With the super smooth electronic movement and a fabulous blue dial this Longines Ultronic is one to consider. Model reference 8616.1.
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
The movement in this watch uses technology licensed from Bulova, and the license ran from 1969 to 1976 so we have picked a mid point year.
CONDITION
Longines were not the only one to use this movement, which has their calibre reference 6312. IWC, Omega, Tissot, Eterna and others all used the ESA 9162 hummer movement quite simply because it was the best on the market. The hummer nickname comes from the twin tuning forks that vibrate at a frequency audible to the human ear (if held close enough). The movement runs at 300hZ, whereas a decent mechanical watch runs at 4hZ, and the difference can be seen by the smoothness of the seconds hand. Longines and IWC are the only manufacturers we know of that finish their versions of the movement with Côtes de Genève striping though. We will install a brand new battery before sending the watch out to the new owner. The two piece case has a few marks, with the most noticeable the ding near the top left lug. The blue dial looks great from eight inches away, with the hour markers that reach out over the dial, but when you get close you can see some marks around the hour markers. This seems to affect blue dials from all Swiss manufacturers of this period, but at least it shows that it is original. The blue nylon strap is new, and could be swapped for a different colour or material if preferred.
This watch will be supplied with our branded presentation box and our Certificate of Authenticity.
Please see the HD video for more detail. All photos and videos are part of the description and are of the actual watch unless mentioned. We do not photoshop any pictures, and the images are copyright of birthyearwatches.com and should not be used without permission.
SIZE
Width with crown 39.8 mm
Width without crown 36.8 mm
Between lugs 18 mm
Lug to lug length 44.2 mm
Case Thickness 11.6 mm
All sizes are approximate. The watch is photographed on a wrist of 190mm/7.5 inches.
Included with this watch is a 3 month guarantee and free delivery to UK addresses. If you live outside the UK we can still deliver to most countries. Please see our Worldwide Shipping information, or Contact Us. Payment can be made by most credit or debit cards, bank transfer or PayPal.
From 1st September 2021 we will be planting a tree for every watch we sell, working with the International Tree Foundation (Est 1922) to make this business positive on carbon. By buying anything pre owned you are effectively reusing what already exists, but this takes it further and makes us feel good.
