Longines Introduces the Conquest V.H.P., an Ultra-Accurate Quartz That Runs Within 5 Seconds a Year
Resurrecting a name from the 1980s with a high-tech quartz movement, which will be launched at Baselworld 2017.
With plain looks that belie the latest generation ETA quartz movement inside, the Conquest V.H.P. harks back to Longines‘ history as a maker of cutting edge electronic timing. The firm’s history in that field started with in 1954 Chronocinégines, a quartz timekeeper linked to a 1/100th of a second camera developed to capture athletes crossing the finishing line at sporting events.
The bulky electronic clocks eventually evolved into precision quartz wristwatches like the Ultra-Quartz of 1969, and the original Conquest V.H.P. that made its debut in 1984. Rate to +/-10 seconds a year, the Conquest V.H.P. – short for “Very High Precision” – was the most accurate wristwatch on the market.
The Conquest V.H.P. of 1996
Longines has revived the Conquest V.H.P. label for Baselworld 2017 with a watch rated to +/-5 seconds a year, or just over 0.01 seconds a day, thanks to the thermo-compensated quartz movement made exclusive for Longines by ETA.
The new Conquest V.H.P. is also equipped with a hands-reset mechanism. If the hands on the dial go out of sync due to shock or magnetism, a “gear position detection” system automatically restores them to their original position, preserving the accuracy of the watch.
The timing unit of the Chronocinégines finishing line camera
Ultra-Quartz of 1969
With a battery life of over four years, the Conquest V.H.P. also features a perpetual calendar that displays only the date, as well a battery end of life (EOL) indicator – once the battery is running low, the seconds hand jumps several seconds at a time.
Two versions of the Conquest V.H.P. are available, a time-only and chronograph, both in stainless steel with a 50m water-resistance rating.
The base model is the Conquest V.H.P. three-hands, powered by the L288.2 (ETA E56.111) movement, and available in 43mm or 41mm sizes.
Conquest V.H.P. 43mm (top row), and 41mm (bottom)
The Conquest V.H.P. Chronograph has inside the calibre L289.2 (ETA E57.211), with the option of a 41mm or 43mm case.
Conquest V.H.P. Chronograph 43mm (top row), and 41mm (bottom)
Price and availability
The Conquest V.H.P. will be available starting summer 2017, with prices in Swiss francs and Singapore dollars as follows:
Three-hands 41mm – SFr950 or S$1510
Three-hands 43mm – SFr990 or S$1570
Chronograph 42mm – SFr1550 or S$2460
Chronograph 44mm – SFr1590 or SS$2530
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