For sale we have a charming circa 1946 Longines 14k gold tank watch, which was manufactured for the US market. It has a beautiful square yellow gold case, with a flared fancy lug design which catches the eye. It has a silver satin dial with applied hour markers and in-set sub-second dial. It is signed Swiss Made to the base. The movement sits within the case back, which has Longines signing to the inside, with Swiss hallmarking for 14k gold and the reference 5853. The calibre 8LN movement has been recently serviced and is in good condition. It has the LXW writing, which is the US import code.
The silver dial has a bright silver satin tone, with a subtle linear brushing. It has exaggerated applied batons, with a balanced design, having arrowhead markers at 9 and 3, with Arabic 12. It has the Longines signing below 12, with the Swiss Made signing below 6 O’clock. Above this is the inset sub-second dial which follows the shape of the dial and case. The gold tone stick hands are good, with little ageing.
The case is neat, measuring 26mm x 26mm, with a lug-to-lug measurement of 37mm adding presence on the wrist. It has a slim depth of 9mm, even considering the deep curved crystal. It is a real joy to wear on the wrist at this size.
The watch has a thin flat surround to the crystal, with subtle curvature leading to the flat sides. The square case is subtly curved, with the lugs both flared outwards and positioned downwards, to comfortably hug the wrist. It has a polished finish which is good and original. The case back holds the movement and pushes in place tightly against the front. The case is signed to the inside with Squirrel Swiss hallmarking for 14ct gold. It has the reference 5853, with the Poincon de maitre no.129 for case maker Junod & Co.
Inside is the Longines calibre 8LN manual wind movement. It has the LXW writing, which is the US import code. It is a 17 jewel movement of good quality. The movement has been serviced just over a year ago. It’s keeping time to within +50 seconds deviation a day, with an amplitude of 230 degrees and a beat error of 0.4m/s.
Overall, this is a very pleasing mid-century dress watch. It has the dependability and quality of good Swiss maker, with the design flare that could only be found within the American market.
It comes in a later, 1960s Longines box.
Full condition report below. Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
Dial:
The dial is original and is in good condition. It has a silver satin shine. It has some small marks and scratches. The signing is good and clear. The applied hour markers have oxidised to a slightly rose gold tone.
Hands:
The stick style hands are original in a gold tone. The sub-second hand is also original. They are all in good condition.
Glass:
The acrylic crystal is original and is in good condition with some light marks.
Crown:
The crown appears original and is nicely designed with a neat coin edge finish.
Case:
The case is 9ct gold and is in good condition. The polished finish is good with only light surface scratching. There is some tarnishing to the sides which has been left as it fits the age of the watch. It is possible to gently remove it.
The watch takes female spring bars. The bars are in good condition and are straight.
Caseback:
The 9ct gold snap on case back is in good condition. It has a polished finish and has light scratching and marking with age. It is a good even tone. It has a dimpled dent to the lower right-hand side.
Strap:
The watch comes on a new genuine leather strap.
Movement:
The movement is a Longines calibre 8LN. It is a manually wound movement, with a jewel count of 17 and a frequency of 18,000 BPH. It has the LXW code for the US market.
The movement has been serviced just over a year ago. It’s keeping time to within +50 seconds deviation a day, with an amplitude of 230 degrees and a beat error of 0.4m/s.
Case dimensions:
Case width: 26mm
Case width with crown: 27.25mm
Case length: 26mm
Case length lug to lug: 37mm
Case Depth: 9mm
Lug width: 17mm