Longines Conquest : owner reviews and feedback

The Longines Conquest, launched in 1954, holds a special place in the history of the Saint-Imier company: it was the first Longines collection whose name was officially registered and protected, at a time when watches were still commonly identified primarily by reference rather than through a genuine named product family. The first Conquest, notably reference 9001, already combined an automatic movement, water-resistant case, elegant presentation and a caseback decorated with a champlevé enamel medallion. More than seventy years later, the general philosophy remains surprisingly recognisable: create a watch elegant enough for formal situations yet robust enough for an active everyday life.

The contemporary generation notably includes automatic time-and-date watches in 34, 38 and 41 mm sizes, a 42 mm automatic chronograph, new quartz versions and a Conquest Heritage branch reinterpreting historical creations. Current automatic Conquest watches are primarily powered by Longines calibre L888.5 with silicon hairspring, a frequency of 25,200 vibrations per hour and a 72-hour power reserve.

Design & legibility: sporting elegance rather than a pure tool watch

The modern Conquest deliberately sits between several categories. It has a screw-down crown, 100 metres of water resistance, luminous material and a robust bracelet, yet it does not try to become either a diver or a military-style instrument. Faceted hour markers, a sloping metal bezel and sunray dials place it closer to an elegant sports watch capable of moving from professional clothing to a casual weekend. Versatility has become the central principle of the Conquest across several generations. This positioning also explains why the collection can accommodate very different sizes and colours without losing its identity.

The major 2023 redesign substantially modernised the appearance. The especially broad rectangular markers of the previous generation gave way to slimmer, slightly tapered applied indices, while the hands became more refined and the outer dial received subtle concentric detailing. The date is now positioned at 6 o’clock on current automatic time-and-date models, preserving vertical symmetry. The 2023 design made Conquest significantly more refined while retaining its sporting character. This transformation is one reason previous and current generations can now appear to belong to very different periods of the collection.

Dials mainly use a sunray finish, offered depending on size in black, blue, green, silver, brown, gold and several lighter colours. The 34 mm range also includes pink, mother-of-pearl and gem-set configurations. Light changes their appearance considerably: a blue dial can look nearly black indoors and much brighter in direct sunlight. Sunray finishing plays an essential role in keeping Conquest elegant despite its sporting construction. It provides visual depth without requiring guilloché or complex decoration that would make the watch substantially more formal.

The hour and minute hands together with selected markers use Super-LumiNova. The quantity remains deliberately restrained so the watch does not visually turn into a night-time instrument. Conquest therefore provides useful darkness legibility for normal use without attempting to compete with HydroConquest, which is designed around more intensive aquatic visibility. Luminescence is a discreetly integrated practical function rather than a dominant aesthetic element. This restraint fits the broader positioning of the collection particularly well.

The 42 mm chronograph naturally uses a considerably busier dial. Its 3-6-9 layout positions running seconds at 3 o’clock, the twelve-hour chronograph counter at 6 and the thirty-minute counter at 9, while a ceramic bezel carries the tachymeter scale. Unlike the time-and-date models, the chronograph has no date. Removing the date allows Conquest Chronograph to preserve a balanced composition despite its three subdials. Panda and reverse-panda executions introduced after launch further reinforce its sporting character.

Conquest Heritage takes a different direction by returning to 1950s codes through slimmer cases, less overtly sporting dials, classical applied markers and the historical medallion. Distinguishing these two branches is therefore important when choosing a watch. Contemporary Conquest and Conquest Heritage share a name and history but answer different aesthetic expectations. One prioritises modern everyday use and 100-metre water resistance, while the other places greater emphasis on the refined sporting dress-watch character of the originals.

Cases and comfort: 34, 38 or 41 mm for the time-and-date watch

The current automatic generation is notably available in 34, 38 and 41 mm sizes, an unusually broad choice for the same basic architecture. The 41 mm version measures approximately 10.9 mm thick and offers the strongest sporting presence, whereas 38 mm delivers the same philosophy in a substantially more versatile format. The 34 mm version reduces the footprint further and offers dials and configurations aimed at a very broad audience. Case diameter changes the personality of Conquest more than it changes its functional specification. All three automatic sizes retain date, 72-hour movement, screw-down crown and 100-metre water resistance.

