Longines Iconic Dive Watch Gets a White Dial

Hi everyone, Teddy Baldassar with teddybaldassar.com. And in this video, we're looking at a fantastic dive watch from Longene. This is the Legend Diver White Dial. So if you're new to this channel, this is where we cover watches available for purchase on our website, teddybaldassar.com, as an authorized dealer. In this video, I'm gonna be handing it off to my colleague, Danny Milton. He's gonna go through all the details about this watch, everything you need to know. Also, if you have further questions looking to buy the watch, link will be in the description down below. Without further ado, let's hand this one off to Danny and have him take a closer look at this watch. In a sea of black dial dive watches, a white dial would seem to be a considered choice. And there are few brands doing the white dial dive watch game better than Longene with the Legend Diver. Longene is a Swiss heritage brand that tends to fly under the radar, most likely due to its massive catalog. But within the volumes of models geared toward the mass market, there are hidden gems aimed squarely at the enthusiast. And there's no better example than the Legend Diver. Here we have a truly historic callback that nails the vibe of the 1959 original in a beautifully rendered design mated to a properly capable ISO-compliant list of specs. All this comes in a broad range of sizes that includes 36, 42, and the 39 millimeter version that hits the sizing sweet spot for many. The modern Legend Diver debuted in 2007, well before other vintage-inspired dive watches such as the Tudor Black Bay joined the spate of retro reboots. Measuring 42 millimeters, the present-day Legend was almost a one-to-one of the reference 7042, which utilized a compressor case made by EPSA. The subsequent release of the 39 millimeter variant of the compressor-style Diver was a stone-cold smash in its initial black and blue colorways. And Longene has added to the catalog since with dial choices that offer more variety than ever. And the bright white version is the subject of today's Closer Look. So let's jump in with this chilled-out take on the 39 millimeter Longene Legend Diver. As with previous iterations of the 39 millimeter Legend Diver, the dimensions here are pretty much ideal. This watch brings a 39 millimeter diameter, a case height of 12.7 millimeters, a 46.9 millimeter lug-to-lug measurement, and a 20 millimeter lug width. It offers a fantastic fit for most average wrists, and the size is downright elegant, especially in regards to the trim case height of well under 13 millimeters. Remarkable considering its ISO rated 300 meters of water resistance. This Goldilocks case size is confirmation that Longene is definitely listening to its fan base, as the larger 42 millimeter Legend Divers have a decidedly more limited audience. Case finishing is as lovely as you'd expect from the brand, with polishing on the lug fronts and slim bezel, and hairline brushing on the case sides. A solid screwed-in case back is the appropriate choice for a serious diver, and the Legend offers a nice bit of retro-tastic ornamentation, with the addition of a spear fishing scuba diver done in relief. An anti-reflective boxed sapphire crystal nails the vibe of vintage acrylic, and some of its height is the result of the Legend's internal bi-directional bezel. The bezel, along with the dual crown layout, are hallmarks of the compressor style diver that recalls the look of vintage references. The two o'clock crown operates the internal bezel, while the crown four o'clock handles time setting and hand winding. And before you ask, yes, both of the crosshatch pattern crowns screw down. The crowned four o'clock does offer hacking, and there's no ghost position when pulling out the stem, as the dial forgoes a date complication. The Legend Diver is equipped with Longines Beads of Rice bracelet, a classic, handsome, and very comfortable choice. The bracelet features all solid links, which are screw-adjusted, and there's a very nice vintage-correct taper from 20 millimeters down to 16. The milled tri-fold clasp features the winged Longines hourglass logo, and is well-constructed, featuring dual rectangular push buttons. It also boasts a tool-free push button micro-adjustment with four positions, which makes getting a great fit a cinch. Something to note is the polished center section of the clasp, which, while offering an elevated look, will attract scratches more easily than a brushed finish, even among desk divers. Just like in the movie's hits-require sequels, and the Longines Legend Diver 39 has its fair share of colorways, verging on doxa territory. In addition to the