Introduced in 2007 with no-date window and again in 2009 with a date-window, The Longines Legend Diver, which is part of Longines heritage collection, is a revival of the original “Legend Diver”, which was introduced by Longines during the 1950’s. A combination of original design and modern watchmaking technology are used to create such an iconic piece.
The original Legend Diver, which was introduced in the 1950’s, was Longines entrance into the market of dive watches which at the time was growing rapidly. The watch used super compression technology which works very well underwater and allows the case to become tighter to prevent water entrance.
Throw-Back Design
The legend diver is inspired by the original diver, reference 7042. It retains the simplistic design of the original piece while incorporating a few modern touches. The 42mm stainless steel case has very similar dimensions to the original piece. The dial, hands,and crowns are also reminiscent of the original piece. The case is a polished stainless steel. There are two crowns on the right side of the case positioned at 2 and 4 o’clock. One controls the time and quickset date feature. The other crown is used to control the internal turning dive flange.
The watch has a very clean, black lacquered dial. (The dial has tan/beige painted indices and Arabic numerals with a hint of a patina or an oxidized finish.) Each hour indice has a small patch of Lume which is surprisingly visible for it small size. You can also find this patch of lume next to the numerals. The dial has a symmetrical, simplistic and appealing design. At 3 o’clock Longines added a date window, allowing for a more modern appearance and to attract younger people. The date is the same tan/patina-esq color as then numbers and indices. As mentioned the original Legend Diver ref. 7042 did not include a date window. One other design feature that is not from the original Diver are the hands which are polished silver. Although not from the original design, The hands on the new design combine beautifully with the lacquered dial and the patina esq color of the indices.
An inner rotating bezel is surrounding the dial. The bezel also has the same black lacquered finish as well as patina-esq indices as the dial. The interior bezel is very large, taking up a lot of the interior of the case. This inner bezel includes a diving scale, which has numerals coated in lume.
Legendary Wrist Time
Once strapped onto my wrist its size truly surprised me. The watch wore much larger than it looked. This is partially due an almost bezelless domed crystal covering the dial. The size did not take very long to get adjusted to. The piece wore very nice as the curvature of the lugs helps create a more comfortable wear. The caseback is quite large and elongated and the shape of a diver is etched into the caseback.
Legend Diver with no date window
The watch uses a modified ETA 2824-2. I found the movement to be extremely reliable. It had automatic and hand winding. The movement also was hackable. The reserve enables average run time of 36-38 hours.
Three straps are available for this watch which are a stainless steel shark mesh strap, a textured leather strap and a black synthetic rubber strap. I was only able to try on the watch with the shark mesh strap. Because of its flexibility It was extremely comfortable. The clasp was very tight and secure. Surprisingly the strap was light er than it might seem.
Overall the legend diver L3.674.4.50.6 is an incredible piece that has a lot of historic value and meaning. The watch wears extremely well and is overall a great piece. Pricing starts at $2300USD.
To have a look at Longines entire range of watches visit their official website here.
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