's marketing. Over seven decades, the collection has encompassed mechanical automatics, early quartz, the Very High Precision (VHP) line, and the current L888-powered range. The name has remained constant while the technology beneath it has evolved substantially.

The 1954 Patent and Early Conquest

The Conquest name was established by a patent filed 3 April 1954 — making it the first named collection in Longines' history . The early Conquest models were oriented toward sporting use: robust cases, legible dials, automatic movements, and waterproofing that reflected the growing market for watches worn during physical activity.

The design language of the 1950s Conquest drew on contemporary sport watch conventions: applied hour markers, broad hands with luminous fill, and cases with enough thickness to house a reliable automatic movement. These were not dress watches; they were precision instruments for wearers who expected accuracy under real-world conditions.

The Conquest's first era established an identity that has persisted across subsequent generations: a Longines watch positioned at the sporting and technical end of the collection, rather than at the formal or decorative end.

The VHP — Very High Precision

The Very High Precision (VHP) line was introduced in 1984 with the Calibre 276.2 — Longines' first thermocompensated quartz movement. The thermocompensation system addressed one of quartz's fundamental weaknesses: the frequency of a quartz oscillator varies slightly with temperature. By continuously measuring ambient temperature and adjusting the regulation circuit to compensate, the 276.2 achieved accuracy that conventional quartz movements could not match.

The 1984 VHP was positioned as a demonstration of what quartz technology could achieve at its technical ceiling — accuracy that no mechanical movement could rival, and resilience to temperature variation that standard quartz calibres lacked. It was, in context, a significant technical achievement.

The VHP line was revived in 2017 as the L288.2 and L289.2 calibres. The modern VHP achieves ±5 seconds per year — accuracy equivalent to the COSC standard for quartz movements. The revival coincided with renewed collector interest in high-accuracy quartz and a broader repositioning of the Conquest as Longines' technical sport line.

Current Conquest — L888 Calibre Family

The current Conquest automatic collection is powered by the L888 calibre family — a Longines-exclusive ETA-based movement produced under licence for the brand. The specifications:

The L888.6 powers the standard Conquest automatics with a 72-hour power reserve — a full three days of reserve without winding. The silicon balance spring improves accuracy and resistance to magnetism and corrosion compared to traditional alloy springs.

Case sizes in the current Conquest range from 34mm to 42mm , covering both dress-oriented and sport-oriented proportions. The collection includes three-hand, chronograph (via the L688 calibre), and GMT variants. Water resistance is rated to 300 metres on the Conquest sport variants — sufficient for serious recreational diving.

Retail pricing ranges from approximately EUR 2,100 to EUR 4,000 for automatic variants, with VHP quartz models at lower price points.

Conquest in the Longines Range

Within the current Longines collection, the Conquest occupies the sport and precision position — alongside the HydroConquest for dive-specific use and the Spirit for aviation heritage. It is differentiated from the Master Collection (complications and elegance), DolceVita (dress and fashion), and Spirit (aviation identity) by its orientation toward active, technical use.

The Conquest's chronograph variant — using the L688 — and its 300m water resistance place it in competition with sport watches from Tissot, Hamilton, and Mido at lower price points, and at the entry of the market segment that includes Omega's Seamaster Aqua Terra at higher price points.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the Longines Conquest introduced?
The Conquest was patented on 3 April 1954, making it the first named collection in Longines' history. Early models were automatic sport watches.

What is VHP?
Very High Precision — Longines' thermocompensated quartz line, first introduced in 1984 with Calibre 276.2 and revived in 2017 with L288.2/L289.2 achieving ±5 seconds per year.

What movement does the current Conquest use?
The automatic Conquest uses L888 family calibres — Longines-exclusive ETA-based movements with silicon balance spring and 59–72 hour power reserve depending on variant.

Is the Conquest good for diving?
The Conquest sport variants are water resistant to 300 metres and conform to ISO 6425 standards — making them suitable for recreational and sport diving.

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