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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe 2017 Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch 90th Anniversary Limited Edition is a numbered run of 90 watches, not the standard steel model Longines currently lists. Its distinctive appeal is the combination of a 47.5 mm titanium-and-steel pilot-watch design and a functional hour-angle display created for celestial navigation. A launch-period hands-on review found it imposing on the wrist; the dial’s more unusual achievement is that it turns timekeeping into an angular reference.
What the 90th-anniversary edition is
Longines announced the limited edition in 2017 to mark 90 years since Charles Lindbergh’s first non-stop solo transatlantic flight, which Longines timed. The company said it was producing 90 numbered watches in titanium and steel. A contemporary hands-on account by Andrew McUtchen of Time+Tide describes the watch in more detail: a 47.5 mm titanium case, L699 automatic calibre, brushed silver dial, black PVD steel rotating bezel, large steel crown, and brown aviator-style leather strap with an extension. Longines’ 2017 announcement and Time+Tide’s launch-period hands-on review document the edition and its launch-era details.
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This is a historical limited release, not another name for every Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch. The brushed silver dial and titanium case described for the anniversary watch differ from the white dial and stainless-steel case of Longines’ standard US-listed version.
How the hour-angle dial works
The watch combines ordinary hours, minutes and seconds with an hour-angle scale in degrees and minutes of arc. Its purpose was to support celestial navigation: used with a sextant and nautical almanac, the time and angular readings could help a navigator determine Greenwich hour angle and, from that, longitude. The watch is an aid within that method, not a substitute for the other instruments or navigation knowledge.
#1 Best Overall
- Automatic L844 movement, hours, minutes, seconds and date. 24 hours hand with time zone mechanism
- Stainless steel with double safety folding clasp and push-piece opening mechanism
- 5 Year International Warranty
Synchronizing the central dial
Longines’ L699 instructions describe turning the central seconds dial to synchronize it with a time signal. That alignment lets the watch’s seconds indication serve as an angular reference. The bezel is then adjusted to account for the equation of time, the day-to-day difference between apparent solar time and mean time. See the Longines L699 instructions for the operating method.
Reading the scales
- The hour hand advances at 15 degrees per hour; a full 12-hour dial represents 180 degrees.
- The minute hand advances 1 degree every four minutes, also equivalent to 15 degrees per hour.
- One complete rotation of the central seconds scale corresponds to 15 minutes of arc.
These relationships connect familiar time units to angular measurement: Earth rotates 360 degrees in 24 hours, or 180 degrees in 12. That conversion is why the watch’s conventional time display can serve as part of a navigation calculation.
Rank #2
- Automatic L687 movement, hours, minutes, small seconds with 24 hours indicator at 9 o'clock. date indicated by the half moon central hand. Moon phase display at 6 o'clock. Case, hours, minutes, small seconds with 24 hours indicator at 9 o'clock. date indicated by the half moon central hand. Chronograph mechanism : central 60 seconds hand, moon phase display with 12 hours counter at 6 o'clock, 30 minutes counter with day and month display at 12 o'clock. Transparent case back with sapphire crystal
- Stainless steel with triple safety folding clasp and push-piece opening mechanism
- 5 Year International Warranty
What it is like on the wrist
At 47.5 mm, this is a substantial watch. McUtchen described it as “massive on the wrist” and framed the size as a practical choice for pilots who needed a legible, manipulable instrument in darkness and amid vibration. He also noted the oversized crown’s usefulness for winding or setting with gloves. Those are the reviewer’s launch-period observations, not a claim that the watch will fit every wrist comfortably.
The dial’s scale-rich layout and conspicuous bezel make it read more like a cockpit instrument than a discreet dress watch. The extended aviator-style strap is consistent with the design’s flight heritage, while the combination of titanium and steel gives the anniversary edition a material distinction from the all-steel standard listing.
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Rank #3
- Automatic L687 movement, hours, minutes, small seconds with 24 hours indicator at 9 o'clock. date indicated by the half moon central hand. Moon phase display at 6 o'clock. Case, hours, minutes, small seconds with 24 hours indicator at 9 o'clock. date indicated by the half moon central hand. Chronograph mechanism : central 60 seconds hand, moon phase display with 12 hours counter at 6 o'clock, 30 minutes counter with day and month display at 12 o'clock. Transparent case back with sapphire crystal
- Stainless steel with triple safety folding clasp and push-piece opening mechanism
- 5 Year International Warranty
Anniversary edition versus the standard Longines listing
Longines’ current US product page is for reference L2.678.4.11.0, the standard Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch. Its specifications and displayed price should not be transferred to the 90th-anniversary edition.
| Detail | 90th-anniversary limited edition | Standard US-listed model |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | 2017 anniversary release; 90 numbered pieces, according to Longines’ announcement | Reference L2.678.4.11.0, as listed by Longines US |
| Case | Titanium case with steel elements, according to the 2017 announcement and hands-on report | Stainless steel; 47.50 mm, according to the Longines US listing |
| Dial | Brushed silver, according to the launch-period hands-on report | White lacquered polished dial, according to Longines US |
| Strap | Brown aviator-style leather strap with extension, according to the hands-on report | Alligator strap, according to Longines US |
| Movement and reserve | L699 automatic calibre; power reserve not stated in the cited anniversary-edition sources | Automatic; 46-hour power reserve, according to Longines US |
| Water resistance | Not stated in the cited anniversary-edition sources | 3 bar, according to Longines US |
| Displayed US price | Not established by the cited sources | $6,100 on Longines US, accessed 2026-10-08; price and availability may change |
The standard-model figures and price above come from Longines US’s listing for reference L2.678.4.11.0. They describe that reference only.
Rank #4
- Automatic L844 movement, hours, minutes, seconds and date. 24 hours hand with time zone mechanism
- Stainless steel with double safety folding clasp and push-piece opening mechanism
Historical context and present-day availability
Longines’ 2012 historical release says Lindbergh conceived the Hour Angle Watch after his solo flight from New York to Paris, which took 33 hours and 30 minutes and was timed by Longines. The company says he entrusted production to Longines. That release describes the reissued format as 47.5 mm with a self-winding movement; it is useful context, but it does not establish the anniversary edition’s detailed specifications. Longines’ historical account provides that background.
The cited sources establish the original 90-piece run but do not establish current inventory, surviving-piece counts, or a resale price for the anniversary edition. The active Longines US listing is for the separate standard reference, so its price is not a benchmark for the limited edition.
Quick Recap
Who this watch suits
- Consider it if you value aviation and navigation history, distinctive instrument-style design, and the unusual function of a mechanical hour-angle display.
- Think carefully about fit if you prefer smaller or understated watches; the 47.5 mm case and dense scales are defining features rather than incidental details.
- Verify the exact edition when buying by matching the watch to the 2017 numbered titanium-and-steel release. The standard steel model’s reference and current listing do not prove that a seller has the anniversary edition.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
