It was basically the golden age of retrofuturism: the vision of an ideal 21st century as one could imagine it in the middle of the 20th century, when science fiction had found its place in everyday life. , helped in this by the writing talent of a Van Vogt or an Asimov.
It was the time of tapered designs, slender rockets setting out to conquer the Moon, like that of a certain Hergé.
But also that of the racing cars that then dominated the racing circuits, the famous Silver Arrows.
In 1954, Mercedes became the first Formula 1 team to take pole position and win in its first Formula 1 Grand Prix, with a certain Juan Manuel Fangio at the wheel, alongside Karl Kling, then Stirling Moss l 'Next year.
It was precisely in 1955 that the story of the Longines Silver Arrow began, a horological version of the futuristic spirit of these cars.
How did this name come to be for a watch at the time?
Quite simply because of an internal competition, which will collect no less than 450 proposals.
But on the back of its case, it is not a Mercedes that is engraved, but a supersonic plane in the heart of the stars.
Longines
Today, Longines is revisiting this model within its Heritage collection, with a new Silver Arrow clearly, and fortunately, inspired by the original design.
With a modest size of 38.5 mm in diameter, it features a domed opaline silvered dial with striated indexes - faithful to the original model - and sword-type hands, coated with Super-LumiNova.
Here, no date or mention "Automatic", just a sober Three hands watch with both vintage and minimalist rendering.
Longines
Of course, in 2021, this steel piece, water-resistant to 30 meters and guaranteed for five years, will carry a completely different engine than in 1955, an automatic movement from the production force of the Swatch Group, equipped with a silicon balance-spring, for greater precision and withstand the magnetic fields of everyday life.
This L888.5 caliber (based on an ETA A31.L11 movement) offers around 72 hours of power reserve.
As on the 1955 coin, we find on the back the engraving of a supersonic plane in the middle of the stars.
Count 1950 € to treat yourself to this new model from the Heritage collection.
Longines