New Book Tells How Longines Became a Watch Lover’s Favorite

By Karen Dybis | June 17, 2026

In a new book, journalist Pierre-André Schmitt explores how Longines evolved within the highly competitive world of watches, from its founding in 1832 to its singular association with equestrian sports to its status as a beloved possession of celebrities in many different fields.

Longines: Watches That Made History, published by teNeues, is divided into sections for each kind of timepiece Longines has produced, including pocket watches and stopwatches; wristwatches; chronographs; watches used in aviation/navigation and the military; and even chapters observatory chronometers and desk clocks, like the space-age digital clock known as the Nixie.

The book also highlights Longines’ famous fans, such as Albert Einstein, Charles Lindbergh, Jacqueline Cochran (another pioneering pilot), track and field star Senon “Baldy” Castillo, and boxing legend Joe Louis. Castillo’s Longines watch helped made sports history—but you need to read the charming story in the book to find out how.

In a foreword to Longines: Watches That Made History, company president and CEO Patrick Aoun writes about elegance as “our essence, our guiding principle.” He mentions key Longines milestones and notes that while more than a dozen watches in the book are from the Longines Museum, most of the timepieces featured come from “our esteemed collectors.” One of those collectors, Adonya Ourshalimian, also wrote a foreword for the book.

Longines Einstein — *Albert Einstein wore a Longines, and his story is one of many shared in a new book about the watch brand.*

Schmitt, a former editor-in-chief of the magazine Watch Around, blends technical and personal information in his book’s 50 chapters. He outlines watches’ specifications and details the thought behind a particular model and how it was made at Longines’ headquarters in Saint-Imier, Switzerland.

The book also covers the human side of the watchmaking business, highlighting Longines’ founder Auguste Agassiz; the company’s growth under Agassiz’s nephew, Ernest Francillion; the people who have worked in its factory; and the people who have worn its watches. Agassiz started making watches in a small workshop, and his insistence on quality still informs the business today, according to Schmitt.

He recounts the company’s history: “Francillon took over the management of the company in 1862 and built the first factory building in 1867. It was situated on the banks of the Suze River, whose water-power was used to drive the machinery. The property Francillon acquired for the factory was registered under the name Les Longines, which translates to ‘the long meadows.’ From that point on, Francillon used Longines as the brand name for his watches.”

Another thing that makes Longines: Watches That Made History a true collector’s book is its photographs. From the brand’s earliest days to its presence on racetracks in the 1980s to its collectors today, there is a photo for anyone who appreciates watches and their histories.

(Photos courtesy of Longines)