Let me set the stage for you: somewhere in Switzerland, a Longines executive is sitting in a leather chair, sipping espresso, and staring out over the Alps. “What if,” they muse, “we take a perfectly good dive watch, strip it of its most basic functionality, make it out of fancy plastic, and charge five grand for it?” Cue applause from the boardroom, a slow clap from a guy in a turtleneck, and voilà—the Longines Ultra-Chron Carbon is born.
For those unfamiliar with the Ultra-Chron, let’s rewind to 1968 when Longines decided that ticking at 18,000vph like a pleb wasn’t cutting it. They unleashed the Ultra-Chron, a high-beat marvel at 36,000vph, with a second hand smoother than a waiter pouring vintage Bordeaux. Fast-forward to 2022, and Longines revived this horological time lord with the L836.6 caliber. Now, in 2025, they’ve added carbon fiber, because what’s more “modern” than a watch material that screams, “I’m lightweight, durable, and probably overpriced”?
The Ultra-Chron Carbon keeps the cushy 43mm case but ditches steel for a carbon fiber-epoxy resin blend. Longines claims this brings the watch’s weight to a mere 80 grams, but don’t worry: it still packs enough visual heft to let everyone know you’re wearing the fanciest plastic on the planet. The titanium bezel? Fixed, not rotating, because who needs functional dive timing when you’re too busy impressing people at poolside brunches?
The dial is matte anthracite with gray hands—because Longines heard you wanted all the stealth and zero color fun. The Super-LumiNova application is finally up to snuff, lighting up the markers and indices. The 300m water resistance is impressive, but hardcore divers may lament the fixed bezel, which makes timing dives slightly less intuitive. (Pro tip: Just pretend you’re timing underwater vibes at your desk instead.)
To me the Longines Ultra-Chron Carbon seems like a monument to style over substance, a watch that fails to justify its price tag or its existence. If you’re in the market for a functional, attractive dive watch, maybe look elsewhere. At this price, you could buy something else—or, better yet, pick up a vintage or reissued standard Ultra-Chron and pocket the rest.
Is it limited? Nope. Longines wants everyone to have a piece of the carbon action—or at least everyone with $4,900 lying around. Will people buy it? Probably. Would they dive with it? Absolutely not. But at least they’ll carbon-fiber-cool while they’re pretending. Read more about the new Ultra-Chron Carbon on the official Longines site.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.
Kudos to you for calling out these knuckleheads for their arrogance and avarice, including incomprehensible design decisions. What medication do you have to be on to come up with a “dive” watch that has a fixed bezel? But, as you also point out, it will most probably sell. As W.C. Fields once said, “Never give a sucker an even break.”
I just purchased a Longines because I genuinely like what they’re doing. This here? I’m embarrassed that I purchased anything from them now that they have put this pretend driver out. I truly thought they were better than that. We don’t buy watches because they can take us to 300 meters and such; we buy them because they are capable of such depths. Bulova Snorkel Diver is more capable for $300. 🤨