The 38 mm is particularly compelling for someone looking for one watch capable of working equally well with a shirt or more casual clothing. Its diameter is closer to classical proportions while leaving enough dial area for the contemporary applied markers. The 41 mm feels more assertive, especially on steel, and better suits larger wrists or wearers wanting stronger sporting presence. The 38 mm Conquest probably offers the strongest balance between heritage, modernity and versatility. It feels neither like a small traditional dress watch nor an oversized sports watch.

The cases alternate brushed and polished surfaces. Flanks and selected bracelet areas use brushing to control reflections and everyday marks, while the bezel, bevels and polished bracelet elements introduce greater elegance. This combination naturally demands slightly more care than a completely satin-finished watch because mirror-polished surfaces reveal fine scratches more easily. The alternation of polished and satin finishing largely defines the current Conquest sport-chic character. It allows the case to look considerably more refined than a straightforward stainless-steel tool watch.

The screw-down crown contributes to 10-bar, or approximately 100-metre, water resistance. This is sufficient for rain, everyday activity and swimming when seals have been correctly maintained. Conquest does not have a dive bezel, however, and is not intended to replace HydroConquest. One hundred metres of water resistance primarily provide a very comfortable safety margin for an everyday watch. Periodic pressure testing remains sensible if the watch is exposed to water regularly.

Sapphire crystal receives multiple layers of antireflective treatment on both sides. This noticeably improves reading on darker dials and makes their sunray finishing easier to appreciate, although external coating can be more exposed to marks than the sapphire itself. The screwed sapphire back on automatic versions reveals the calibre and decorated rotor. An exhibition back reinforces the horological dimension of a collection otherwise designed primarily around everyday practicality. It also makes automatic versions immediately distinguishable from the new quartz Conquest range.

The stainless-steel bracelet uses a triple-security folding clasp operated by pushers. Rubber versions available on several dial colours use a double-security folding clasp with micro-adjustment, especially useful as wrist circumference changes in heat. Rubber gives Conquest a noticeably sportier personality while improving fine adjustment. Steel nevertheless remains the more versatile option when one configuration needs to work across leisure and professional environments.

Calibre L888.5: 72 hours, silicon hairspring and increased magnetic resistance

Current automatic time-and-date Conquest watches primarily use Longines calibre L888.5, developed from an ETA architecture reserved for Longines. It contains 21 jewels and operates at 25,200 vibrations per hour, or 3.5 Hz. L888.5 seeks a balance between beat rate, autonomy and thinness rather than using the conventional 4 Hz frequency. The slightly reduced cadence contributes to the 72-hour reserve without requiring an especially bulky movement.

Three days of autonomy provide a significant practical improvement over previous generations of Conquest frequently offering around forty hours. A watch removed on Friday evening can therefore remain running through Monday morning depending on its initial state of wind. The 72-hour power reserve makes Conquest particularly suitable for rotation alongside other watches. The owner needs to reset time and date less frequently when alternating between a weekday watch and another piece during the weekend.

The hairspring is made from monocrystalline silicon. The material is non-magnetic, responds well to temperature variation and does not require lubrication on its active surface in the same way as selected traditional metallic components. Longines also associates the calibre with new non-magnetic parts and states resistance to magnetic fields reaching up to ten times the benchmark used by ISO 764 for this generation. Improved magnetic resistance is a highly practical advantage in an environment filled with phones, computers, speakers and magnetic closures. In everyday ownership it can be more useful than adding another complication.

The movement supports manual winding and hacking seconds. Pulling the crown into the time-setting position stops the seconds hand so the watch can be synchronised accurately. The date offers quick correction. As with most mechanical calendars, it remains sensible to avoid changing the date while the mechanism is engaged around midnight. L888.5 concentrates on classical functions that are exceptionally well suited to a watch intended for daily wear. No additional complication unnecessarily adds thickness or mechanical complexity to the time-and-date model.

