A Symphony of Precision: The Longines Pilot Majetek

People don't really realize how important the Longines brand was then. You're talking about first pocket watch with a chronograph, among the first watches with chronographs, first pocket watch with dual time zone, first wrist watch with dual time zone. I was talking to a brand guy at Longines. I asked him, like, why did watches become such a thing here, right, in this corner of Switzerland, these Jura mountains and everything. And he said, because it's quiet. Right, I mean, think about it. To become a master watchmaker, you need a lot of peace. Absolutely. He goes, and the cows don't bother us. I mean, you've got quite a few. You've got three here. This one you just finished service on. Right. It's a lot of history here. Of course, none of them are as old as this one. And that one was your... That is my grandfather's. I think that is one of the most beautiful vintage watches I've seen. Quirky, which is cool. And where was that watch originally sold? I have no clue. All I know is that my grandfather got it as a gift for his valor after the revolution. World War II. So my uncle asked me, he says, I have something to give you. This is when I turned 60. He said, I have something to give you, but just whatever you do, he said, don't change it or anything. I said, let me see. He shows me this. I said, Gregory, you have no clue. This watch came where it was supposed to go. That's the cool thing about things that were made right the first time. Absolutely. Because you can't make them better. 100 years old and it's still perfect. And it still runs. Yes. It still runs and it still keeps time. Take a look at mine. This is cool. I think you'll appreciate this for a very specific reason. This is something new? Yeah. This is a master collection. I love the dial. Brushed salmon dial. Very cool. And the numerals are just awesome. Yeah. Those are beautiful. Yeah, they're actually engraved on. Nice. Isn't that cool? Absolutely. They're actually engraved onto the dial. Yeah, you don't see quality like that. No. Another watch from the 20th century, but this is the new one. This is the new Magatech. And I love the, come on, to indicate the start time. Oh, inside dial. Yeah. That's cool. Isn't that cool? Yeah. Also, feel the action on the bezel, on the rotating bezel. Cool dial, too. One of those that's made for the rest of their lifetime. Exactly. Yeah, the original ones were made in the 30s. And now, I just think it's really neat that even though the world is so electronic, a big brand still understands. Oh, yeah. People still want things, right, that they last, sure, quality, yeah, but also stylistically that are from 100 years ago. That's cool. Yeah. That's cool. Classic design. Yeah. That's fine. You can take it. No, really, no. How can I? I broke it yesterday. Yeah, I fixed it. It's done. Yes, it is. It's up to you. Can I pick it up now? You can pick it up if you want. Be careful with the hands when you take it home. Wait, wait. The hands, hands, hands. Hands up. Can you just carry it like that? Sure. Okay. All right. You can take it. All right. Thank you. Most important thing about watches, of course, is timekeeping. And just make sure that the customer gets exactly what they're asking for. And what they're asking for is something that lasts. A watch like this, you can put it on your wrist and never take it off. Just absolutely never take it off. Whatever you manage to do in your life, this particular watch is designed to take everything. And it's crown-ready certified. That's another plus. The band is well-designed as well. That's cool, right? Yeah, it's flexible here and strong here. And they have leather insert, which is special for it so it doesn't rip. The inside bezel is very cool. You can clearly see the marking. It's a timer. You can time your… When you're jogging in the park. Very cool. Nice. This kid comes by and he looks at my watches in there. And it's a 19… I think it's 1930s, some hand one. He goes, I like the face on this. And I said to him, that's a pocket watch. You have it in your pocket. And he says, oh, that's interesting. How often do I have to change the battery? And I go… Batteries weren't invented. He said, well, how does it work? So I opened the back and I showed him. He thought it was the coolest thing ever. He thought it was the greatest thing ever. He bought it. I think it was $300 or $400. It was a kit. $25. Wow. And then his buddy came back. He bought one for him. And he sticks his head in once every couple of months. He says, it's still working. I said, yeah. What do you think? It's 100 years old. It's hot stuff. He's loving it. He shows it to his buddies. I said, just don't open the back. It's not made for that. It's for me to service it, not for you to play with.