Longines Conquest VHP – quartz still has its place

The Longines Conquest VHP introduces a new high-precision quartz movement in a whole new range of watches.

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We journalists were encouraged to disconnect at the launch of the new Longines Conquest VHP collection, handing in our mobile phones before touring the Neuchâtel Observatory where in 1954 the weighty Longines Chronocinégines box set new standards in precision and revolutionised the world of sports timekeeping, providing a sequence of images taken every hundredth of a second to create the first photofinish images. What Longines really wanted to do, however, was ensure that no parallels were drawn with the world of smart watches (“connected watches” in French). The brand stressed this in various ways, from the “disconnection” during the presentation to the emphasis on five years of battery life.

The new Conquest VHP is nevertheless packed with high tech and builds on Longines’ experience in quartz movements since the launch of the Chronocinégines in 1954. As the technology was increasingly miniaturised, Longines presented its first Conquest VHP model in 1984, which offered an accuracy of +/- 1 minute every five years (five to ten times more accurate than other quartz watches of the time). Thirty-three years later the new ETA quartz calibre powering the 2017 Conquest VHP collection offers an accuracy of +/- 5 seconds per year and features an innovative new system, called Gear Position Detection (GPD), to detect the position of the hands, allowing them to be reset to the exact time in the event of shocks. It is the first watch movement that does not just tell the time but actually “knows” what time it is.


The new collection features a resolutely classic stainless-steel case with contrasting brushed finish and a polished bezel, coupled with a choice of dials in black, blue and silver, plus a more contemporary version with a black carbon-fibre dial. The Conquest VHP is available as a three-hand version or a chronograph, both of which have a perpetual calendar function that needs no correction until the year 2399. The watch does have one smart thing about it: a “smart” crown that allows easy adjustment of the time. Pull out and turn it slowly to adjust the minutes or turn it slightly faster to move forward in hour increments without affecting the accuracy of the minutes or seconds.



Price for this kind of watch can be a crucial issue. Sister brands within the Swatch Group offer mechanical timepieces for as little as one thousand Swiss francs, which is just a fraction above the price of the three-hand Longines Conquest VHP (the chronograph will retail for around 1,500 Swiss francs). But don’t forget that for that price you are getting unparalleled accuracy and a “power reserve” of five years.

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