The movement is visible through the sapphire back and receives competent industrial decoration, including a customised rotor and decorative finishing across major surfaces. It does not attempt to compete with a hand-finished haute-horlogerie calibre, but its execution is entirely coherent with the positioning of the watch. The value of L888.5 lies more in performance and industrial maturity than in spectacular artisanal decoration. This approach is precisely what allows Longines to offer modern silicon-hairspring mechanics within a comparatively accessible price category.

The chronograph instead uses calibre L898.5. It operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour, provides 59 hours of reserve and also uses a silicon hairspring. Its architecture controls central chronograph seconds, a 30-minute counter and a 12-hour counter. L898.5 turns Conquest into a genuine sporting chronograph while preserving almost two and a half days of autonomy. Integrating the calibre does, however, require a 42 mm case measuring approximately 14.3 mm thick, considerably larger than the three-hand watches.

Modern Conquest, Heritage, Chronograph and quartz: very different uses

The automatic time-and-date Conquest forms the most versatile core of the current family. It combines a date, 72 hours of reserve, 100-metre water resistance and comparatively slim proportions. It is especially appropriate for someone wanting one Swiss mechanical watch to cover most everyday situations. The three-hand Conquest is the most balanced version when versatility matters more than a specialised function. Multiple sizes allow exactly the same philosophy to work across very different wrists.

Conquest Chronograph places greater emphasis on sporting presence. Its 42 mm case, ceramic tachymeter bezel and three counters create a substantially stronger appearance. Pushers allow elapsed-time measurement while the lack of date reduces visual clutter. The chronograph suits someone wanting an additional mechanical function and prepared to accept a much thicker case. For mainly professional or dress-oriented use, the three-hand watch will generally remain more discreet.

Conquest Heritage offers another proposition. Its 38 and 40 mm watches draw directly on early Conquest models and use more classical cases, dials and straps. Water resistance and overt sporting appearance are generally less central than on the contemporary line. Heritage is preferable when 1950s aesthetics matter more than the appearance of a modern sports watch. It also allows the wearer to recover the historical medallion and several dial details directly associated with the first generations.

Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve goes further in historical reinterpretation. Calibre L896.5 uses two rotating discs in the centre of the dial to show remaining energy, directly inspired by reference 9028 of 1959. Its 38 mm case is water-resistant to 50 metres and the movement provides 72 hours of autonomy. Central Power Reserve is the most compelling current Conquest for someone seeking a complication historically connected with the collection itself. Its purpose is nevertheless less sporting than that of the standard Conquest.

In 2026, Longines also extends the current visual language into new quartz models in 34, 38 and 41 mm sizes. They retain the clean dials, stainless-steel bracelet and 100-metre water resistance of the latest architecture while naturally replacing mechanical calibres with battery-powered movements. The new quartz Conquest watches prioritise accuracy, low maintenance and a lower entry price than the automatic versions. They make particular sense for someone attracted to the current design without regarding mechanical movement as essential.

Chronological milestones and main models (1954–2026)

(1954) Longines Conquest First Officially Protected Collection:

The Longines Conquest 9001 represents one of the major commercial turning points in Longines history. The Conquest name is registered in 1954 with the relevant Swiss intellectual-property authority, making it the company’s first officially named and protected collection. Its case measures 35 mm and contains the automatic Longines calibre 19AS. The watch is also distinguished by a screwed caseback carrying a champlevé enamel medallion whose design can vary depending on execution. The objective is already to combine elegance, shock resistance, moisture protection and automatic mechanics within a watch suited to an active lifestyle. This philosophy of sporting elegance rather than narrow specialisation remains central to Conquest throughout the following decades.

