1961 LONGINES 18k SOLID GOLD 3408 FLAGSHIP DATE AT 12 CALIBER 341
Item History & Price
OFFERED WITH NO RESERVE IS A FINE AND RARE 1961 VINTAGE 18-KARAT SOLID GOLD LONGINES “FLAGSHIP” IN EXCELLENT CONDITION! THIS IS THE SCREW BACK MODEL WITH THE DATE AT THE TWELVE POSITION.
THIS WATCH IS POWERED BY THE FAMOUS LONGINES CALIBER 341 WITH THE OFF SET, BALL BEARING, 360 DEGREE AUTOMATIC WINDING MOVEMENT. THE WATCH HAS 17 JEWELS BUT THE 5 JEWELS USED IN THE AUTOMATIC ROTOR ARE NOT COUNTED. IT IS ACTUALLY A 22 JEWEL MOVEMENT.
THE CALIBER 341 BEATS AT A FR...EQUENCY OF 19, 000A/hr AND HAS A POWER RESERVE OF 43 HOURS! IT HAS A MICROMETRIC PATENTED REGULATOR FOR VERY PRECISE TIME REGULATION – THIS IS A NICE WATCH! THERE IS A REASON LONGINES CALLED THIS MODEL THE “FLAGSHIP”!
OFFERED IS ONE OF THE MOST COLLECTABLE OF THE VINTAGE LONGINES – THE “FLAGSHIP” IN A NICE LARGE HEAVY 18-KARAT SOLID GOLD SCREW BACK CASE – NOT THE SNAP BACK VERSION! THIS IS THE MOST DESIREABLE MODEL WITH THE DATE AT THE TWELVE POSITION.
THIS IS A LARGE VINTAGE WATCH AT 34mm IN DIAMETER. THIS ONE COMES IN A BEAUTIFUL VINTAGE LONGINES METAL BOX IN EXCELLENT CONDITION – WHAT A GREAT WAY TO DISPLAY THIS WATCH WHEN NOT BEING WORN!
THIS WATCH HAS A BEAUTIFUL 100% FACTORY ORIGINAL SILVER/SATIN DIAL IN EXELLENT CONDITION. IF YOU LOOK VERY CLOSELY YOU CAN SEE A COUPLE OF TINY LITTLE SPECS - OTHERWISE PERFECT. THE CRYSTAL HAS THE CYCLOPS MAGNIFIER AT THE 12 POSITION BUT THE CRYSTAL HAS BEEN EVER SO SLIGHTLY PUT ON CROOKED, MAYBE 1/2mm OUT OF PERFECT IF YOU LOOK VERY CLOSELY. I NEVER HAD MY WATCH MAN RESET THE CRYSTAL BECAUSE IT IS SO SLIGHT IT DID NOT BOTHER ME.
THE 18-KARAT DEEP YELLOW GOLD CASE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE FAMOUS “SAILING SHIP” ON THE CASE BACK IS CRISP AND NOT POLISHED. IT IS TO SIGNIFY THE FACT THE WATCH WAS MADE TO RESIST WATER. THERE IS A LIGHT SCRATCH WERE A WATCH CASE BACK WRENCH SLIPPED AT ON TIME. THE CROWN IS SIGNED WITH THE LONGINES WINGS, IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE VERY PLEASED!!
THE HEAVY SOLID 18-KARAT YELLOW GOLD CASE IS FULLY HALLMARKED 0.750 18-KARAT, SIGNED LONGINES AND HAS THE REFERENCE NUMBER “3408”.
THE SERIAL NUMBER ON THE MOVEMENT IS 11, 762, 870, WHICH PUTS PRODUCTION IN 1961. HARD TO BELIEVE THIS WONDERFUL TIMEPIECE IS 58 YEARS OLD!
THE WATCH COMES ON A BRAND NEW GENUINE “LIZARD GRAIN” LEATHER STRAP AND THEY LOOK FANTASTIC ON THE WRIST.
BID WITH CONFIDENCE. HERE IS SOME HISTORY ON THE FAMOUS LONGINES CALIBER 340 (the same as the 341 in this watch but the 341 includes a date complication).
