L.688 — the modern automatic chronograph

In brief

Not quite a century stands between this calibre and the 13ZN. The L.688 is the automatic chronograph of Longines' current range, running at 28,800 vph with around 54 hours of power reserve — far more than the brand's vintage hand-wound chronographs ever offered.

Short history

The L.688 builds on a standard ETA/Valjoux architecture, as most modern calibres from the Swatch Group manufactures do, with Longines' own development and regulation on top. It is where a line the brand opened almost a century earlier with the 13ZN has arrived.

Why it matters

Most of the automatic chronographs Longines sells today run on it, and reading it against the 13ZN shows plainly how far the brand's chronograph work has travelled in under a hundred years.

Watches that used it

• Longines Master Collection
• Longines Record Chronograph