Longines Spirit Pilot Flyback Chronograph COSC mechanical manual windingblack dial leather strap 39,5 mm

Longines’ Aviation Heritage, Pioneer of the Flyback

For more than a century, Longines has been a key figure in aviation watchmaking. Its cockpit instruments and wristwatches accompanied the pioneers of aviation in their feats: transatlantic crossings, speed and altitude records, and scientific expeditions.
Over the decades, the Maison has built a strong reputation as a watchmaker capable of producing robust, precise, and reliable tool watches, suited to the most demanding conditions.

Although the legendary Caliber 13ZN, launched in 1936, is often cited as the first wristwatch chronograph with a Flyback function, recent research has revealed that Longines had experimented with this mechanism as early as the late 1920s.
Some watches equipped with the Caliber 13.33Z (introduced in 1913 as one of the very first wristwatch chronographs) already featured the Flyback function several years before the official patent was filed.

Longines filed the Swiss patent for the Flyback mechanism on June 12, 1935, which was granted as Patent No. 183262 on March 31, 1936.
Remarkably, certain timepieces fitted with the 13.33Z predated this filing by around six years, granting Longines the distinction of being the first watchmaker to produce a Flyback wristwatch chronograph.

The Spirit collection, launched in 2020, pays tribute to this pioneering spirit by combining aesthetics inspired by cockpit instruments with contemporary technologies.
In 2025, Longines continues this legacy with the new generation of the Spirit Pilot Flyback, blending a compact, ergonomic design with purposeful, instrument-inspired styling and cutting-edge technical performance.

The key innovations of this new line include:

• A 39.5 mm stainless steel case with a slimmer profile (13.4 mm thick), delivering optimal comfort for daily wear as well as professional use.
• A matte black dial, clean and highly legible, featuring applied Arabic numerals and gilt hands coated with Super-LumiNova®, ensuring perfect readability in all lighting conditions.
• A bidirectional rotating bezel with a black ceramic insert and a countdown scale, reinforcing the model’s utilitarian character.
• A robust construction with a box-shaped sapphire crystal featuring double-sided anti-reflective coating, a screw-down transparent caseback, and water resistance to 10 bar (100 m).

One of the most notable changes is the removal of the five gilt stars found on earlier Spirit models.
Historically, these stars symbolized Longines’ internal quality benchmark; their removal marks a return to a more restrained, tool-oriented aesthetic, in keeping with the original purpose of a pilot’s watch.
This clean approach, paired with the matte black dial and the gilt, Super-LumiNova®-coated hands and numerals, reinforces the functional, instrument-like character of the watch, echoing the spirit of historic aviation cockpits.

The Spirit Pilot Flyback 2025 thus continues a historic lineage that shaped aviation watchmaking: from the early Flyback-equipped 13.33Z chronographs to the legendary 13ZN, and onward to the modern calibers that uphold this expertise.

Functional Clarity with a Vintage Aviation Spirit

With its brown leather strap, the Spirit Pilot Flyback L3.721.4.53.2 embodies a refined vintage aesthetic, recalling the early aviator’s watches of the mid-20th century.

It shares the same compact and ergonomic 39.5 mm stainless steel case and the same well-balanced 13.4 mm thickness, ensuring ideal comfort for everyday wear.

The matte black dial, with its clean and functional design, has also shed the five gilt stars seen on earlier Spirit generations, returning to a more understated and authentic look.
The applied Arabic numerals and gilt hands, enhanced with Super-LumiNova®, ensure outstanding legibility under any lighting conditions.

The watch retains the bidirectional rotating stainless steel bezel with a black ceramic insert and a countdown scale, reinforcing its versatility.
The box-shaped sapphire crystal with double-sided anti-reflective coating and the screw-down transparent caseback add durability while allowing a clear view of the L792.4 movement.
Water-resistant to 10 bar (100 m), this model meets the demands of a contemporary tool watch.

The brown leather strap, equipped with a double-safety folding clasp and micro-adjustment, adds a warm, classic touch, and can be easily swapped thanks to the quick-release system.

A Modern, Precise, and Enduring Flyback Chronograph

At the heart of the Spirit Pilot Flyback 2025 beats the exclusive Longines Caliber L792.4, designed to deliver precision, durability, and comfort.
Developed specifically for this collection, this modern self-winding chronograph movement showcases Longines’ technical expertise and meets the demands of genuine aviation-instrument watches.

• Column wheel: ensures crisp, smooth, and precise chronograph operation, providing a refined and reliable feel with every pusher action.
• Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz): delivers stable, consistent time measurement, contributing to the chronograph’s precision and overall reliability.
• Integrated Flyback function: allows the chronograph to be reset and restarted with a single press, enabling quick, seamless timing of successive intervals.
• Silicon balance spring: provides increased resistance to magnetic fields (ISO 764 compliant) and stable performance against temperature variations, while enhancing the movement’s long-term durability.
  This advanced technology also allows Longines to offer an extended 5-year warranty on the watch.
• 68-hour power reserve: ensures ample autonomy, allowing the watch to run smoothly through an entire weekend without needing to be reset.
• COSC chronometer certification: attests to strict precision standards (−4/+6 seconds per day), meeting the requirements of professional-grade instrument watches.

Visible through the screw-down transparent caseback, the L792.4 reveals refined finishing and its distinctive column wheel — a hallmark of fine traditional chronograph watchmaking.

This movement stands as a top-tier Flyback chronograph, combining certified accuracy, long-term reliability, and everyday practicality, remaining true to the heritage of Longines’ pilot’s watches.