Auguste Agassiz first started Longines back in 1833. But it wasn't until his nephew Ernest Fracillon took the business over in 1862 that the company set out on a path to success. In 1866, Francillon moved his uncle's watch-making business to a new shop, 'Les Longines' he called it. It sat on two plots of land that Francillon purchased himself.

The shop opened in 1867 and the first Longines watch was released--the L20A. There was one significant difference about the L20A that helped put Longines on the map. Prior to L20A, traditional pocketwatches had to be wound with a key. The L20A had a lever and crown that allowed the user to wind and set the time without using a key--a tremendous improvement.

While Longines continued to make headway in the watch world, they were also commissioned by the Swiss Federal Gymnastics Meeting to come up with a more effective timing mechanism to be used in competitions. Longines developed the first-ever automatic timing in 1912. As commercial aviation took off in the 1930s, Longines played an active role in the timekeeping advances that made it all possible. Amelia Earhart herself donned a Longines watch during her 1932 flight from Newfoundland to Ireland.

In 2001, the DolceVita Longines watch collection was released. Its design was a culmination of wealth, femininity and sophistication. The collection won the Watch of the Year by readers of two Swiss magazines, l'Hebdo and Schweizer Illustrierte. That same year, Longines celebrated its 30 millionth watch. To this day, Longines continues to wow buyers and fellow watch makers with their skill and creativity, and vintage Longines watches have become a highly prized commodity.