Introducing Longines Revises The Spirit With A New, Matte Blue Pilot & Pilot Flyback Duo

As we’re comfortably in the latter half of 2026 (what a scary thought), thoughts have already started percolating about which brands had successful campaigns. To anyone who’s been living offline - kudos - but also welcome to what is a particularly strong showing for Longines. After the excellent refreshed HydroConquest and the slightly more niche but just as cool Master Chrono Monopusher, we have two new additions to the Spirit Pilot collection with powdery, matte blue dials in the form of a three-handed Spirit Pilot and a Spirit Pilot Flyback.

While they’re not significant redesigns like some we’ve seen from Longines this year, they essentially double the number of available Spirit Pilot models, which were introduced last year as a more refined extension to the extant Spirit. They’re defined by crowd-pleasing 39mm (or 39.5mm for the Flyback) cases, and lug-to-lug distances that will fit most wrists, sitting just a smidge above 47mm. Most importantly, both Spirit Pilot models are significantly thinner than their non-Pilot counterparts, sitting at 11.5mm for the three-hander and 13.4mm for the Flyback, which is especially impressive.

To find out what’s new with this novel duo, you needn’t look much further than the dials. Both feature a matte blue lick of paint, with luminescent, non-serif Arabic numerals and a fencepost handset. The Spirit’s dials have always been subject to reverence by anyone who got a chance to get a closer look, and for good reason - they’re multi-layered and detailed, with a particularly complex chapter ring that indents at every hour marker to accommodate a small rhombus, with a polished ring as the cherry on top.

The dials will give you a hint of what’s hiding beneath the casebacks - those being solid for the three-handed Spirit Pilot, and sapphire crystal-equipped in the Flyback. Both models sport COSC-certified ETA calibres made exclusively for Longines, but based on long-standing and proven movements. The L888.4 in the Spirit Pilot is based on the ETA A31 (itself a derivative of the venerable 2892), beating at 3.5Hz and featuring a 72-hour power reserve. Its Flyback counterpart also uses a movement based on an ETA legend, in this case the 7750, but even more extensively reworked to include a column wheel - the A08 being its closest equivalent in modern ETA parlance. It beats slightly faster at 4Hz, and has a slightly lower power reserve at 68 hours.

The most attractive calibre stats in both watches are the fact that they feature silicon hairsprings, satisfying ISO 764 requirements (mind you, the base level for this standard is only 4,800 A/m), and also their COSC certification. Both are available now and are not limited editions: you'll need A$4,550 for the three-hander, and A$8,375 for the flyback.

Longines seems to have figured out the formula for making it in this hellish retail landscape where customers are looking to get the absolute maximum amount of watch per dollar spent. The secret? Make a well-specced watch, and don’t price it out the ass. You’d think it’s simple, but a worrying number of brands don’t seem to have caught on.

These new Spirit Pilot models, however, aren’t as clearly ahead of the curve as some of the brand’s aforementioned releases. The Spirit Pilot Flyback is a darn sight better in its manually-wound versions, as they needed and deserved the rework that saw them drop more than 3mm in thickness compared to the automatic, non-Pilot Spirit Flyback that comes in at 17mm tall and wears every bit like it. For what is essentially the same movement, Longines is charging some 10% more for giving you a slimmer case and no automatic winding. The situation becomes all the more baffling when considering the Master Chrono Monopusher is A$2,500 less for an arguably more interesting movement. Yes, the Spirit is COSC-certified, but I’m not sure whether that’s good enough of an excuse. Sigh… Remember when this was new Speedy Pro money?

The three-handed Spirit Pilot is a lot simpler to figure out, if you ask me. I’m all for historical nods, but the non-star-spangled dial does wonders for simplifying things. It’s slim and handsome, and also does away with the date window that I’ve always found slightly awkward in the non-Pilot Spirits. The addition of this blue colour to the usually vintage gilt-tinged Spirit Pilot makes me think it will stay the preferred Spirit line for Longines too, with the others slowly phased out.

If that proves to be true, it would make for a collection that’s a lot more coherent and cohesive. Granted, I thought something similar would play out with the new HydroConquest, but the old, Arabic-dialled models are still available - so what the hell do I know?

Brand: Longines
Model: Spirit Pilot, Spirit Pilot Flyback
Reference: L3.809.4.93.6, L3.809.4.93.9, L3.721.4.93.6, L3.721.4.93.9
Diameter: 39mm (Pilot), 39.5mm (Pilot Flyback)
Thickness: 11.5mm (Pilot), 13.4mm (Pilot Flyback)
Lug-to-Lug: 47.2mm (Pilot), 47.4mm (Pilot Flyback)
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Colour: Matte blue
Crystal: Sapphire front, double-sided anti-reflective coating; sapphire caseback (Pilot Flyback only)
Lume: Yes, hands and Arabic numerals
Water Resistance: 100 metres, screw-in crown (Pilot only)
Strap: Steel three-link bracelet, folding clasp with micro-adjustment; blue rubber with steel pin buckle, quick-release spring bars
Lug Width: 20mm

Calibre: L888.4, ETA A31/2892 base (Pilot), L792.4, ETA A08 base (Pilot Flyback)
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds (Pilot); hours, minutes, small seconds, flyback chronograph (Pilot Flyback)
Power Reserve: 72 hours (Pilot), 68 hours (Pilot Flyback)
Winding: Automatic (Pilot), manual (Pilot Flyback)
Frequency: 3.5 Hz (Pilot), 4 Hz (Pilot Flyback)
Diameter: 25.95mm (11 ½ lignes, Pilot), 30mm (13 ¼ lignes, Pilot Flyback)
Jewels: 21 (Pilot), 23 (42mm)
Chronometer Certified: Yes, COSC for both
Additional Details: Silicon balance spring for both

Price: A$4,550 (Pilot, bracelet), A$8,375 (Pilot Flyback)
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: No

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