Pre-Owned Longines Tre-Tacche 4142

Why we love it

In our opinion, Longines doesn't quite get the respect that they deserve.

That is not to say that they aren't held in high regard. But the level of innovation, craftsmanship, and design that Longines has demonstrated over the course of their existence simply cannot be understated, and certainly extends to a wide variety of timepieces across the board.

These "Tre-Tacche" watches from the late 1930s and 1940s, however, have developed a cult-like following amongst vintage enthusiasts. The name references its unique 3-notched caseback which requires a special tool to remove, but the watch itself is perhaps the most pure execution of a no-frills robust "tool" watch before there were tool watches.

In excellent condition throughout, this Reference 4142 features a blued steel handset, luminous Arabic indices, a large winding crown and a stunning dial that has turned to a light-champagne color. But the case is perhaps the greatest component of this watch... the combination of a 35mm "stepped" case with fixed bars hammers this piece home as a no-frills daily wearable vintage piece. Additionally, this watch includes an extract from the Longines archive, confirming the watch was originally sold to South Africa in 1941.

In terms of elegant design and horological prowess, this a watch that ticks many boxes in the eye of the vintage enthusiast.

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The Story

Founded in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, Longines was at the sharp end of the watchmaking spear.  Constantly innovating, they were  a company to be compared with the other major Swiss manufactures.  By 1919, Longines was the official supplier of timepieces for the International Aeronautical Federation, working to develop highly accurate navigation chronometers for many of the era's great aviation pioneers. 

Most famous among Longines' forays into navigation pieces is probably the Lindberg Hour Angle watch, a wristwatch designed by Charles Lindberg in conjunction with the brand to allow aviators to calculate, with the help of a sextant and their latitude, their exact geographic location.

From the 1930s to the 1950s, Longines also put out a series of simply stunning time-only watches. Often referred to as calatravas after the iconic model by Patek Philippe, most of these watches had thin stainless steel cases at 34mm, a standard size for the time. Like the Patek Philippe Calatrava, these watches by Longines were known for their perfect proportions and the elegant simplicity of their designs.