More than a century of gymnastics expertise

From its very foundation in 1832, Longines has focused on elegance. For over a century now, it has confirmed its enviable reputation for precision, reliability and all-round expertise in tandem with the world of sports, timing performances and ceaselessly improving its technology, always with an eye to elegance. Longines has served as official timekeeper at many Winter and Summer Olympic Games as well as at number of international and continental competitions.

Longines has opted to support gymnastics because practiced on all continents, gymnastics meshes smoothly with Longines’ international corporate image. Combining physical strength and endurance with precision and grace, the sport is in tune with the innovative spirit of its skilled watchmakers. Its stylish refinement, its very beauty too, make it the perfect showcase for the message of poise and elegance that Longines watches invariably convey.

Longines’ gymnastics record

1889 Longines produces the first pocket chronograph, the Longines 19 CH Caliber, that measures fifths of a second and has a 30-minutes counter. Similar chronographs were supplied by Longines for the first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens (Greece) in 1869.

1912 As the official timekeeper for the Federal Gymnastics Festival held in Basle (Switzerland), Longines achieves a very important first in the history of sport: automatic timing based on the principle of a starting and finishing tape for the 100m sprint. A world first, this automatic timing system marked a turning point in Longines’ increasingly close cooperation with the world of sports.

1950 Men's and Women's Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Basel (Switzerland).

1970 Mens' and Womens' Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Ljubljana (Slovenia).

1975 European Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Bern (Switzerland).

1977 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Basel (Switzerland).

1978 Mens' and Womens' Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Strasbourg (France).

1979 European Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Essen (Germany).
European Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Copenhagen (Denmark).

1982 Men's and Women's Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Final in Zagreb (Croatia).

1983 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Strasbourg (France).

1985 European Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Oslo (Norway).

1986 European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Florence (Italy).

1987 Mens' and Womens' Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam (Netherlands).

1988 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships for Juniors in Avignon (France).

1989 Longines was appointed official timekeeper of the International Gymnastics Federation for all artistic and rhythmic gymnastics competitions (world championships, continental championships, major classical events, Olympic Games, etc.); the contract was extended in 1995 to aerobic gymnastics events. The Official Watch of the world of gymnastics would now be a Longines.

Longines timed the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Sarajevo (Yugoslavia), and the Men’s and Woman’s Artistic Gymnastics competitions in Stuttgart (Germany).

1990 European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Göteborg (Sweden).
European Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Lausanne (Switzerland).
European Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Athens (Greece).

1991 Longines officially timed the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Athens (Greece), as well as the Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Indianapolis (USA).

1992 Longines officially timed the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Brussels (Belgium), and the Mens' and Womens' Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Paris (France).

1993 Longines officially timed the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Alicante (Spain), and the Mens' and Womens' World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Birmingham (U.K.).

1994 Once again, Longines officially timed the Gymnastics World Championships — in Paris (France) for the rhythmic events and in Brisbane (Australia), for artistic disciplines.

1995 Longines was on hand as official timekeeper at that year’s world gymnastics competitions: rhythmic events in Vienna (Austria), and artistic disciplines in Sabae (Japan).

1996 Both the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, in Budapest (Hungary), and the Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, in Puerto Rico, were timed by Longines.

1997 Longines provided official timing services at the Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics World Championships held in Lausanne (Switzerland).

In cooperation with the International Gymnastics Federation, Longines established the Longines Prize for Elegance at the 21st Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Berlin (Germany). The first Longines Prize went to Yanina Batyrchina, of Russia.

1998 Official timekeeper at the 22nd European Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships in St. Petersburg (Russia), Longines was happy to congratulate Svetlana Khorkina, of Russia, winner of the second Longines Prize for Elegance.

Longines officially timed the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Seville (Spain); the Spanish women’s team received the Longines Prize for Elegance.

