This outstanding vintage Longines Tank Art Deco from the 1930's is a refined expression of early 20th century design. The watch embodies the elegance and symmetry that defined the Art Deco era. It contains a warm 10k gold filled rectangular case with applied Breguet numerals, a unique faceted crystal, and houses the legendary in-house caliber 9LT manual wind movement. This 9LT movement was considered one of the finest rectangular movements of its era and showcases the brand's commitment to precision during a golden age of Swiss horology. It's rectangular case, clean lines, and understated dial layout reflect a time when watchmaking merged seamlessly with architecture and style.
The warm 10k gold filled rectangular case remains in strong vintage condition, retaining its defined edges and proportions. As expected for a watch of this era, there are light signs of wear, but overall in excellent condition. There is no chipping or heavy wear on the case, and it looks to have been lightly polished in the past. The engraved 10k gold filled lettering is visible and clean on the upper case back with no major dings or scratches. On the inside of the caseback it says Longines Wittnauer New York, showing this case was made in the USA. The angular case is beautiful and wars incredibly well on the wrist. The unique faceted crystal is in fantastic condition and gives the dial a very cool distorted look from different angles. The white dial is in great condition for its age with no major signs of heavy patina or blemishes. The dial features a recessed small seconds at six o'clock and beautiful gold Breguet numerals. This tank houses the legendary in-house caliber 9LT manual wind movement, one of the finest rectangular movements of its era. The watch is keeping good time and comes on a blue ostrich leather strap with gold buckle.
SPECS
Brand: Longines
Reference: Tank Art Deco (8487175 inside caseback)
Movement: Caliber 9LT
Year: 1930's
Condition: Pre-owned
Case Material: 10k gold filled
Dial: White
Case Diameter: 22mm
Lug to Lug: 36mm
Case Thickness: 9.7mm
Lug Width: 17mm
Crystal: Faceted Acrylic
Water Resistance: N/A
Strap: Blue Ostrich Leather
Box & Papers: No
THOUGHTS
Vintage Longines from the 1930's are some of the most quietly compelling watches you can own. During this period, Longines was producing beautifully proportioned pieces with excellent in-house movements, and the brand had already firmly established itself as one of Switzerland's most respected manufacturers. What I particularly love about these early tank style Longines is their balanced design and art deco styling. The design is simple, but never boring. The rectangular case captures the spirit of that time so well with the clean geometry, restrained details, and a sense of elegance that feels as relevant today as it did nearly a century ago. A special little easter egg on this one is the case being made in the USA by Longines Wittnauer New York. Longines Wittnauer had a wonderful partnership in the USA and this showcases their prowess. This one has a clean white dial with gorgeous Breguet numerals that sits behind a rare, faceted crystal giving it a different kind of tank look compared to tanks out there. The 9LT manual wind movement is legendary and is a reliable workhorse that has kept this watch beating for nearly a century.
