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@lotusforrace

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Love vintage watches, cars and photography - pictures copyrighted and taken by myself - no repost unless permitted

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One of the things that has fascinated me most about Longines 13ZN chronographs for the past 40 years is the extraordinary diversity of dial designs and case variations.

Considering the relatively small production numbers, it is remarkable how often unusual configurations still appear—sometimes variations one may never have encountered before.

This is a particularly interesting Longines 13ZN, reference 4886, delivered in 1942 to Longines’ Italian concessionaire Ostersetzer.

What immediately sets this example apart is the distinctive shape of its lugs. In fact, I have yet to come across another example of reference 4886 in a stainless-steel case.

The dial is equally fascinating. Made by Flückiger & Co., it features exceptionally slender, elongated numerals. Their restrained, almost architectural appearance is reminiscent of the typography associated with early Bauhaus design—an aesthetic rarely encountered on these early Longines chronographs.

It is precisely these subtle and sometimes unexpected variations that continue to make the world of the 13ZN so fascinating, even after decades of collecting and studying them.

Has anyone come across another Longines reference 4886, either in stainless steel or gold? I would be very interested to see other surviving examples.

#Longines #Longines13ZN #Longines4886 #VintageLongines #VintageChronograph by @lotusforrace

A Porsche 906 in front through the corner, the next it’s coming straight at me. An overtaking car clips it and sends it spinning across the track, right into my path. A split-second, last-ditch swerve was all that stood between me and a head-on collision.
Historic racing is about passion, respect and racing room. This is a reminder of why that respect matters. 🏁
 #SolitudeRevival #HistoricRacing #Porsche906 #VintageMotorsport #CloseCall by @lotusforrace

G.I.A. NAV 19 – one pilot, one watch, 20,000 hours.

Born in Palembang in 1921, Francois Noordhoorn was evacuated from Java in 1942, trained as a pilot in Kansas and Mississippi, and flew B-25 Mitchells with No. 18 Squadron NEI out of northern Australia. More than 40 combat missions and 240 operational hours under heavy flak earned him the Vliegerkruis, the Dutch equivalent of the DFC, awarded by Queen Juliana in 1949. After the war he joined KLM in Jakarta and helped build Garuda Indonesian Airways from a single DC-3. In 1951 Garuda ordered a small batch of Longines flyback „Stop Seconde“ watches for its flight crews. The archive confirms ref. 5681, cal. 12.68Z, invoiced on 12 May 1951 to Geo. Wehry & Co., Longines‘ agent for the Dutch East Indies. Each caseback was engraved G.I.A. / NAV and individually numbered. This one is No. 19, presented to Captain Noordhoorn for his service.

The 12.68Z is a clever navigator’s tool: press lightly to stop, release to restart, press hard to reset and run again instantly. That’s three steps in one motion.

The watch stayed on his wrist through KLM postings in Curaçao, DC-6 and DC-8 instructing, and a second career in Australia. By 1973 he had logged nearly 20,000 hours.

Acquired directly from his family, together with his licences, logbook summary and the royal decree.

#longines #vintagewatches #pilotwatch #flyback #watchhistory by @lotusforrace

A Ferrari 250 GT that suddenly and unexpectedly swerves in front of you. From the driver’s perspective – during the race – you experience situations and see angles that are hidden from spectators.
#historicmotorsport#historicracing#historicchampionship#hc65#ferrari250GTO by @lotusforrace

Longines 30CH. The one at the bottom is from the early 1950s; the one at the top is from the early 1960s. Which one is your favourite?
#longines#vintagelongines#13zn#noswatch#rarelongines by @lotusforrace

A tense glance over my shoulder. This was during the race with the „Revtimewatch“ Elva, after an accidental spin in which I’d stalled the engine. When I tried to restart it, there was apparently still quite a bit of flammable petrol in the exhaust system🔥#historicmotorsport#historicracing#historicchampionship#hc65#revtimewatch by @lotusforrace

A new-old-stock, water-resistant steel chronograph from Longines. The watch, reference 5681, has a 37.5 mm case and was delivered in 1947 to: Nacib K. Djezvedjian & Son, Constantinople, the Turkish general agent for Longines. Inside, the highly refined and intricate in-house Calibre 12.68 beats. Alongside the two-tone silver-plated dial with subtle Arabic numerals, the view from above is characterised by the red minute hand extending from the centre.
Vintagelongines#chronostop#noswatch#singlepusher by @lotusforrace

What do we know today about the ‘Longines Special’ inscription on the dial? It is thought to be linked to the Terrasse concessionaire in Sweden and the 1940s–1950s. However, I have not yet found any more specific sources. Do any of you know how this inscription came about, and whether there really is anything ‘special’ about these watches?
#LONGINES#Vintagelongines#Longinespecial#rarelongines#longinescollector by @lotusforrace

12 seconds, two Shelbys in the mirrors.  The black Cobra is dancing on the knife-edge between oversteer and understeer, at times up on three wheels, while the red Daytona Coupé outbrakes itself and pirouettes off the line. . 😅🏁 the light Revtimewatch Elva, chased by a pack of hissing cobras.
#historicracing#shelbycobra#historicchampionship65#spa6hours#revtimewatch by @lotusforrace

📸 sometimes I experiment with my photography. Here’s a composition combining a view of the dial and the movement – for those who want to know what the watch actually looks like. Take a look at my last post before this: ‘The watches provenance: Found unsold in an Italian watch shop in the 1980s, published in 1986 in the book *The Most Beautiful Wristwatches*. Decades gone by, Negretti and Nencini. Sold at the Sothebys New York auction in 1990 (at that time for three times the price of a Rex Paul Newman) since then private collection for 36 years.
NOS Longines Tre Tacche 13zn flyback Chronograph delivered in 1942 to Ostersetzer, Italy. The watch shown on the front cover of the new Longines book „watches that made history“ #longines#vintagelongines#13zn#noswatch#rarelongines by @lotusforrace

NOS Longines Tre Tacche 13zn flyback Chronograph delivered in 1942 to Ostersetzer, Italy. The watch shown on the front cover of the new Longines book „watches that made history“ #longines#vintagelongines#13zn#noswatch#rarelongines by @lotusforrace

Race start historic championship 65 Spa Franchorchamps, onboard, feel welcome to take your seat…
#historicracing#historicchampionship#historicchampionship65#spa6hours#revtimewatch by @lotusforrace