The earlier Longines automatic movements that pre-date this watch were the calibres 19 A ( introduced 1952) and 14.17 ( introduced 1956), and are particularly interesting as, in common with this calibre, their winding rotors are not centrally pivoted, being actually off-set from the centre point. Launched in 1960, this calibre 340 movement was developed over a number of years, with an offset rotor taking up a significant part of the width of the watch case. The 340 was a very large movement, larger than the two previous Longines calibres ( as an aside, this large movement obviously results in a very chunky, drum like watch, with a substantial width of 38mm. ) It is a statement of proven scientific fact that a larger oscillating balance in a movement will, all other things being equal, be more accurate than its smaller sibling and it in view of the record breaking accuracy level achieved by this calibre, is therefore not surprising that the 340 soon had an enormous following among connoisseurs of micro-mechanics in the late 1950s.
For the technically minded, it should be mentioned that the 12 ligne ( the ligne is the unit of width traditionally used within the Swiss watch industry.) 340 calibre had its rotor mounted on ball bearings rather than the jewels used in the earlier Longines automatic movements. These dramatically reduced the effect of friction upon the rotor and enabled the watch to wind itself with even the very slightest movement of the wearer’s wrist. The design of this movement is very striking, with a toothed outer ring extending from the rotor, this in turn pivoting in two directions, both capable of winding the watch via an ingenious patented satellite wheel switcher. The balance is a screwless Glucydur ( this is the trade name for a patented beryllium bronze alloy used to create balance wheels on only the very highest grade of vintage watch production. Cheaper, mass market movements used nickel for their balances) type and the movement features the wonderfully engineered Kif-Ultraflex system that is almost ubiquitous on top tier Swiss movements of the 1950s.
IF YOU HAVE EVER WANTED TO OWN ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER AND COLLECTABLE WATCHES IN THE WORLD – HERE IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY! YOU WILL NOT FIND ONE IN MUCH BETTER CONDITION – GOOD LUCK!
I accept Paypal! Please set up your Paypal accounts before you bid as it takes several days. Buyer to pay $9.00 for insured shipping in the US and $35.00 overseas. GOOD LUCK!
After you have placed your winning bid, you can visit my other auctions by simply clicking the “SELLERS OTHER AUCTIONS” located next to my user name. If you like what you see, bookmark my listing and I’ll bring you more each week!
SUPER COLLECTABLE – RARE OPPORTUNITY!
THIS WATCH IS POWERED BY THE FAMOUS LONGINES CALIBER 341 WITH THE OFF SET, BALL BEARING, 360 DEGREE AUTOMATIC WINDING MOVEMENT. THE WATCH HAS 17 JEWELS BUT THE 5 JEWELS USED IN THE AUTOMATIC ROTOR ARE NOT COUNTED. IT IS ACTUALLY A 22 JEWEL MOVEMENT.
THE CALIBER 341 BEATS AT A FR...EQUENCY OF 19, 000A/hr AND HAS A POWER RESERVE OF 43 HOURS! IT HAS A MICROMETRIC PATENTED REGULATOR FOR VERY PRECISE TIME REGULATION – THIS IS A NICE WATCH! THERE IS A REASON LONGINES CALLED THIS MODEL THE “FLAGSHIP”!
OFFERED IS ONE OF THE MOST COLLECTABLE OF THE VINTAGE LONGINES – THE “FLAGSHIP” IN A NICE LARGE HEAVY 18-KARAT SOLID GOLD SCREW BACK CASE – NOT THE SNAP BACK VERSION! THIS IS THE MOST DESIREABLE MODEL WITH THE DATE AT THE TWELVE POSITION.
THIS IS A LARGE VINTAGE WATCH AT 34mm IN DIAMETER. THIS ONE COMES IN A BEAUTIFUL VINTAGE LONGINES METAL BOX IN EXCELLENT CONDITION – WHAT A GREAT WAY TO DISPLAY THIS WATCH WHEN NOT BEING WORN!
