Last year, Longines had something of an unexpected hit with their HydroConquest GMT. The dive watch with the “flyer” L844.5 caliber was much discussed in enthusiast circles, and I have my own personal theory as to why. For years, Longines has excelled at being expert curators of their own back catalog, releasing a seemingly never ending string of well considered vintage reissues important releases from their past. They never stopped making watches in a more contemporary style, but they kind of dropped out of focus in recent years. The HydroConquest overhaul, then, was somewhat unexpected, and really stood out in their collection. And it was just weird enough to set itself apart from a market full of divers that kind of all look alike. Now, less than a year after the new HydroConquest saw the light of day, Longines has added new additions to the collection, which surprise in another way altogether.
Announced last week, Longines now makes the HydroConquest GMT in a new larger size, with a case coming in at 43mm. When I saw the press release for this watch, I did a double take. Was there a typo here somewhere? The trend in recent years, Rolex notwithstanding, has been for brands to downsize their sport models to a more universally accepted “medium” size. Think anywhere between 38-40mm. With last year’s HydroConquest GMT coming in at 41mm, I’d have bet the lion’s share of my watch fund that the next iteration of this watch would be somewhere in that sub 40mm range to satisfy customers who seem to always want things a little smaller. To up to 43mm, which is a “big” watch by just about any definition these days, really feels like going against the grain.
That was my initial, gut reaction. But standing back and thinking it through a little, I can begin to see the logic in the move. The 43mm size could be considered the “standard” size for a HydroConquest if you take a look through the collection as it stands today. There are a lot of 43mm and even 44mm references in the catalog, with smaller 39mm watches (without a GMT complication) only making their debut relatively recently. Longines, it’s safe to say, knows their HydroConquest customer, and my guess is that it’s quite likely they aren’t selling 43mm HydroConquests to the same people who are buying, for example, the new Conquest with a central power reserve. The 43mm HydroConquest is a good reminder that not every watch in a big Swiss brand’s portfolio is going to cater to the enthusiast.
That said, if you liked last year’s HydroConquest GMT but have a larger wrist or just want that Big Watch Experience, the new 43mm version should offer something reliably predictable and high quality. This is about as straightforward an update as you’ll get, with a dial design that appears to be identical to the smaller version. At launch, the 43mm HydroConquest GMT will be available in black, blue, and green options (what many considered the standout of the 41mm releases, the brown dial, did not get upsized here) with the blue and black versions available on a bracelet or stainless steel bracelet, and the green version only on the bracelet. Like the smaller watches, these have 300 meters of water resistance, ceramic bezel inserts, and plenty of lume on the dial.
The new 43mm HydroConquest GMTs are available now on the Longines website, with a retail price starting at $2,775. Longines
