The 1950s were a turbulent time. After WWII, many parts of the world enjoyed a rapid recovery, and after the horrors of the war, progress and prosperity became possible once more. We also see this back in the watches from that era, which offer sleek designs with charismatic dials, often offering style with a sportive touch. Such a watch is also the Silver Arrow, launched by Longines in 1956 and now revived again.
The 1950s were a turbulent time. After WWII, many parts of the world enjoyed a rapid recovery, and after the horrors of the war, progress and prosperity became possible once more. We also see this back in the watches from that era, which combined sleek designs with charismatic dials, often offering style with a sportive touch. The Silver Arrow, launched by Longines in 1956, is also such a watch, which timeless charisma is now revived again.
The design of the original Silver Arrow is so strong that Longines made very few changes. With a diameter of 38.5 mm does the watch has an elegant appearance, yet its clean look prevents it from becoming overly classic. Credit for this also goes to the bold design of the hour markers, as well as the railroad track to indicate the minutes. The name of the watch was the result of an in-house contest, in which 450 employees participated. In the end, Silver Arrow was selected, a subtle reference to the race cars of Mercedes, which were very successful and popular in that era. On the caseback, Longines placed the image of a supersonic plane flying through the stars, which can also be found on the current model.
While its design may be over half a century old, its technology is most certainly not. The new Silver Arrow is fitted with caliber L888.5. This automatic movement comes with a silicon balance spring. The advantage of this is that it is more precise and needs less maintenance, and has enhanced resistance to the influence of magnetic fields. As a result, Longines is offering a five-year warranty on the watch. The crystal on this watch is also improved, as Longines fitted it with a boxed-shaped sapphire crystal, which features a multi-layer anti-reflective coating. For the strap, they went back to basic, opting for smooth brown leather without stitching to underscore the dynamic look that once defined the spirit of a decade, and hasn’t lost any of its charms over the years.