THIS WATCH HAS A BEAUTIFUL 100% FACTORY ORIGINAL SILVER/SATIN DIAL IN EXELLENT CONDITION. IF YOU LOOK VERY CLOSELY YOU CAN SEE A COUPLE OF TINY LITTLE SPECS - OTHERWISE PERFECT. THE CRYSTAL HAS THE CYCLOPS MAGNIFIER AT THE 12 POSITION BUT THE CRYSTAL HAS BEEN EVER SO SLIGHTLY PUT ON CROOKED, MAYBE 1/2mm OUT OF PERFECT IF YOU LOOK VERY CLOSELY. I NEVER HAD MY WATCH MAN RESET THE CRYSTAL BECAUSE IT IS SO SLIGHT IT DID NOT BOTHER ME.
THE 18-KARAT DEEP YELLOW GOLD CASE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE FAMOUS “SAILING SHIP” ON THE CASE BACK IS CRISP AND NOT POLISHED. IT IS TO SIGNIFY THE FACT THE WATCH WAS MADE TO RESIST WATER. THERE IS A LIGHT SCRATCH WERE A WATCH CASE BACK WRENCH SLIPPED AT ON TIME. THE CROWN IS SIGNED WITH THE LONGINES WINGS, IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE VERY PLEASED!!
THE HEAVY SOLID 18-KARAT YELLOW GOLD CASE IS FULLY HALLMARKED 0.750 18-KARAT, SIGNED LONGINES AND HAS THE REFERENCE NUMBER “3408”.
THE SERIAL NUMBER ON THE MOVEMENT IS 11, 762, 870, WHICH PUTS PRODUCTION IN 1961. HARD TO BELIEVE THIS WONDERFUL TIMEPIECE IS 58 YEARS OLD!
THE WATCH COMES ON A BRAND NEW GENUINE “LIZARD GRAIN” LEATHER STRAP AND THEY LOOK FANTASTIC ON THE WRIST.
BID WITH CONFIDENCE. HERE IS SOME HISTORY ON THE FAMOUS LONGINES CALIBER 340 (the same as the 341 in this watch but the 341 includes a date complication).
The earlier Longines automatic movements that pre-date this watch were the calibres 19 A ( introduced 1952) and 14.17 ( introduced 1956), and are particularly interesting as, in common with this calibre, their winding rotors are not centrally pivoted, being actually off-set from the centre point. Launched in 1960, this calibre 340 movement was developed over a number of years, with an offset rotor taking up a significant part of the width of the watch case. The 340 was a very large movement, larger than the two previous Longines calibres ( as an aside, this large movement obviously results in a very chunky, drum like watch, with a substantial width of 38mm. ) It is a statement of proven scientific fact that a larger oscillating balance in a movement will, all other things being equal, be more accurate than its smaller sibling and it in view of the record breaking accuracy level achieved by this calibre, is therefore not surprising that the 340 soon had an enormous following among connoisseurs of micro-mechanics in the late 1950s.
For the technically minded, it should be mentioned that the 12 ligne ( the ligne is the unit of width traditionally used within the Swiss watch industry.) 340 calibre had its rotor mounted on ball bearings rather than the jewels used in the earlier Longines automatic movements. These dramatically reduced the effect of friction upon the rotor and enabled the watch to wind itself with even the very slightest movement of the wearer’s wrist. The design of this movement is very striking, with a toothed outer ring extending from the rotor, this in turn pivoting in two directions, both capable of winding the watch via an ingenious patented satellite wheel switcher. The balance is a screwless Glucydur ( this is the trade name for a patented beryllium bronze alloy used to create balance wheels on only the very highest grade of vintage watch production. Cheaper, mass market movements used nickel for their balances) type and the movement features the wonderfully engineered Kif-Ultraflex system that is almost ubiquitous on top tier Swiss movements of the 1950s.
IF YOU HAVE EVER WANTED TO OWN ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER AND COLLECTABLE WATCHES IN THE WORLD – HERE IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY! YOU WILL NOT FIND ONE IN MUCH BETTER CONDITION – GOOD LUCK!
I accept Paypal! Please set up your Paypal accounts before you bid as it takes several days. Buyer to pay $9.00 for insured shipping in the US and $35.00 overseas. GOOD LUCK!
After you have placed your winning bid, you can visit my other auctions by simply clicking the “SELLERS OTHER AUCTIONS” located next to my user name. If you like what you see, bookmark my listing and I’ll bring you more each week!
SUPER COLLECTABLE – RARE OPPORTUNITY!
