Longines expands the Spirit Zulu Time range with the 100th anniversary-marking 1925 collection
Tom Austin- Longines celebrates the 100-year anniversary of its first dual time wristwatch by unveiling three new colourways for the Spirit Zulu Time.
- Alongside some slightly different bezel and dial combinations, the most striking addition is a model with an 18ct rose gold bezel insert, featuring engraved numerals.
- New models also feature rose gold-plated hands and hour markers, setting this celebratory collection apart from the rest of the range.
Since the dawn of air travel, pilots and jet-setters alike have relied on wristwatches to track the time across different time zones. While Rolex takes most of the credit for inventing the modern GMT watch, it may surprise you that Longines has its own fair share of travel-time history. 2025 marks 100 years since the first Longines wristwatch to feature dual time zones, just 14 years after the first time zone was crossed in an aeroplane by pilot Calbraith Perry Rodgers in 1911.
Air travel advanced quickly during that period, and over the subsequent decades, wristwatches evolved into reliable tools to accompany travellers along their journeys. Longines moved along with this with several pilots’ watches over the years, culminating today with their latest release, the Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 collection.
Introduced in 2022, the first Spirit Zulu Time came in a 42mm guise, then quickly took on more compact and ergonomic proportions when the 39mm version was released around a year later. It’s a hugely popular watch, taking elements from the travel-watch recipe book that work exceptionally well, and incorporating them in an elegant and functional package. This new collection brings some changes, albeit subtle, that are a combination of all-new designs and reworkings of other components used elsewhere in the Spirit Zulu Time range. All of which are available in 42mm and 39mm sizes.
Firstly, there are two ceramic bezel additions. One is a solid blue, now paired with a black dial instead of the sunburst blue dial we’ve seen previously. Also, the two-tone black and grey ceramic bezel insert has made its way onto a steel model, after only being introduced on the recent titanium Spirit Zulu. It has to be said that while these do look great, and there’s an element of retro-cool about the new blue combo, and the two-tone sees the addition of gold-tinted hour markers in the bezel, these aren’t groundbreaking tweaks – but welcome ones nonetheless.
Thankfully, there is a model in the range which is like no other. Available in the 39mm variety only, the third model features a much more interesting 18ct rose gold bezel insert. It matches the gilt dial features beautifully and is brushed to mitigate the frustrating scratches from everyday wear. The 24-hour numerals are finely engraved into the gold surface, and while it lacks the day/night aspect of a GMT bezel, it doesn’t really matter, because gold, right?
All three watches are set with a matt black dial, contrasting against the bright lumed Arabic hour markers. On the gold and black/grey model, these, along with the hands, are now in a polished rose gold finish. In contrast, the blue model retains the yellow finish of the current model – why Longines chose to do this is anybody’s guess, as it would have made more sense to stick with rose gold at least for consistency across this collection, but it’s not a dealbreaker.
The GMT hand is finished with a rose gold tip to match the rest, although with the majority of the hand painted black, it fades into the dial almost a little too much, bringing quick legibility of the second time zone into question slightly. As with the other models in the range, though, quality and finish are superb and exceed expectations at this price point. That, too, extends into the bracelet options, with the three-link steel bracelet offering a premium look and feel, and the gold model offering a cool black NATO-style strap in the box for some variety.
Everything else with the new 1925 collection is what we enjoy about the Spirit Zulu Time: especially the comfortable stainless steel case with polished chamfers and no crown guards, the domed sapphire crystal and nicely proportioned bezel. All of these elements are what make it objectively a great watch, albeit while the 42mm may be on the larger side for most, it’s good to see the 39mm is given the same options.
Its functionality remains, too, with the use of the Longines exclusive calibre L844.4, a COSC-certified chronometer movement based on an ETA A31.411. Thankfully, it’s a “true” GMT movement, which at this price point is a must, along with a hefty 72 hours of power reserve. One other thing to note is that the gold bezelled anniversary model features an exhibition caseback, which, thankfully, has not added any thickness to the watch whatsoever.
While there’s nothing wrong with the Spirit Zulu Time, it’s easy to criticise certain aspects of this new collection, purely from a design point of view. Longines has a rich history when it comes to dual time zone watches, and it would have been interesting to see them play into that a little more and explore some more daring options, based on historical references. Or then again, perhaps it’s just because of my own inadequacies of not being as handsome as Henry Cavill when wearing one… Either way, there are some cool details with the new Spirit Zulu Time 1925 collection, and I can’t wait to see that new gold bezel insert in the metal.
Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 pricing and availability
The Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 collection is available now from Longines retailers. Price: US$3,300 (39mm and 42mm ceramic bezel models), US$4,350 (39mm rose gold bezel model)
| Brand | Longines |
| Model | Spirit Zulu Time 1925 Collection |
| Case Dimensions | 39mm (D) x 13.5mm (T) 42mm (D) x 14.1mm (T) Blue and black/grey models only |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 meters |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front, sapphire back on gold bezel model |
| Dial | Matte black |
| Lug Width | 39mm model – 21mm 42mm model – 22mm |
| Bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet, black NATO with gold bezel model |
| Movement | Longines exclusive automatic calibre L844.4 |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, GMT |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$3,300 – 39mm & 42mm ceramic bezel models US$4,350 – 18ct rose gold bezel model |