On May 21, 1927, the "Spirit of St. Louis" landed at Le Bourget Airport in Paris after a flight of 33:30. At the helm, Charles A. Lindbergh, had left New York the day before and has just completed the first transatlantic solo flight without a stopover. As an official timer for The World Air Sports Federation, Longines also participated in the homologation of this prowess by timing the flight and then adding it to the list of air records.
On June 16, 1927, Charles Lindbergh received a prize of $25,000 in New York, promised by Raymond Orteig to the first aviator who would make the non-stop crossing between New York and Paris. 90 years later, Longines announces the creation of a yearly $25,000 prize for an adventurer or a pioneer. This award will be presented for the first time on May 21, 2018, in New York.
The ties between Longines and Charles Lindbergh were close. Following his crossing, the aviator approached the watch brand to create a timepiece that meets his needs as an aviator, and thus was born the Longines Hour Angle watch. The Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch 90th Anniversary, a new 90-piece limited edition of this watch was launched this year to commemorate this 90th anniversary.
