When it comes to the luxury Longines, I usually envision many people in silly hats sitting around a track with umbrellas twirling. As this track does not have cars around it, it’s hard for people like me to blend in and associate with the masses. If I’m honest, they probably won’t let me past the gate. 
Those isosceles triangles it uses for crown guards, rising upon the crown like the Tyrell buildings in an alternate Los Angeles, always looked like they would dig and dig. At least, my exhausted mind used to think when I would look at the replica watches online. The ridges on the crown don’t go all the way to the end, instead giving way to a smooth button. So, that looks ok, but what about those guards? To my surprise, even if the watch sits low, the crown guards and the crown are raised just enough that they rarely make contact with my wrist. I’ve even unscrewed and wound the crown without taking the watch off. It’s been one of the most comfortable divers I’ve ever worn.
Longines is placed just below brands like Omega in Swatch’s pyramid, but the case fit and finish are top-notch. Now with scratch-resistant ceramic, the bezel insert changes a little from the old one. Gone are the markers at every minute, the 15, 30, and 45 for a more traditional 10, 20, etc., and a few hash marks for 15 minutes. Longines winged hourglass. The detail is as sharp as any engraving you’ll find at this price, and personally, it’s something I love to see on divers. Drives home that tool vibe.
While maybe not as original as the other, this is the better of the two. Getting rid of the excessive markers allows the wearer to pick out the time from those carryover hands easily. Speaking of the hands, they’re chromed and well machined. The hour hand uses a diamond to be pointed out easily. Yes, I know another brand has a similar hand, but this is more diamond than square, and since only the diamond has luminous paint, you get a lovely blue diamond floating around the dial at night. The lume is ok. It lasts, but it’s only bright straight out of the sun. However, in low light, that isn’t total blackness; those significant markers in bright white make the time visible even with no charge.
The ceramic model has a slightly different bracelet, and, unfortunately, this is where I feel Longines cut the cost a little to keep the fake Rolex watch at a specific price point. I mean, it’s not bad, even though a committee sat around and approved a lug width of 21mm. In a world where Instagram tells us we need to change the strap every week for a new photo, who in their right mind ever thought 21 was a good idea? It’s your basic oyster design instead of the H-link that the nonceramic model carries. It’s also the only polished surface on the watch, as though they thought, “Crap. We made a tool watch.
