Replica vingtage Longines Heritage Military Watch

A Longines reissue was one of my favorite sleepers of Baselworld this year, which was inspired by a 1940s pilot’s watch supplied to the Royal Air Force. While the vintage piece was a very popular product, this modern take brings a faux-vintage fascination and availability.  
Though it’s controversial among some enthusiasts who are against any fake patina, the Longines Heritage Collection has been well-received. Actually, this replica watch does feature “fake” aging. I put “fake” in quotes because this is meticulously done by Longines and there’s indistinguishable borderline from its 1940s counterpart besides a minuscule size difference. And it’s very difficult to judge which one it is when the vintage and reissued watch next to each other. What I should mention is that these are some of the best “faking” wristwatches I’ve ever seen before. Additionally, I had done a bit of research on the original RAF Military watch, surprisingly, they did not re-use old material a la Tockr with the D-Day C-47 Watch.
Let’s go ahead of it. The brushed stainless steel case measures in at 38. 5mm (thankful it’s not the “modernize” size with a 42mm pilot’s watch), a little bit larger than its predecessor, and wears quite well even on a larger wrist. Though I don’t measure the exact thickness, the watch wears comparatively thin, and really feels like a vintage piece. Lightweight, compact, well-sized, and unobtrusive, which is really a true no-frills watch looks and feels like a tool. The crystal is slightly domed sapphire with “several layers” of anti-reflective coating, which making the watch exceedingly legible. The narrow and curved lugs give the watch a great profile and dip out of the way when matched with the oversized crown, it’s easy to make the watch adjust well on the wrist.
Well, the dial is the real focus of this timepiece. Longines, especially the Heritage Collection, has flirted with the faux patina look for since I can remember. In my opinion, there are very few other brands that have pulled it off as fluidly as they have. Nevertheless, this is the first model that I’ve really ever felt amazing at.
I would say that the dial plate itself is perfectly colored for the vintage look. On top of the dial plate, is a “spray” of little brownish-black specs further aiding the aged look and giving the watch a more legitimate vintage feel. Moreover, this spray makes sure that there are no two cheap replica watches. Actually, I truly believe it’s very hard to distinguish them when faced with a decent conditioned vintage dial of the RAF watch and the Heritage Military Watch.
There is no “Automatic” on the dial which is a usual fetish for the brand. And there isn’t any other text displayed in front or back except “Longines” and a small “Swiss Made” at the bottom of the dial. Furthermore, and surprisingly, this watch features NO date leaving minimal interruptions in the dial. In all, I need to commend Longines on the dial design here. Normally I’m not a fan of faking it but come to realize I’m actually not a fan of “faking it poorly”. This model is surely something to expect how to accomplish without looking kitschy if you’re going to do a faux patina dial.
Although the rest of the timepiece calls on some vintage vibes, the guts are very much a modern upgrade. This watch sports the L619/888 Automatic movement to replace the hand-wound movement of the 1940s era. This updated movement based on the ETA A31 beats at 3. 5Hz and offers a generous 64-hour power reserve. You can’t see the time-only movement via the case back, since the watch features steel, rounded caseback, personally a nod to the watch it’s emulating and realistically the only available option to keep this watch uniform in its aesthetic.
There is an aged calfskin leather strap that attaches the watch to the wrist. I must say, it fits the watch extremely well. Although it may look irritating on the top, it’s especially comfortable. It features a full-length strip for the belly and doesn’t utilize a turn-over method (as is often found in cheaper straps) reducing a further inconvenience possibly. The only thing I’m unsatisfied with is the sealant on the edge could be slightly more refined and match a little better. Though I understand there’s a little tougher to do than people realize, it takes away a little aged look with its crude application. Also, the thin pin buckle features Longines’ wing logo and makes a further to simplify the look while nodding to the pilot’s influence.