One of the benefits of having almost two hundred years of brand history is an envious archive of creations: an asset the team at Longines utilises better than most. Drawing inspiration from this archive is one of the brand’s most popular heritage reissues of late, the Longines Pilot Majetek from 2023, which has recently been reimagined with a sporty twist: a titanium case.
While titanium is far from a new material in watchmaking, its popularity has grown hugely over the last few years as more and more watch manufacturers tap into its lightweight, sporty potential. Longines has been one of the watchmakers leading the charge in titanium adoption, with notable launches including the vintage-inspired Avigation BigEye Titanium back in 2021, and the more recently released Longines Spirit Titanium.
As we’ve come to expect from Longines, the Pilot Majetek is a historically faithful recreation of a 1935 Czech Air Force watch (as indicated by the plaque screwed into the case at 9 o’clock). The original timepiece served as inspiration for another Longines reissue that was launched in 2014, however, the 2023 edition is more accurate in its execution, and paved the way for the titanium expression we see before us.
In diameter, the Longines Pilot Majetek in titanium is a solid 43mm, while the thickness measures 13.3mm from the solid caseback to the domed sapphire crystal. It’s not small, but when you consider its inspiration comes from a military pilot’s watch, its significant presence on the wrist and unmissable legibility make more sense.
Titanium is around 35% lighter than stainless steel, meaning the Longines Pilot Majetek in titanium is one of the lightest watches in the current Longines catalogue. This is no small feat when considering the dimensions of the case.
Beyond the angular form of its titanium case, the two other elements that immediately stick out are the large crown guards and the knurled bezel, which rotates the triangle marker hovering above the dial. Unlike dive watches, this pilot’s watch bezel can turn in both directions, allowing the person in the cockpit to easily mark a moment in time before getting back to the controls.
The Longines Pilot Majetek in titanium features a matt black grained dial with grey Super-LumiNova® coated Arabic numeral hour markers (which emit a bluish glow in the dark), a railroad minute track, the Longines logo, and a seconds subdial printed in white. The reference in stainless steel features slightly warmer eggshell tone hour markers, however, the fully white printed dial gives it a more contemporary feel and a stronger contrast against the darker titanium casing.
As is so often the case with timepieces inspired by proper pilot’s watches, legibility is the utmost priority with the dial, resulting in a design that can be read at a glance regardless of lighting conditions. Longines has decided to remain historically accurate with the design and produced the watch without a date display, making it slightly less practical, but true to the original.
Inside is the recently developed calibre L893.6, which features automatic winding and enjoys certification from COSC, guaranteeing its accuracy to -4/+6 seconds per day. Ticking away at 25’200 vibrations per hour, it promises up to 72 hours of power reserve when fully wound.
Longines has chosen to pair the Pilot Majetek in titanium with a black textile strap, which is secured with a pin buckle and further underscores the vintage inspiration of the watch. Rated up to 10 bar (100m) of water resistance thanks to the screw-down crown and solid caseback, it’s ready for anything… in or out of the cockpit.
The Longines Pilot Majetek in titanium arrives as a limited edition of 1935 pieces worldwide and will be available with an Australian RRP of $7,900. Head to the Longines site below for further details.
This article is sponsored by Longines. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Boss Hunting.
