Longines Tonneau by Schwob

Notes

Our extremely rare and historically important Longines was manufactured in 1915. The manually wound cal. 12.91 movement was invoiced and exported to Russia in October 1915 where it was housed by Schwob ( the then agent for Longines in Russia) in a locally made and extremely attractive 14k rose gold tonneau case with mineral glass and notably, an unusual brass dial with art nouveau style cursive numerals dial in blue and subdial for seconds. The case with integral lugs could be considered over size in period, measuring a prominent 42mm x 31mm (inc crown). Coming directly from a collection, this Longines benefits from a full factory service in April 2022, with warranty until May 2024, and is accompanied by the service warranty card, service booklet , service pouch, as well as redacted correspondence and a detailed receipt for the works undertaken, totalling a significant £3194.50, which includes a restoration and service of the movement, case repair, certificate of origin and authenticity (extract from the archive) as well as a Longines black leather custom made strap and pink gold Longines tang buckle. The signed certificate issued by Longines Saint Imier in 2022 confirms the above details of this rare wristwatch's history, annotating Schwob at the time as the agent for Russia, and that parts asides the movement were produced by Schwob under licence from Longines. This Longines remains unworn since service with double stickers to the caseback. Asides from its immensely attractive appearance, the historic importance of this watch cannot be understated, given wristwatches were in their infancy from a fashion perspective, not least given the size and intricacy of this one. Additionally and notably, this wristwatch was exported to the Tsarist Russian Empire (Nicholas II) some seventeen months prior to the start of the Russian Revolution, and during the Russian Empire's involvement in the first world war; it would be reasonable to estimate that the original purchaser would have been a senior figure in the empire with the ability to fund such an acquisition. This is undoubtedly a unique piece with great care and cost put into its factory restoration, and makes for a worthy addition to any serious collection.