While its innovations stretch from advancements in pilot’s watches to the (partial) creation of the modern trademark concept, one of the greatest historic strengths of Longines is its vast back catalog of dive watches and other marine timepieces. With this and the brand’s longstanding reputation for quiet elegance in mind, few places are better suited to showcase both the current Longines collection and rarely seen pieces from the brand’s museum than the world-famous Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. Designed to be the most luxurious ocean liner in the world at the time of its construction, the Queen Mary ferried passengers between Britain and New York City in timeless style between 1936 and its decommissioning in 1967 (although during a brief stint as a Royal Navy troop transport during World War II, the ship offered clientele a decidedly less refined experience). Since then, the Queen Mary has been a hotel and tourist destination for the Long Beach harbor, and on October 15, 2023, its opulent Art Deco-styled Queen’s Salon played host to a celebration of some of Longines’ greatest moments.

Co-hosted by aBlogtoWatch, Longines, and Ben Bridge jewelers, the event combined a catered dinner, a display of current Longines novelties available for sale, and a collection of historic milestone models from the brand that rarely leave the Longines heritage collection in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. Over 200 enthusiasts arrived to tour this unique collection of Longines references past and present, with a wide assortment of Longines models gracing attendees’ wrists alongside an eclectic showing of other brands.

To complete the evening, aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams and Longines Head of Branding and Heritage Daniel Hug guided attendees through an in-depth presentation of many of Longines’ greatest horological advancements, including rare archival footage, technical information, and images available nowhere else outside the Longines archives. Amid the splendor of the Queen Mary and dazzling array of elegant timepieces from Longines, the aBlogtoWatch community came out in force to celebrate this emblematic brand and the shared passion, community, and love of horology that makes watch enthusiasm great. Make sure to continue following aBlogtoWatch on our website and social media platforms to be informed of future events like this one. For more details on Longines and its current models, please visit the brand’s website.