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LONGINES
SPIRIT

FLYBACK
© 2023
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longines flyback watch center 31abf687

LONGINES
SPIRIT
FLYBACK

Pioneering Flyback Chronographs

Discover

In the air around the world

Hans von Schiller was a zeppelin captain at a time when simply mentioning the profession filled people with awe. A pioneer in air tourism, he flew over the Arctic and crossed the Atlantic to the United States and South America countless times.

In 1929, Hans von Schiller was aboard the famous German airship, the LZ 127, named Graf Zeppelin. The 236-metre-long airship travelled around the world in 12 and a half days. Accompanying him in the cockpit were two Longines instruments. At the end of this extraordinary voyage, the captain congratulated Longines by telegram for the accuracy and reliability of the chronometers and donated the historic pieces to what would later become the Longines Museum.

Longines also equipped the largest commercial airship ever made which was assigned a regular route between the United States and Europe: the famous LZ 129 Hindenburg. The zeppelin offered dozens of passengers the comfort of an ocean liner at a cruising speed of 80mph (130 km/h). The main room even had a piano. The cockpit was equipped with three Longines chronometers, displaying legal time, Greenwich time and Greenwich sidereal time. Unfortunately, this zeppelin had a fatal accident in 1937. Hans von Schiller managed to survive as he missed the departure, due to a delay in his previous trip…

The LONGINES SPIRIT collection continues the tradition of precision instruments created by the brand to accompany the greatest explorers in their conquest of the air, sea and land.

It has now been extended to include a chronograph with flyback function, testimony to Longines' pioneering role in developing this technology.

Dirigible

Discover how Richard Byrd crossed Antarctica wearing the Longines Spirit Flyback

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Story behind the pioneers

The explorer Richard Byrd and his crew are setting off in their plane to attempt to fly over the South Pole. A treacherous mission that will span more than 800 miles across the hostile Antarctic landscape.
The crew will head due south, equipped with a solar compass and Longines watches, which are renowned for their exceptional reliability. Natural obstacles, such as the Queen Maud Mountains at an altitude of almost 11,000 ft, require frequent changes of direction.
Natural obstacles, such as the Queen Maud Mountains at an altitude of almost 11,000 ft, require frequent changes of direction. The flyback function was invented by Longines and allows the chronometer to be reset to zero with a single press and the indicated course to be followed for the required length of time.
Richard Byrd and his team have achieved their mission: they have reached the South Pole. Thanks to the precision of the Longines watches and on-board instruments, as well as the flyback function, the pioneers were able to return to base without a hitch.
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Flyback is an additional function of chronographs that is particularly useful in terms of time and speed.​
Indeed, a simple press of a pusher instantly resets the chronograph’s second hand, which immediately restarts timing from zero.​

A single press enables three operations (stop, reset and restart), in contrast to conventional chronographs, which require the stop and reset functions to be activated before restarting the timing function.​
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THE FLYBACK:
AN ICONIC FUNCTION

How does
this
function
work?

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start the
chronograph
start the
chronograph
PAUSE THE CHRONOGRAPH PAUSE THE CHRONOGRAPH
activate FLYBACK function activate FLYBACK function Reset the Chronograph Reset the Chronograph

How does
this
function
work?

With centuries of watchmaking expertise, Longines has played a pioneering role in a number of technological advances and continues to display an unwavering commitment to innovation.

Discover now
Watch back
- 1
Cosc certification

The Contrôle officiel suisse des chronomètres (COSC) is an officially recognised non-profit organisation, which is certifying the accuracy of watches movements and granting them the chronometer status.

Watch back
- 2
Rotor

A transparent case back reveals all the details of the calibre, including a specific weight engraved with the globe representing the LONGINES SPIRIT collection and the name LONGINES FLYBACK.

Watch back
- 3
Quick switch

An easy and quick interchangeable system to adapt your LONGINES SPIRIT FLYBACK to any mood, trend or occasion.

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Longines exclusive
self-winding column-wheel
movement

Power reserve of 68 hours​

Silicon balance-spring
and magnetic resistant

Watch intro

Write
YOUR OWN
STORY

An emblematic line

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GREEN

Case : stainless steel and gold
longines flyback l3.821.5.53.2_footer e25f21dc

BROWN

Case : stainless steel and gold
longines flyback l3.821.5.59.2_footer 3ea1f82e

Sunray black

Case : Titanium
longines flyback l3.821.4.53.6_footer 1b922f33

Sunray black

Case : Titanium
longines flyback l3.821.1.53.2_footer a68b3288

Sunray black

Case : Stainless steel
longines flyback l3.821.4.53.2_footer d94a3d6b

Sunray black

Case : Stainless steel
longines flyback l3.821.4.53.6_footer 1b922f33

Sunray black

Case : Stainless steel
longines flyback l3.821.4.53.9_footer bd3040a2

Sunray blue

Case : Stainless steel
longines flyback l3.821.4.93.2_footer 6c35e4f3

Sunray blue

Case : Stainless steel
longines flyback l3.821.4.93.6_footer bdbb6761
Aviator
An exceptional timepiece

Linking
history
with
innovation

Longines equipped the most important pioneers in aviation with professional instruments for time keeping and navigation.

And
Longines invented
the flyback mechanism

Flyback is an additional function of chronographs that is particularly useful in terms of time and speed. Indeed, a simple press of a pusher instantly resets the chronograph’s second hand, which immediately restarts timing from zero.

A single press enables three operations (stop, reset and restart), in contrast to conventional chronographs, which require the stop and reset functions to be activated before restarting the timing function.

Aviator montains
Plane

A key task for aviatiors is precisely measure flight stages and start new ones while flying at high speed.

Exact timing is essential for navigation or to calculate gasoline reserves.

Richard Byrd 

Longines has indeed been the constant companion and friend-in-need for many of our great pioneer aviators

Aviator
Plane Plane shadow
A pioneer : Richard Byrd

world’s first flight over the south pole lasting nearly 18 hours and 51 minutes.

The explorer must travel about 1,290 km (800 miles) to reach the South Pole.

The rugged landscape below them is made up of glaciers, massifs and crevasses.

Longines silver

The cal. 13.33Z modified with Flyback (1929). ​

Cusion-shaped silver case.​

Richard Byrd used a Longines cal.13. 33Z-Chronograph during his 1929-expedition to the South Pole. ​