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Lot 212
Longines. A fine, rare and large stainless steel aviator's wristwatch with sweep centre seconds and slide rule
SIGNED LONGINES, LINDBERGH ANGLE HOUR MODEL, REF. 4356, MOVEMENT NO. 6'179'495, CASE NO. 23780 & 16, MANUFACTURED IN 1942
Closed11 November 2013
Price Realised
CHF 43,750
More Information
Specialist note
According to the Archives of Longines, the present watch was sold on 08 October 1942 to Longines-Wittnauer Watch Co.
The Hour Angle Watch is one of Longine's most iconic watches. Known also as the Longines Weems Second-Setting Watch, it is considered a classic and associated with two Americans: aviation pioneer Charles A. Lindbergh and Captain Philip Van Horn Weems.
The present watch is a fine example of this model with a nice enamel dial and clear numerals, sharp milling on the bezel edge, as well as nicely defined outlines and a well-preserved bulbous crown.
The precise measurement of time has been vital to the progress of navigation throughout history. With the 1930s started a period of revolutionary changes in navigation and foremost among those responsible for some of the improvements was Captain Philip Van Horn Weems, U.S. Navy, who also trained Lindbergh.
One of Weems' inventions was the Second Setting Watch, designed to help aviators plot their courses more accurately. At sea, celestial sights had to be taken with the help of a hack watch, which was set to the ship's chronometer. It was difficult, however, to set the watch exactly, meaning that it differed slightly from the chronometer, which in turn differed from Greenwich Mean Time.
Weems deducted that the difficulty in setting the watch came from the fact that, at the time, it was almost impossible to set the second hand exactly. However, as the second hand could not be set to match the dial perfectly, the solution was to make the dial movable, so that the dial and the second hand could be synchronized at the right time.
Another characteristic of the "Weems" watch is its large ball-sized winding crown, allowing a pilot to rewind the movement while wearing gloves.
The hour angle watch was invented by the renowned American aviator, Charles A. Lindbergh and introduced to the market in 1932. Lindbergh rose to international fame in 1927 when he became the first person to make a solo, non-stop Trans-Atlantic flight.
As the accuracy of mechanical watches can be affected by conditions aboard ships and airplanes, the hour angle watch provided a means by which this variation could be readily calculated when used in conjunction with radio time signals.
The Hour Angle Watch is one of Longine's most iconic watches. Known also as the Longines Weems Second-Setting Watch, it is considered a classic and associated with two Americans: aviation pioneer Charles A. Lindbergh and Captain Philip Van Horn Weems.
The present watch is a fine example of this model with a nice enamel dial and clear numerals, sharp milling on the bezel edge, as well as nicely defined outlines and a well-preserved bulbous crown.
The precise measurement of time has been vital to the progress of navigation throughout history. With the 1930s started a period of revolutionary changes in navigation and foremost among those responsible for some of the improvements was Captain Philip Van Horn Weems, U.S. Navy, who also trained Lindbergh.
One of Weems' inventions was the Second Setting Watch, designed to help aviators plot their courses more accurately. At sea, celestial sights had to be taken with the help of a hack watch, which was set to the ship's chronometer. It was difficult, however, to set the watch exactly, meaning that it differed slightly from the chronometer, which in turn differed from Greenwich Mean Time.
Weems deducted that the difficulty in setting the watch came from the fact that, at the time, it was almost impossible to set the second hand exactly. However, as the second hand could not be set to match the dial perfectly, the solution was to make the dial movable, so that the dial and the second hand could be synchronized at the right time.
Another characteristic of the "Weems" watch is its large ball-sized winding crown, allowing a pilot to rewind the movement while wearing gloves.
The hour angle watch was invented by the renowned American aviator, Charles A. Lindbergh and introduced to the market in 1932. Lindbergh rose to international fame in 1927 when he became the first person to make a solo, non-stop Trans-Atlantic flight.
As the accuracy of mechanical watches can be affected by conditions aboard ships and airplanes, the hour angle watch provided a means by which this variation could be readily calculated when used in conjunction with radio time signals.