The technical research carried out at Longines was recognized by many awards and distinctions. In fact, the brand with the winged hourglass was named “Leading Prize Winner” at several international exhibitions, right up until the Barcelona Exhibition of 1929, and won no fewer than 10 Grands Prix. The winged hourglass logo together with the “Longines” name form the oldest brand symbols still in use today and are registered with the World Intellectual Property Organisation. They have remained unchanged since 1867, when they were introduced as a sign of quality to combat the growing number of counterfeits trying to benefit from the excellent reputation of Longines products.
Thanks to the expertise that Longines developed in-house, the company established a special relationship with the world of sport. It invented several devices for the precise timing of sporting events, such as the “broken wire” automatic timing system used at the Swiss Federal Gymnastics meeting in 1912, the Photogines, the first mechanism to link timing with a photo finish, in 1952, and the Contifort in 1960, which was the first system to combine timing with a moving image. These inventions enabled Longines to provide the timing for a large number of world-class events and secured its place in the annals of sport. Its supreme mastery of highly demanding technology encouraged the company to propose its timing systems to the world of Formula 1, and a prestigious partnership developed with the famous Italian car company, Ferrari.
Building on this long association with sport, today the company is closely involved with equestrianism, gymnastics, short-track speed skating, archery, tennis and skiing. All of these sports demonstrate the brand’s core values of precision and elegance.
