The Silver Arrow has been in Longines’ portfolio since the 1950s. The design’s unerring popularity and interesting history have led the brand to relaunch the watch for 2021. The most recent iteration of the watch uses advanced Longines technologies and design. This makes it the most accurate and precise Silver Arrow model yet.
The History Behind the Watch
The history of the Longines Silver Arrow began in 1956 when the brand first released the Silver Arrow Model. The watch takes its name from the iconic Mercedes Benz Formula 1 race cars of the era. The vehicles had been known in the motorsport world since 1934. Throughout their lifetime they had become symbols of speed, technological advancement, and elegance. Longines’ watch shared these characteristics, so the timepiece was named to pay homage to these ground-breaking racing vehicles.
The Silver Arrow watch is defined and made unique by the engraved emblem on the case back. The emblem depicts a supersonic plane flying amongst the stars. This image was on the first Silver Arrow, so Longines have featured it on the modern iteration of the watch. With this image, Longines have built a connection between racing circuits and celestial paths. The brand acknowledged how forward thinking and progressive the motor industry was. However, Longines has a long-standing association with aviation, which may be why an image of a plane is present. It is believed that the designers chose to illustrate space to depict the advancement of technology. At the time of the original Silver Arrow, humanity was on the cusp of the Space Age. The emblem symbolises how technology and humanity were rapidly advancing towards these new discoveries.
The Modern Silver Arrow
The new Longines Silver Arrow features a classic 1950s design to remain faithful to the original model of the watch. It retains the original design’s recognisable rectangular, silver striated indices which create a vintage appearance. These indices are set on a silver opaline dial and are coated with Swiss Super-LumiNova, as are the silver polished hands. The dial is protected by a box-shaped scratch-resistant sapphire glass. The glass has been treated with an anti-reflective coating on the underside to ensure excellent readability in bright lighting. The box-shape of the glass adds to the traditional and vintage appearance of the watch.
The watch is powered by an automatic L888 self-winding mechanical movement. To keep the watch running, it beats at 25,200 vibrations per hour. The Silver Arrow has a generous power reserve of up to 72 hours, ensuring that it will be dependable and precise, suitable for daily wear. The watch is water-resistant up to 30m (3 bar), meaning that it will be able to withstand any splashes of water it may encounter when on the wrist. The water-resistance of the watch is aided by the engraved screw-down case back.
Longines have maintained the classic appearance of the original 1956 Silver Arrow watch by designing the watch with a stainless-steel case. The case of the modern model has a 38.5mm diameter, a 19mm lug distance, and a 9.9mm thickness. The latest Silver Arrow is slightly larger than the original, adding a touch of modernity to a classic design. The new model is finished with a traditional brown leather strap that fastens with a pin buckle.
Longines have made every effort to ensure the new model of the Silver Arrow watch is faithful to the original 1956 version. However, as the new model has been designed and created using modern Longines technologies it will certainly be more reliable and precise that any previous iterations of the watch. The new Longines Silver Arrow will be a perfect accessory for any watch or motorsport enthusiast.
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