Longines Expands The Master Collection With A New Monopusher Chronograph
Longines expands the recently refreshed Master collection with a more complicated timepiece: the new Master Chrono Monopusher, a manually wound chronograph that combines traditional watchmaking with a refined contemporary design.
The monopusher chronograph is particularly significant for Longines. The brand developed its first wristwatch chronograph with this type of mechanism as early as 1911, making the complication an important part of its technical heritage. The new model brings that historical connection into the current Master collection while introducing a fresh choice of dial colours and a modern approach to everyday comfort.
A 41mm Stainless Steel Case
The Master Chrono Monopusher is presented in a 41 mm stainless steel case measuring 12.60 mm thick. Its proportions accommodate the manually wound chronograph movement inside while maintaining the restrained character expected from the Master collection.
The case features polished surfaces and a traditional round profile, with the crown positioned at 3 o’clock. However, the most distinctive element is built directly into the crown itself.
Rather than using conventional chronograph pushers, the watch has a single integrated pusher in the crown. This controls the entire chronograph sequence: one press starts the measurement, a second stops it and a third resets the mechanism.
This configuration gives the watch a particularly clean appearance while requiring a more sophisticated mechanical architecture underneath the dial.
Two Distinctive Dial Options
Longines offers the Master Chrono Monopusher with two dial variations: ice blue and silver opaline.
The ice-blue version introduces a contemporary tone to an otherwise traditionally styled watch, while the silver opaline option takes a more understated approach. The latter is complemented by rose-gold-coloured applied numerals and hands.
Both versions share the same detailed construction. At the centre of the dial is a barleycorn pattern, adding texture without overwhelming the design. Around the perimeter sits a pulsometer scale, reflecting the chronograph’s historical association with measuring heart rates.
Applied numerals and polished hands provide the main time indications, while black printed minute and chronograph scales offer contrast and legibility.
The two recessed sub-dials are finished with a snailed decoration. A running seconds are displayed at 9 o’clock, while on the opposite side, there is a 30-minute counter.
Completing the dial are leaf-shaped hands and the Longines’ applied winged hourglass logo at 12 o’clock.
The L799.5 Monopusher Chronograph
Behind the design is the Longines Calibre L799.5, a manually wound chronograph derived from the L788 family previously used for Longines monopusher chronographs.
The movement uses a column wheel and vertical clutch, two important elements in the architecture of a high-quality mechanical chronograph. The column wheel coordinates the chronograph functions, while the vertical clutch is designed to provide smooth engagement of the chronograph mechanism.
Operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, the movement provides a modern 4Hz frequency and offers up to 68 hours of power reserve from its single barrel.
Longines has also given considerable attention to the movement’s presentation. Through the sapphire crystal caseback, the calibre reveals blued screws and a blued column wheel, Geneva striping on the bridges, polished levers and wheels, and perlage on the mainplate. Engraved Longines branding and calibre information are filled with blue lacquer.
For a watch positioned within a traditionally styled collection, the movement decoration adds an important layer of visual interest that can be appreciated when the watch is off the wrist as well as when the chronograph is being operated.
Alligator Strap with Micro-Adjustment
The Master Chrono Monopusher is paired with either an anthracite or brown alligator leather strap.
The strap is fitted with a triple-folding clasp incorporating a micro-adjustment system. A small pusher on the clasp allows the wearer to fine-tune the effective length of the strap by sliding it through several millimetres.
It is a practical feature, particularly for a leather-strapped watch, as wrist dimensions can change throughout the day or with seasonal temperatures. It also allows the watch to be fitted more precisely without requiring additional holes in the strap.
A Historic Complication Reinterpreted
The Master Chrono Monopusher brings together several elements that define the Master collection: classical proportions, refined finishing, mechanical complexity and a strong connection to Longines’ history.
The monopusher configuration is the technical highlight, offering a different operating experience from a conventional two-pusher chronograph while keeping the case visually clean. The combination of the 41mm case, textured dials, pulsometer scale and manually wound L799.5 movement gives the watch a distinct identity within the renewed Master range.
With the choice between an expressive ice-blue dial and a more traditional silver opaline execution, Longines also gives the model two very different personalities while retaining the same underlying technical specification.
The Longines Master Chrono Monopusher is priced at CHF 3,200, positioning a column-wheel, vertical-clutch, manually wound monopusher chronograph within a relatively accessible segment of Swiss mechanical watchmaking.
Read more here.
General Specifications:
Brand: Longines
Model: Master Chrono Monopusher
Reference: L.2.960.4.78.2 (silver-opaline dial), L.2.960.4.93.2 (frosted blue dial)
Dial: Silver-opaline, frosted blue
Lume: No
Case Material: Stainless steel
Case Dimensions: 41 mm Diameter, 12.60 mm thickness
Crystal: Sapphire glass
Case Back: Sapphire glass
Water Resistance: 30 Meters
Strap: Brown or anthracite alligator leather strap with steel folding clasp
Calibre: L799.5
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph
Winding: Hand-wound
Frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 Vph)
Power Reserve: 68 Hours
Price: CHF 3,200
Limited Edition: No
Availability: Now
