For decades, stainless steel has been the material of choice for sports watches. It’s more robust than precious metal, affordable for the everyman, and the perfect material for a quality daily companion. Lately, however, stainless steel is slipping out of vogue, and the Longines Spirit Zulu Time in titanium is a perfect example of this performance-focused shift.
It was a couple of years ago we first laid eyes on the Longines Spirit Zulu Time — a follow-up to the time-only originals and one that offered the sensible functionality of a GMT. Capable of tracking multiple timezones at once, it was a nod to Longines‘ decorated past as a leader in the field of world-class travel watches, and one that fits perfectly into the lives of modern-day frequent flyers.
Today, the Longines Spirit Zulu Time 39 is the latest timepiece to receive a titanium transformation, making the Zulu Time all the more wearable while continuing the lightweight trend Longines has been leading. The time-only Longines Spirit was one of the first to receive a titanium glow-up, followed by the Longines Spirit Zulu Time Limited Edition for Hodinkee, and most recently the vintage-inspired Longines Pilot Majetek.
This latest edition of the Longines Spirit Zulu Time is cased in 39mm of grade 5 titanium — with a relatively slender profile of 13.5mm — and arrives on a matching titanium bracelet. It’s hard to argue this isn’t one of the best-looking releases from the brand so far this year.
The grade 5 titanium alloy is darker than its stainless steel siblings. It is perfectly complimented by a bi-directional ceramic bezel with a 24-hour scale divided into two shades — matt black and intense polished black — to indicate the hours of the day and night respectively.
The black dial is textured — without having a light-absorbing matte finish — while the gold-tone logo, hands, and Super‐LumiNova-coated Arabic numerals, bring some contrasting warmth to the otherwise monochrome surface. With a pop of cherry red for the GMT hand tip and “ZULU TIME” text, as well as a symmetrical date window at 6 o’clock, there isn’t a detail that we’d change on the dial. No notes.
Over the last couple of years, Longines has been levelling up its movements and the Spirit Zulu Time in titanium is no different. Powering the watch is the exclusive Longines GMT calibre L844.4, which features a silicon balance-spring (ten times more antimagnetic than the ISO 764 reference standard), up to 72 hours of power reserve, and certification from COSC that promises accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day.
If you’re hunting down Platinum One, have a head office in another continent, or simply have loved ones living on the other side of the world, this Longines Spirit Zulu Time in titanium could be the only watch you ever need. Plus, with 100m of water resistance, it can stay on your wrist as you rack your office suit and grab your wetsuit.
It’s a seriously compelling addition to the Longines catalogue and with an Australian RRP of $6,650, is far more approachable than other titanium sports watches. The Longines Spirit Zulu Time in titanium is currently available from Longines boutiques around Australia, as well as from the brand’s online store.
This article is sponsored by Longines. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Boss Hunting.
