Don't miss the next drop
Christmas Day, 1946, is the date engraved on the back of this Longines Art Deco tank. Above it, the dedication reads “I.Y. TO P.G.” We like that a personal detail sits against the wrist, out of sight. The front tells us who made it; the back tells us that someone wanted it to carry a message.
Inside the case is another connection, this time between Switzerland and America. Wadsworth, the Kentucky case maker known for solid-gold and gold-filled cases, signed the inside of the back. The wording records that the watch was cased and timed in the United States by Longines, while the movement itself is Swiss. Two watchmaking trades, on opposite sides of the Atlantic, contributed to the same small object.
The caliber 9L is a 17-jewel, manually wound movement with a rectangular footprint that follows the shape of the watch. We enjoy that correspondence: the geometry continues underneath the dial rather than stopping at the case. Winding is through the crown, with a separate seconds hand running in its own square track at six.
The 10k gold-filled case measures 21mm across and 35.5mm from lug to lug. An off-white dial combines elongated Arabic numerals with slender markers, and the black leather strap keeps the pairing simple. The dial carries fine mottling, and the case has the surface marks of wear.
We would keep the inscription exactly as it is. It is a small reason to turn the watch over now and then, and a good reason to choose this particular Longines.
