186 - LONGINES. Switzerland, late 1940s.

LONGINES. Switzerland, late 1940s. Vintage wristwatch with a circular gold-plated steel case, polished bezel, and distinctive teardrop lugs, strongly influenced by Art Deco. Stainless steel caseback and fluted crown at 3 o’clock. Champagne-colored dial with Arabic numerals alternating with applied circular hour markers, lance-shaped central hands, and a small subsidiary seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock, featuring concentric decoration and a minute track around the perimeter. Swiss mechanical hand-wound movement, Longines Caliber 12.68Z, with 17 jewels. Black leather strap with a gold-tone metal buckle. It works, but it needs servicing. Measurements: 35 mm (case diameter, excluding crown). Provenance: Family bequest of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. An art and heritage collection originating from the legacy of the Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a key figure in 19th-century Catalan realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched over successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original estates of both artists, along with new acquisitions made by their descendants. They maintained a special dedication to the preservation and restoration of the family legacy, acquiring works by the painters themselves as they came onto the market and progressively expanding the collection with paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other objects of artistic and historical interest. During the 1930s and 1940s, Longines cemented its reputation among the great Swiss watchmakers thanks to the quality of its in-house movements and its advancements in chronometry, chronography, and precision timekeeping. The caliber 12.68Z dates from this period; it is one of the brand’s most iconic hand-wound movements, developed in the late 1920s and used for several decades. With 17 jewels, a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour, and a robust mechanical architecture, this caliber offers a fascinating glimpse into the technical heritage of the Saint-Imier manufacture. This example stands out in particular for its teardrop lugs, a design element characteristic of certain dress watches from the 1940s, which lends the case a sculptural character and reflects the influence of Art Deco on the watchmaking of the era. In the descriptions of the watches, the phrase “it works” means that the watch is functioning. Since collector’s watches typically have delicate and complex mechanisms, the buyer is responsible for any general servicing, inspection, battery replacement, adjustment, or repair that may be necessary. We do not guarantee the perfect functioning of any watch. All photographs of our watches are original and have been taken by our photographers; in other words, we do not use stock photography, which is why the photographs are considered part of the catalog entry.