With a history stretching back to 1832, Longines has a wealth of materials to draw from for inspiration when it comes to timepieces with vintage designs. The brand has kept up a successful run of such watches in its Heritage collection; recent releases include a line of field watches based on one made for British paratroopers in the 1940s, and a dive watch modelled on a reference from 1967. Another notable range from the collection is a series of monopusher chronographs, which counts the Pulsometer Chronograph as a member.

The monopusher chronograph predates the two-pusher design more commonly seen today. The single push-piece is responsible for all of the complication’s operations – consecutive presses will start, stop, and reset the chronograph sequentially. Although the user is unable to pause and resume the timing of an event with such a layout, the monopusher chronograph offers the advantage of a sleeker, more elegant case, especially when the pusher is integrated into the crown. This is what Longines has achieved in the Pulsometer Chronograph, with the rest of the watch reinforcing this design detail to give the timepiece a decidedly classical vibe.

As it is based on a doctor’s watch from the 1920s, the Pulsometer Chronograph exhibits many hallmarks of a chronograph from that era. Besides the monopusher case design, it also has a bi-compax dial layout executed on a white lacquer base, with black markings and a red pulsometric scale painted on it. Blued-steel hands complete the package. The central element of the watch is its pulsometer, which allows a person’s pulse rate to be taken quickly when it is used with the chronograph. The user just needs to activate the chronograph and stop it after counting thirty heartbeats, then read off the scale to get the converted pulse rate in beats per second.

In spite of its vintage inspiration, the Pulsometer Chronograph isn’t without a few modern touches, beginning with the addition of a date window, which is positioned at six o’clock to maintain the dial’s symmetry. The watch has also been sized for the contemporary wearer at 40mm, and houses an up-to-date L788 movement, which is a modified ETA Valgranges calibre that is based on the Valjoux 7753. The movement is made for Longines by ETA, and has been tweaked with a column wheel in lieu of a cam-actuated system, while also sporting a longer power reserve.

Specs

• Longines Pulsometer Chronograph
• Dimensions: 40mm
• Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, bi-compax chronograph, date
• Power reserve: 54 hours
• Movement: Self-winding Calibre L788.2 with 54-hour power reserve
• Water Resistance: 30 meters
  Case: Stainless steel
  Strap: Brown alligator leather with ardillon buckle

Story Credits
Text by Jamie Tan

This article was originally published in World of Watches Singapore