(1959) Longines Conquest Automatic Central Power Reserve:

The Longines Conquest 9028 introduces one of the most original complications in the history of the collection in 1959. Its 35 mm case houses automatic Longines calibre 292 and the dial uses two concentric rotating discs to display remaining power in the centre. The wearer can therefore monitor stored energy without adding a conventional subsidiary hand at the edge of the dial. The architecture is distinctive enough to become, more than six decades later, the foundation of Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve. The watch also illustrates a period when Longines developed an exceptionally broad range of mechanical calibres itself and used Conquest as a showcase for technical innovation without abandoning a comparatively elegant exterior design.

(1973) Longines Conquest Chronograph Flyback Expansion into Chronographs:

The Longines Conquest 1543 demonstrates in 1973 that the Conquest name can also support a genuine sporting chronograph. Its water-resistant 37 mm case with screwed back contains the celebrated hand-wound Longines calibre 30CH with flyback function. This allows the chronograph to reset and immediately restart through one operation, particularly useful for repeated timing. The presence of 30CH gives this Conquest considerable interest among vintage chronograph collectors even though its architecture differs substantially from the original three-hand watches. It also forms an interesting historical precedent for the modern Conquest Chronograph, which again uses the same family name for a more sporting and functional interpretation.

(1984) Longines Conquest V.H.P. Very High Precision Quartz:

The Longines Conquest V.H.P. 4952 marks in 1984 an especially ambitious move by Conquest into high-precision quartz watchmaking. Its case measures 33 mm and Longines calibre 276 V.H.P., standing for Very High Precision, is stated to vary by approximately plus or minus one minute over five years, five to ten times more accurate than a conventional quartz watch according to Longines. This direction matters because it proves that the collection has never been defined exclusively by mechanical watchmaking. Conquest can also serve as a platform for precision and everyday practicality through the most relevant technology of its period. Longines will later revive the V.H.P. designation for another generation of very-high-precision quartz watches.

(2014) Longines Conquest Heritage Sixtieth Anniversary:

The Longines Conquest Heritage L1.611.6.70.4 is among the reissues introduced to celebrate sixty years of the collection. Its 35 mm case deliberately recreates the proportions of early Conquest watches while automatic calibre 633.5 modernises daily ownership without substantially changing the appearance. Longines produces four numbered anniversary versions, reviving applied markers, slender hands and the emblematic medallion on the back. This generation plays a fundamental role in establishing today’s Heritage branch: rather than forcing the modern Conquest to adopt a retro appearance, Longines creates a distinct family allowing contemporary Conquest and archive-inspired interpretations to coexist.

(2023) Longines Conquest 41 mm Complete Redesign of the Contemporary Collection:

The Longines Conquest L3.830.4.52.6 illustrates the major transformation introduced in 2023. Its 41 mm stainless-steel case is only approximately 10.9 mm thick, the crown remains screw-down and water resistance reaches 100 metres. The black sunray dial adopts slimmer hour markers and a date now positioned at 6 o’clock, while the sapphire back exposes calibre L888.5. The movement operates at 25,200 vibrations per hour, uses a silicon hairspring and provides 72 hours of reserve. The new architecture appears more elegant and less massive than its predecessor. Longines simultaneously introduces a 42 mm chronograph, establishing the visual language that remains the foundation of the contemporary collection in 2026.

(2024) Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve Return of the 1959 Complication:

The Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve L1.648.4.78.2 celebrates the seventieth anniversary of Conquest by reinterpreting reference 9028 from 1959. Its completely redesigned case measures 38 mm and exclusive automatic calibre L896.5 operates at 25,200 vibrations per hour with silicon hairspring and 72 hours of autonomy. Two rotating discs in the centre of the dial indicate remaining power through a principle closely related to the historical model but adapted to modern construction. Water resistance reaches 50 metres and a domed antireflective sapphire replaces the original crystal. The watch is one of the clearest examples of Longines’ Heritage strategy: revive not merely an appearance but a complication genuinely connected with the company archives.

