1900s: Universal Exhibition in Paris

Pressing market demand with respect to both technology and styling drove watchmakers at Longines to design caliber L21.59. After the first Longines watch’s 1867 bronze medal, in 1900 Longines caliber 21.59 won a Grand Prix at the Universal Exhibition in Paris with a one-of-a-kind creation called La Renommée, in 18K gold.

The first wristwatches
When watches gradually migrated from waistcoat to wrist, Longines was in 1905 the first to turn out wristwatches by largely mechanical means. This innovation marked the start of a complete reorganization of the Longines’ factory working and production methods during the 1920s and 1930s.