Dial color updates usually land near the bottom of the news pile, and most of them deserve to stay there. Every once in a while, though, a single colorway pulls a watch out of your blind spot entirely. I’ll admit that’s exactly what happened to me this week, because I never gave this model much thought until now. Longines has introduced a light blue opaline dial for the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve, and it finally has my attention.
The model arrived in 2024 as part of the Conquest collection’s 70th anniversary, reviving a display Longines first introduced in 1959 with the Conquest ref. 9028. Instead of a small arc tucked near the edge of the dial, the power reserve indication sits dead center, driven by two rotating discs behind the hands. Until now, the modern version came in cream, grey, and black, safe choices that read very mid-century and very conservative. The new blue is muted enough to keep the watch versatile, and that restraint is probably why it works. The sector dial layout, applied markers, and framed date window at 12 o’clock all carry over unchanged.
The display itself takes some explaining, which I think is part of the charm. Because the indication relies on the interplay between the rotating hours track and the inner pointer, the pointer’s position from full to empty shifts depending on how the watch has been wound. That’s less intuitive than a standard pointer, sure, but nobody is buying this for at-a-glance efficiency. There’s also a nerdy detail buried in the scale, since the disc tops out at 64 hours while the movement stores 72, with the remainder acting as a torque buffer.
Power comes from the L896.5, an ETA-built automatic exclusive to Longines running at 25,200 vph with a silicon balance spring, all visible through a sapphire caseback. The stainless steel case measures 38mm across, 12.3mm thick, and 45.6mm lug-to-lug, which is admittedly tall for a time-and-date watch. Buyers can choose between a grey leather strap or a steel bracelet with a microadjust clasp.
Then there’s the price. The bracelet version comes in at $4,400, with the strap option at $4,300, and to me that seems wild for what’s on offer, however unusual the complication may be. That’s proper Tudor and entry Omega territory, and it puts real pressure on a watch whose main hook is a clever way of showing you how wound it is. Whether the novelty justifies that kind of buy-in is something I haven’t settled for myself yet. Maybe seeing the blue in person will do it.
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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.