Longines’ ties to aviation is stronger than arguably any other watchmaker on the planet. Not only the brand of choice of the likes of Amelia Earhart and Howard Hughes, the Swiss firm was also once the official timekeeper for the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale and even collaborated with Charles Lindbergh on the Hour Angle Watch to help pilots with navigation.
Aviation lineage runs through the DNA of practically every pilot’s watch Longines ever makes these days. And this week, the brand expanded its Spirit collection with the new three-hand Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback chronograph, still with the same vintage styling we know and love from the line.
Cleaner Dials, Better Proportions
Five years after launching the Spirit collection in 2020, Longines listened to feedback from the enthusiast community and stripped away the unnecessary. Both new models ditch the five-star emblem that cluttered previous Spirit dials — a marking originally used to denote higher-grade movements but redundant given these pieces carry COSC chronometer certification anyway. The date window gets axed too on the three-hander, creating breathing room across that matte black dial with its gilt Arabic numerals and refined railroad minute track.
The 39mm Spirit Pilot also gives us the sweet spot in sizing, splitting the difference between the existing 37mm and 40mm variants. At 11.5mm thick with a 47.2mm lug-to-lug measurement, it should wear more comfortably on a range of wrist sizes.
Accuracy for In-Air Activities
Inside the Spirit Pilot ticks the in-house L888.4 automatic movement — a COSC-certified caliber with silicon balance spring offering 72-hour power reserve and magnetic resistance ten times better than ISO 764 standards. The screw-down caseback is a welcome upgrade over previous iterations, adding robustness to the 100m of water resistance.
What also stands out is the strap versatility. Beyond the expected stainless steel bracelet and brown leather options (both with micro-adjustable clasps), there’s a textile-style green rubber strap. It’s a casual touch that broadens the watch’s appeal beyond strictly formal or cockpit contexts.
The Flyback Gets Its Due
The Spirit Pilot Flyback tells an even more compelling story. Longines invented the flyback chronograph complication in the 1930s — a function that lets you instantly reset and restart timing intervals with a single pusher press rather than the traditional stop-reset-start sequence.
Like the regular Spirit Pilot, this new 39.5mm version is a dramatic downsizing from the previous 42mm automatic flyback models that measured upwards of 17mm thick. By switching to the hand-wound L792.4 column-wheel movement (visible through the sapphire caseback) with 68 hours of power reserve, Longines shaved the case down to 13.4mm.
Likewise, the bidirectional ceramic bezel now features a countdown timer instead of the previous tachymeter, while the box-shaped sapphire crystal adds vintage charm without sacrificing modern anti-reflective coatings.
Spec Sheet
Model: Spirit Pilot
Case Size: 39mm
Case Thickness: 11.5mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Movement: In-house L888.4 automatic
Water Resistance: 100m
Strap Options: Steel bracelet, brown leather, green rubber
Model: Spirit Pilot Flyback
Case Size: 39.5mm
Case Thickness: 13.4mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Movement: In-house L792.4 hand-wound column-wheel chronograph with flyback
Functions: 30-minute counter, small seconds at 9 o’clock, countdown bezel
Water Resistance: 100m
Strap Options: Steel bracelet, brown leather
Pricing & Availability
Available now from Longines’ website, the Spirit Pilot is priced starting at $2,700, while the Spirit Pilot Flyback starts at $5,350.
Recap
Longines Spirit Pilot & Spirit Pilot Flyback Chronograph
Longines just released two new Spirit Pilot watches that clean up the cluttered dials of the original 2020 models while shrinking them down to more wearable proportions.