(2026) Longines Conquest Quartz New 34, 38 and 41 mm Expansion:

The Longines Conquest L3.860.4.52.6 represents the 2026 extension of the contemporary design into a new quartz generation. This 41 mm version uses a stainless-steel case, black sandblasted dial, sapphire crystal with multilayer antireflective treatment and 100 metres of water resistance. Quartz watches in 38 and 34 mm sizes also join the range, together with stainless-steel or PVD-treated configurations depending on the version. The objective differs from that of automatic L888.5 models: provide the same visual identity with electronic precision, less everyday maintenance and a more accessible price. The development ultimately returns to a logic already demonstrated by V.H.P. in 1984: mechanical and quartz Conquest watches can coexist when their respective uses are clearly differentiated.

Choosing the right Conquest: size, movement and actual everyday use

For a versatile mechanical watch intended to become the principal piece in a collection, the 38 mm deserves to be tried first. It preserves exactly the important mechanical and functional qualities of the 41 mm while offering more restrained presence and proportions capable of working with a broader range of clothing. The 38 mm automatic Conquest is the most universal choice in the current range. The 41 mm remains preferable for larger wrists or someone wanting stronger sporting presence.

The 34 mm should not automatically be regarded as a women’s watch. Its proportions are also close to those of historical sporting dress watches and may suit a smaller wrist or someone who prefers vintage-inspired sizing. Mother-of-pearl or diamond-set executions naturally change its positioning, but blue, green and silver dials remain highly neutral. Diameter should be chosen according to desired wrist presence rather than a rigid male-female classification. The essential mechanical specifications remain the same.

Someone prioritising mechanical movement, an exhibition back and the pleasure of seeing an oscillating rotor will logically choose L888.5. A wearer wanting to use the watch only occasionally while finding it immediately accurate may instead prefer the quartz generation introduced in 2026. Quartz is the most rational choice when accuracy and simplicity matter more than mechanical experience. Automatic movement provides greater horological interest but naturally requires resetting after an extended stop.

The chronograph should be tried on before purchase because of its 42 mm diameter and especially its approximately 14.3 mm thickness. Calibre L898.5 and the ceramic bezel are attractive, but the increase in volume compared with the three-hand models is substantial. Conquest Chronograph better suits someone wanting an assertive sports watch than someone seeking discreet all-purpose wear. Panda and more colourful dials strengthen that presence further.

For a vintage enthusiast who does not want the practical constraints of a genuine 1950s watch, the Heritage branch is substantially more appropriate. It retains period-inspired dials, proportions and several historical details while adding sapphire, modern movements and current warranty support. Conquest Heritage captures the spirit of the first generations without requiring the compromises of an actual vintage watch. Central Power Reserve is especially relevant when interest also extends to Longines’ mechanical history.

Finally, strap choice should reflect the environment in which the watch will genuinely be used. Steel is the most versatile and handles moisture easily, while rubber offers greater flexibility and a particularly useful micro-adjustment mechanism for sport and hot weather. The strongest choice is the configuration that allows the wearer to make real use of the 100-metre water resistance and versatility defining the contemporary Conquest. Other customers’ opinions are essential.

Conclusion

The Longines Conquest possesses unusual historical continuity: born in 1954 as the company’s first officially protected collection, more than seventy years later it remains a watch built to combine elegance, robustness and everyday practicality. The current generation updates that philosophy effectively through 34, 38 and 41 mm cases, 100-metre water resistance, highly readable dials and calibre L888.5 with silicon hairspring and 72 hours of reserve. The chronograph creates a more sporting interpretation, the new quartz models prioritise accuracy and simplicity, while the Heritage branch allows the wearer to return to the creations of 1954 or the remarkable central power-reserve system of 1959. This diversity can initially make the family seem complex, but it is also its greatest strength: there is now a Conquest for someone prioritising classical proportions, modern versatility, mechanical complication, history or simply a dependable everyday watch.

To compare comfort, accuracy, autonomy, bracelet quality, the behaviour of different case sizes and the real-world experience of calibre L888.5 with extended ownership, Dialicious customer reviews provide a particularly useful complement.

(Updated October 2026)