[LIVE PICS] Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT Welcomes New 39mm Case

Longines released the first Spirit Zulu Time last year, offering a so-called true GMT in a 42mm steel case with all the Spirit design details we’ve come to expect from Longines. As good as that watch was, the case was a bit overpowering for some wrists out there, and Longines has heard the calls for a more approachable sized GMT. This is the Zulu Time GMT in 39mm, and it captures pretty much everything we loved in the original model, in a much tidier package. This is a watch that will sit directly across from the Tudor Black Bay Pro, offering a slightly different, but similar level of appeal. 

The latest Zulu Time remains in the Spirit collection, and yes, the 5 applied stars remain on the dial. There are plenty of polished details to discover in places like the surround of the chapter ring, the frame of the bezel, and those aforementioned stars. Like other Spirit watches, this Zulu Time has a taste of the ornate, which might push it into slightly more interesting (or less interesting, depending on your taste) territory compared to something like the far more straightforward and tool-ish Black Bay Pro from Tudor. Longines does address the most common complaint levied against that Tudor, however.

The Zulu Time 39 measures 39mm in diameter, and 13.5mm in thickness, a full millimeter clear of the Black Bay Pro. That said, I’m not sure I’d have guessed that on the wrist. It felt perfectly pleasant on my 7.25” wrist, and it didn’t immediately strike me as a thick watch, but then again, neither did the Tudor (which you can read about in my owner’s review right here). Still, credit to Longines for making this watch work in these dimensions. There aren’t enough GMT watches in this particular size and price range and more options for enthusiasts is always a good thing. There’s plenty of visual differentiation here as well thanks to the ceramic bezel insert and variety of colorways. 

Longines is using the automatic L844.4 caliber, which is made exclusively for them, and makes use of a silicon balance spring for magnetic protection. It is also COSC certified meaning it will bring you within -4/+6 seconds of accuracy, which is increasingly becoming the ante to play these days, as is a micro adjustment system in the clasp. That is also present here on the leather strap, while the steel clasp features a set of holes for micro adjustment, though they can’t be made on the fly.

Overall this is a welcome addition to the Spirit collection, and within the Zulu Time family in particular. We’ve been quite fond of the Spirit watches we’ve spent time with in the past, and Longines is clearly paying attention to the right details. I also have a feeling that we’ll see more good things from the brand this year given the big releases they’ve cleared off the plate thus far, which includes the Spirit Flyback seen here.

The Longines Spirit Zulu Time in 39mm is offered in 4 colorways: black/black with blue GMT hand; green/black with gilt accents; blue/blue with orange GMT hand; and black/black with gilt accents. Prices start at $3,050 on a leather strap, going up to $3,150 on a steel bracelet. The black/black with gilt accents and gold bezel surround is priced at $4,200 on leather and fabric, while the steel bracelet jumps to $4,300. Longines.