Jonathan Darracott
Global Head
Lot 40
Longines. A fine, rare and historically interesting stainless steel manual wind pilots hour angle wristwatch Lindbergh Hour Angle, Ref: 3210, 1937
5 August 2020, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£20,000 - £30,000
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Penelope Andrews
Head of Department
Charles Dower
Head of sale, Knightsbridge
Longines. A fine, rare and historically interesting stainless steel manual wind pilots hour angle wristwatch
Model: Lindbergh Hour Angle
Reference: 3210
Date: 1937
Movement: 15-jewel Cal.18.69N manual wind, No.5442739
Dial: White enamel, black Roman numerals, outer minute track, inner scale calibrated for 180 degrees, inner silvered rotating disc calibrated for 60 seconds and 15 degrees, blued steel hands, blued steel centre seconds
Case: Brushed and polished oversized round, hinged snap on back, oversized onion form crown, No.5442739
Strap/Bracelet: Brown calf leather
Buckle/Clasp: Steel buckle
Signed: Dial & movement
Size: 47mm
Reference: 3210
Date: 1937
Movement: 15-jewel Cal.18.69N manual wind, No.5442739
Dial: White enamel, black Roman numerals, outer minute track, inner scale calibrated for 180 degrees, inner silvered rotating disc calibrated for 60 seconds and 15 degrees, blued steel hands, blued steel centre seconds
Case: Brushed and polished oversized round, hinged snap on back, oversized onion form crown, No.5442739
Strap/Bracelet: Brown calf leather
Buckle/Clasp: Steel buckle
Signed: Dial & movement
Size: 47mm
Footnotes
On the 20th of May 1927, a young American pilot named Charles Augustus Lindbergh left Roosevelt Airport at the controls of the 'Spirit of St. Louis'. Thirty three and a half hours later, Lindbergh landed at Le Bourget after completing the first ever non-stop solo transatlantic flight.
Lindberghs aspirations for aviation were vast and in 1930 he reached out to John Heinmüller, President of the International Aviation Federation and director of Longines-Wittnauer. This relationship cemented Longines part in Aviation history and within 5 months the first prototype of 'The Longines Hour Angle' was tested and ultimately put into production.
Designed by Lindbergh himself in partnership with Longines, the watch allowed for accurate determination of longitude during long-distance flights. As a result, pilots and navigators were able to find their geographic location quickly, efficiently and with great accuracy.
The current lot is in great condition and bears the features that define this model. A large case, oversized knurled crown and adjustable central disc. Longines have confirmed that within their handwritten registers this watch is recorded as a 'Lindbergh type' wristwatch in stainless steel bearing the reference 3210. It is fitted with a Longines manually wound mechanical movement, caliber 18.69N and was invoiced on 22 November 1937 to the company Wirth, which was at that time their agent for Switzerland.
