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Lot Essay
According to the Archives of Longines the present watch was sold on June 18th, 1947 to Seelich, the Longines Agent in Slovakia.
The Hour Angle Watch is one of Longines most iconic watch models, also known as the Longines Weems Second-Setting Watch. The model is associated with two Americans: aviation pioneer Charles A. Lindbergh, and the man who trained him at the Annapolis Naval Academy, Philip Van Horn Weems.
One of Weem's inventions was the Second Setting Watch, designed for the purpose of helping aviators plot their courses more accurately. Weems concluded that difficulty in setting a watch precisely over sea came from the fact that it was almost impossible to set the second hand exactly. His solution was the make the dial moveable so that the dial and second hand could be synchronized. Weems also designed a large ball-sized winding crown, which would allow for easy winding and setting of the time while wearing gloves.
Charles Lindbergh is most well known for becoming the first person to make a solo, non-stop Trans-Atlantic flight in 1927. Lindbergh invented the hour angle watch, and it was introduced to the market in 1932. The accuracy of mechanical watches could be affected by conditions on ships and airplanes, and the hour angle watch provided a way for variations to be calculated when used in conjunction with radio signals.
Both Weems and Lindbergh's contributions to both aviation and horology were vital to the progress of navigation, and their improvements come together in the Longines Hour Angle Watch.
The Hour Angle Watch is one of Longines most iconic watch models, also known as the Longines Weems Second-Setting Watch. The model is associated with two Americans: aviation pioneer Charles A. Lindbergh, and the man who trained him at the Annapolis Naval Academy, Philip Van Horn Weems.
One of Weem's inventions was the Second Setting Watch, designed for the purpose of helping aviators plot their courses more accurately. Weems concluded that difficulty in setting a watch precisely over sea came from the fact that it was almost impossible to set the second hand exactly. His solution was the make the dial moveable so that the dial and second hand could be synchronized. Weems also designed a large ball-sized winding crown, which would allow for easy winding and setting of the time while wearing gloves.
Charles Lindbergh is most well known for becoming the first person to make a solo, non-stop Trans-Atlantic flight in 1927. Lindbergh invented the hour angle watch, and it was introduced to the market in 1932. The accuracy of mechanical watches could be affected by conditions on ships and airplanes, and the hour angle watch provided a way for variations to be calculated when used in conjunction with radio signals.
Both Weems and Lindbergh's contributions to both aviation and horology were vital to the progress of navigation, and their improvements come together in the Longines Hour Angle Watch.