When Hodinkee first set out to create a limited edition with Longines over four years ago, we knew we wanted to bring a touch of the company’s rich history to today – and we knew that was a tall order. How could we create something truly special with a brand that has been at the forefront of innovation and design in the watch world for nearly two centuries?

For inspiration, we looked to the Longines Heritage Classic "Sector,” a watch that embodies everything we love about the brand: beautiful design, timeless proportions, a dedication to precision, impeccable craftsmanship, and effortless style. It is in that spirit that we created the Longines Heritage Classic Limited Edition For HODINKEE.

In our updated take on the classic, we chose a dial design that references the beautiful chronometers built by Longines in the 1900s, featuring a two-tone cream center with a delicate brushed silver finish. We removed the traditional cross-hair that would typically deviate the central portion of the dial into four quadrants to update the concept of a sector dial, and opted for painted strokes of black for the hour markers rather than more traditional Arabic or Roman numerals.

The small seconds at six o’clock is finished with concentric circles, offering a slightly different tone to the sub-dial to set it apart from the rest of the watch. The heat-blued hands add a touch of color, and the beads-of-rice bracelet (and bonus leather strap) provide ultimate comfort and wearability for the modern collector. Most importantly and in keeping with Longines’s commitment to precision timekeeping, we sent each watch in this limited run of 500 to COSC to be chronometer certified.

The L893.4 caliber is a recent introduction that is exclusive to Longines. Based on an ETA A31.501, it has a silicon balance spring and an ample power reserve of 72 hours. While some purists may prefer the presence of a manually wound movement inside this traditional look, we'd argue that the timeless design of the Longines Heritage Classic Limited Edition for HODINKEE works just as well with a movement that is totally modern.

The slim case, at just 11mm tall, is totally brushed and features a stepped bezel and long, tapered lugs. The result is a look that is uncomplicated and mostly matte, lending to a dignified on-the-wrist presence that is perfect for daily wear at the office or in more casual settings.

The caseback of the Longines Heritage Classic features the Swiss brand’s famed winged hourglass logo, with an additional engraving reading “EFCo.” This acronym is a reference to Ernest Francillon, the nephew of Longines founder Auguste Agassiz, and the man who established the inaugural Longines factory in Saint-Imier, Switzerland.