The Longines Legend Diver is Now Available in a Smaller, 39mm Case

The Longines Legend Diver is a perennial contender insofar as enthusiasts are concerned, and it truly feels like it has always been relevant. Dual crown case, distinctive hands, inner rotating bezel – these have really come to define a model that has become a core of the Longines sport watch lineup. Indeed, it was part of the opening salvo of vintage-inspired tool watches that shifted an entire industry towards that genre over the last decade; in fact there is a non-zero chance the timepiece you are wearing as you read this exists thanks in part to the Legend Diver. Lately the Spirit line has garnered a lot of attention (and for good reason) but Longines has not left its dive watch to languish. After 16(!) long years since Longines reintroduced the model back in 2007, they have refreshed their most famous dive watch. Spoiler alert: there’s a lot to like.

Updates to the Legend Diver have been made both inside and out. There’s no need to bury the lede here: the most notable change is that the case has been redesigned and downsized from 42mm to 39mm. More on that in a moment. It still utilizes Longines’ exclusive L888 movement, which is now COSC certified. Longines claims their movements are cased then tested continuously for 15 days across three temperature levels and numerous positions before certification. 

Another notable change is that the date at 3 o’clock is now nowhere to be found. This is part of Longines’ effort in achieving ISO 6425 certification, which is a first for the modern Legend Diver. Longines also notes that minor design tweaks have been made to the dial furniture (e.g. new rhodium plated hands). All of this comes on a redesigned stainless steel bracelet with a double safety folding clasp.

This truly feels like Longines took a wish list from a Legend Diver fan and made it reality. The 39mm case is a well-known sweet spot and easily widens the appeal of this watch. Interestingly, Longines claims this is an homage to its original reference 7042, but even that watch was 42mm. The omission of a date may rankle some, but again, it’s the enthusiast’s pick. Ditto with the COSC and ISO certifications; these make little difference in day-to-day usage but provide additional peace of mind and satisfaction knowing that overengineering is still the name of the game. 

The new Legend Diver models debut with two dial options, blue and black, and will be available on bracelets, leather straps, or NATO straps. The retail price starts at $3,000. For more details, visit Longines.com.