Longines Expeditions Polaires Francaises Missions Paul Emile Victor

Paul-Emile Victor was a famous polar explorer, scientist, anthropologist, founder and patron of the Expéditions Polaires Françaises (French Polar Expeditions) for 29 years. Longines, a Swiss luxury watchmaker shares something special with this noble man since he was also born in Geneva, back in 1907. Paul-Emile Victor was a leader of the exploratory missions to the Arctic and Antarctica. Between 1947 and 1976 the Expéditions Polaires Françaises, organized 150 trips to Greenland and the Adélie Coas, bringing together geologists, geodesists, meteorologists, physicists, biologists, geographers and glaciologists working together to study and understand these distant parts of the world.


Case-back

The essential pieces of their equipment were four Longines chronometers. One of them was set to sidereal time, while the rest pointed to civil time. Fifteen members of the expedition wore stainless steel Longines watches to determine their astronomical position. These watches were equipped with a centrally mounted second hand, which was still very rare at that time. The watch also used luminescent coating on the Arabic numerals and a supreme anti-shock device built inside of the Longines 12.68N calibre.

Expéditions Polaires Françaises – Missions Paul-Emile Victor is a trustworthy re-issue of a watch used by the expedition members. It is a small tribute to the passion of these scientists and the spirit of their leader. This accurate reproduction is fitted with self-winding mechanical movement calibre L619. This movement is based on ETA 2892/A2, built on 21 jewels and provides 42 hours of power reserve. The medium-sized watch boasts 38.50 mm in diameter. The piece is sculptured from stainless steel and has a back cover engraved with Expéditions Polaires Françaises – Missions Paul-Emile Victor or Expédition Arctique (Groenland) – Expédition Antarctique (Terre Adelie).


Longines Expeditions Polaires Francaises 1947

Vintage silvered dial features six Arabic numerals, and five triangular indices coated with Super-LumiNova. A minute circle hovers around the dial, and a small date aperture appears at 3 o’clock. The dial is protected with anti-reflexive sapphire crystal, but the movement still remains sensitive to the ingress of water. This watch is water resistant only to 30 meters, which means that its case provides protection only against sweat and some occasional splashing. Mounted on black leather strap with a choice of brown alligator strap with buckle. Reference number: L2.732.4.76.X


Les Expeditions Polaires Francaises : L'Arctique


Technical specifications
Ref. no.:
Expéditions Polaires Françaises – Missions Paul-Emile Victor – L2.732.4.76.X
Calibre:
Self-winding mechanical movement, calibre L619 (ETA 2892/A2), 11½ lines, 21 jewels, 28,800 vibrations per hour, power-reserve: 42 hours
Functions:
Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Case:
Circular, steel, Ø 38.50 mm, back cover engraved with: Expéditions Polaires Françaises – Missions Paul-Emile Victor or Expédition Arctique (Groenland) – Expédition Antarctique (Terre Adelie)
Dial:
Silvered, 6 Arabic numerals and 5 indices coated with Super-LumiNova, minute circle, date aperture at 3 o’clock
Hands:
Blued steel coated with Super-LumiNova
Water-resistant:
To 3 bars or 30 metres
Glass:
Sapphire with anti-reflection coating
Strap:
Black leather or brown alligator with buckle

Author: Marina Milojević
If you use one of my articles on your own website or blog, then please credit me and provide a link back to the original.