The world of fine watches is a benighted place. Strange hang-ups masquerading as tradition are the norm and historically watch companies have looked at every new improvement to their business with trepidation. Consider the quartz movement, for example. Texas Instruments approached a number of Swiss companies when they first created the miniaturized quartz watch but no one wanted it – it was beneath them. China and Japan, however, bought the movements by the truckload and ate old horology’s lunch.

For years, watch companies have only allowed their wares to be sold through authorized dealers. This meant you had to go into a frou-frou shop, get talked down to by a snooty salesperson, and then pay over retail for a watch that was worth, in terms of parts and materials, about half of its sticker price. Pretty nice scam, huh?

The Internet came along and those authorized dealers hit on a nice scam. They’d “sell” their watches to real people – shills, usually – and those real people would resell them online. Swatch Group, for example, is currently fighting this grey market in the Supreme Court. However, another part of the Swatch Group, Longines, is taking to the Internet like a duck to duck sauce.

Longines has just opened their first official online shop. This is important for a few reasons but it is primarily groundbreaking because it offers an official outlet for popular watches at prices that are actually more than reasonable. Consider this watch, for example. That’s a $2,800 price tag on a surprisingly complex watch sourced from a trusted dealer. Granted you can get this watch more cheaply but buying it straight from Longines ensures warranty support and authenticity.

The biggest issue manufacturers had with the grey market is that counterfeits would end up being sold as real watches. While this was rare – and absolutely not common enough to rate the wholesale shut-down of the grey market – it was still a real concern for the beginning collector.

Granted it’s not like Longines is doing us any favors with their pricing. However, their tentative embrace of e-selling is an important first step in the eventual move to online sales and the sad decline of the authorized reseller.

From a Longines email I just got. Seems like a logical progression of events. But WHEN do you buy the watch?

Saw this in real life and it really looks nice. Longines is really turning into a major watch player.

These should be in the $3000+ range.

PROFESSIONAL WATCHES™: Longines Clous De Paris

Ladies and germs, we are proud to present a photo-montage of some of the goodies we spotted at Longines’ Post-Basel show here in New York. Thrill to the Lindbergh Angle Hour Watch, shown here. Squeal at the new Evidenza line!

Here’s the back of the Basel Lindbergh. The watch, an homage to a piece worn by Lindbergh and designed to tell longitute, is really quite striking with blue markings and a very handsome case. Interestingly enough, all of these pieces are fairly inexpensive – about $2000 or so for the standard chronos and less for the three handers – and the design is getting more compelling.

Take the Clous de Paris, for example. This chrono uses the “cube” motif throughout the case and face and is quite beefy.

For the romantic among us, here’s a pair of diamond quartz watches for weddings, bar mitvahs, and wakes.

The Evidenza line consists of some fatty fat fat tonneaus with a standard ETA chrono movement.

Finally, we have a member of the new Spirit collection painted with Superluminova. This look hearkens back to the 1920s and earlier and has a very retro feel.

I’ve never been a huge Longines fan, but the Clous de Paris and the Spirit perked me up quite a bit and the Lingbergh is always a favorite. Keep your eyes open, kids, for more exclusives on these pages.