Teamed with its fellow Swatch Group company Tissot, Longines provided timing services at the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok (Thailand). Longines timed the artistic and rhythmic gymnastics events. The Longines DolceVita design was declared Official Watch of the 13th Asian Games.

1999 Longines was an official partner and the timekeeper of the 15th European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Budapest (Hungary). Longines ambassadress Yekaterina Serebryanskaya presented the fourth Longines Prize for Elegance to the Hungarian gymnast Viktoria Frater. The company also introduced its new ambassadress of elegance, Alina Kabaeva. The new Longines Conquest design was proclaimed Official Watch of the European Championships.

Longines timed and scored the 23rd Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Osaka (Japan), and awards its fifth Longines Prize for Elegance to the Ukrainian gymnast Elena Vitrichenko.

Official timekeeper at the 34th Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, held in Tianjin (China), Longines took the opportunity to award its sixth Longines Prize for Elegance to the Russian athlete Svetlana Khorkina, and for the first time to a male gymnast, the Chinese athlete Lu Yufu.
On this occasion the company announced its new partnership with the Chinese men’s artistic gymnastic team.

2000 Longines was official partner and timekeeper of the 23rd European Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championship in Paris (France) and of the 24th Men’s European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Bremen (Germany).

Longines was also official partner and timekeeper of the 16th European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Zaragoza (Spain), and awarded its seventh Longines Prize for Elegance to the Spanish athlete Esther Dominguez.

2001 Longines timed and scored the 17th European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Geneva (Switzerland).

Longines was official partner and timekeeper of the 24th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Madrid (Spain), and awarded its eighth Longines Prize for Elegance in gymnastics to Russian gymnast Irina Tchachina.

2002 At the 25th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships staged in New Orleans (USA), Longines was once again official timekeeper, scorer and partner, awarding Italy’s national team with its ninth Longines Prize for Elegance in gymnastics.

Longines handled all timekeeping and scoring activities at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup Final in Stuttgart (Germany), as well as at the 14th Asian Games, staged in Busan (Korea), where it awarded its tenth Longines Prize for Elegance in gymnastics to Cho Eun-Jungand (Korea).

Longines was also official partner and timekeeper of the 36th Mens' and Womens' World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Debrecen (Hungary), and awarded its eleventh Longines Prize for Elegance to the Russian Elena Zamolodchika and to the Chinese Qin Xiaochi.

Longines was also present at the 18th European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Granada (Spain).

2003 Longines officially timed the 37th Mens' and Womens' World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Anaheim (USA). The twelfth Longines Prize for Elegance went to Carly Patterson (USA) and Wei Yang (China).

Longines was also official partner and timekeeper of the 26th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Budapest (Hungary), and awarded its thirteenth Longines Prize for Elegance to the Spanish athlete Almudena Cid.

Longines provided official timing services at the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Riesa (Germany).

2004 Once again, Longines officially timed the 26th European Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Ljubljana (Slovenia), the 25th European Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Amsterdam (Netherlands), the 20th European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Kiev (Ukraine), as well as the Men’s and Women’s Artistic World Cup Final in Birmingham (United Kingdom) and the Rhythmic World Cup in Moscow (Russia).

2005 The year got off to a superb start: Longines announced its partnership with the Russian men’s artistic gymnastics team who joined the ranks of Longines’ ambassadors of elegance.

Longines was also official partner and timekeeper of the 36th European Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Debrecen (Hungary), and of the 21st European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Moscow (Russia).
On this occasion Longines presented its new ambassadresses of Elegance, three talented young gymnasts: Dinara Gimatova (Azerbaijan), Olga Kapranova (Russia) and Aliya Yussupova (Kazakhstan).

At the 38th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships staged in Melbourne (Australia), Longines will be once again official timekeeper, scorer and partner, and will award its fifteenth Longines Prize for Elegance.

Longines is a member of Swatch Group Ltd, the world’s leading watch manufacturer and marketer, with no fewer than 158 production sites in Switzerland.