standard black or blue, you can specify your dial in green, anthracite gray, terracotta, and now white. Unlike the glossier lacquer of the darker colors, the white smartly goes with a more matte finish for reduced reflectivity. Very few watches work equally well in summer and winter, but the White Legend Diver pulls this trick off with ease. Legibility is exceptional, given the contrast of the flat black demarcations and dial furniture, with the bright white backdrop. Bezel markings include a luminescent triangle pointer at noon, with printed linear indices every five minutes, and dots for the remaining minutes. Moving from the sloping bezel to the dial itself, you'll find textured applied black Arabic numerals at three, six, nine, and 12, with the six and nine numerals getting a distinctive open look. The numerals are punctuated by adjacent rectangular loom plots that appear pale green, along with small loomed accents within the five minute markers, and black hash marks for the remaining minutes. The black handset pays tribute to the vintage original, with a shovel-shaped arrow for the hour hand, and a baton minute hand. When the lights get low, you'll see the loom actually glows two different colors, green and blue. The loom itself is adequate, but certainly doesn't offer the blowtorch intensity of something like Seiko's Lumibrite. Finally, the Longines wordmark and winged hourglass logo sits below 12, with the script automatic text above six, and as mentioned before, there's no date window to interrupt the beautiful symmetry at play. With the vast array of dial colors grabbing the headlines around this watch, it's important to remember just how capable that it is, and that includes the movement. Introduced in the inaugural black and blue dialed 39 millimeter models, the Caliber L88.6 is one to be reckoned with. It's based on the ETA 2892-A2, and an upgrade from previous versions of the L888. Some of those upgrades include a shock resistant and anti-magnetic silicon balance spring, which offers 10 times greater magnetic resistance than the ISO 764 standard. The L888.6 is also COSC chronometer certified, boasting an accuracy of minus four to plus six seconds per day. Access to a wide range of movement calibers is one of the advantages that brands under the Swatch Group's corporate umbrella share. As another company under that same umbrella happens to be the ETA movement manufacturer. Spec wise, the L888.6 runs at three and a half hertz or 25,200 vibrations per hour, offers hacking and hand winding, and a long weekend's power reserve of 72 hours. Durability, proven accuracy, and a healthy power reserve. That's all you can ask for in a serious Swiss made timepiece and the legend diver delivers. Now we're gonna look at the pros and cons of this watch, and as usual, we'll start off with the cons. The first is not necessarily a con, but the Lume is just good. It's not necessarily class leading in any way, it's just good. But for some folks looking for a dive watch, Lume might be a big point of consideration for you, so I figured it was worth noting here. The watch is priced above mid tier, but again, turning a con to a pro, it's still below much of the luxury pack. In terms of pros, the white dial offers superb legibility aided by the black handset. It's a fantastic size for a wide range of wrists. The COSC certified movement is a high point within this segment. The lack of a date window is an absolute win for fans of symmetry. The bracelet is, well, slinky and super comfortable. This watch boasts retro charm and real refinement among ISO compliant divers. Longines once again proves they're listening to collector feedback. All right guys, thank you again so much for watching. If you did enjoy this one, please give the video a thumbs up, subscribe to the channel, as that does help us out in the future as well. And we'll ensure that some of our new videos will be able to reach you in your subscription inbox every single week. Also, if you are in the market for the watch, it is available on teddybaldister.com. Every purchase from teddybaldister.com comes with quick and fast fulfillment, dedicated customer support, and a full factory warranty for all the products that we offer. In addition to how we're able to operate as a business and keep doing what we're doing, releasing content every single day on our website, on YouTube, Instagram, all of our different social channels is through selling watches. So if you are in the market for a watch, we'd absolutely love to have your business. It allows us to keep doing what we're doing here, and we love what we do. Guys, thank you again so much for watching. Be well, and I'll see you all very soon.