New: Longines Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback with blue dials

A year after Longines launched the refreshed and resized Spirit Pilot models, four new iterations arrive. They didn’t come completely out of nowhere. After the black versions, the Longines Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback with blue dials take on their full meaning. The same goes for 39mm cases.

The first black dial Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback were met with great enthusiasm. Longines took the familiar Spirit recipe and, instead of adding more, toned it down. The Spirit Pilot received its simplest form, while the Spirit Pilot Flyback brought back a key aviation complication: the flyback chronograph. A year later, these watches now feature blue dials, blue rubber straps and, for the chronograph, a blue ceramic bezel. It is a logical continuation for the Longines Spirit Pilot. After all, anyone who has been interested in watches for a while knows that after black comes blue. And then the blue comes…? Guess and I will reveal my prediction in the last paragraph.

Presentation of the Longines Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback with blue dials

A pilot’s watch with a black dial is a classic. But what is a blue dial pilot’s watch? A contemporary classic? I suppose so, but the number of pilot-themed watches, from three-hand watches and GMTs to chronographs and even perpetual calendars with blue dials, is impossible to count. We live in a time where color variation is greater than ever. Gone are the days when a pilot needed a simple and functional black dial watch. We now live in the age of desire. Many people desire an aviation-themed watch, so brands need to evolve their pilot watch collections to remain appealing. This means creating dial variations in every color possible. Blue is, most often, the first color variation to appear after a black dial model.

Blue makes sense

Adding a matte blue dial to the Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback makes sense. After all, blue is widely considered the most popular color in the world. Longines knows this, which is why the two new models are also available with Swiss-made blue rubber straps to match the dial. The chronograph also features a ceramic bezel insert in a color that reminds you of a cloudless sky and pairs well with almost anything you wear. If that’s too blue for you, you can buy either Spirit Pilot model on a stainless steel bracelet with a micro-adjustable folding clasp.

To refresh your memory, the Spirit Pilot (€2,950 on the steel bracelet, €2,600 on the blue rubber strap) has a case measuring 39 × 47.2 × 11.5 mm and is equipped with the automatic caliber L888.4, featuring a silicon hairspring and components with up to 10 times greater resistance to magnetism than ISO 764. The COSC-certified movement operates at a modern frequency of 25,200 vibrations per hour and offers up to 72 hours of power reserve. A screw-down crown and screw-down case back contribute to water resistance to 100 m.

Silver hands, applied Arabic numerals and a refined minute track keep the matte blue dial highly legible. The dial may have gone from purely functional black to the more fashionable blue, but there’s still no unnecessary decoration to distract the rider, so to speak.

Fly away and come back immediately

The same functional approach, but in blue, is applied to the Spirit Pilot Flyback (€5,450 on the steel bracelet, or €5,100 on the blue rubber strap). In the history of Longines, the flyback function is a landmark. The company was working on flyback chronographs – watches that allow the user to restart the chronograph seconds hand from zero without stopping or resetting it first – as early as the 1930s. And Longines filed its patent for a flyback chronograph in 1935. So even with a blue dial instead of a black one, the new watch has a legitimate historical connection to the technology rather than just borrowing the name.

The latest version of the Spirit Pilot Flyback features a stainless steel case with a diameter of 39.5mm, a lug to lug of 47.4mm and a thickness of 13.4mm. Like the three-handed Spirit Pilot, the Flyback also offers 100m water resistance. As mentioned, a blue ceramic insert sits inside the bi-directional bezel and incorporates a countdown scale. Combined with the blue dial, it gives the watch a distinctly monochrome appearance. The box-shaped sapphire crystal adds another vintage-inspired touch, while the silver-tone hands and Arabic numerals applied with Super-LumiNova keep the on-board instrument theme intact.

A treat for mechanical watch lovers

The Flyback is powered by the hand-wound Longines L792.4, and looking through the transparent screw-down caseback is a treat for any fan of mechanical watchmaking. Yes, some moves have a much better finish, but you will also pay the price. Longines offers you a COSC certified hand-wound flyback chronograph movement with an impressive 68-hour power reserve, silicon hairspring and column wheel for less than €5.5,000. And it comes in a very modestly sized (read: “classic”) case. In a world of often bulky and expensive retro-style aviation chronographs with less traditional and less pretty automatic calibers, the Spirit Pilot Flyback, in blue or black, stands out.

L3.809.4.93.6

L3.721.4.93.9

L3.721.4.93.6

By adding blue dial versions to the Spirit Pilot range, Longines has further strengthened the Spirit collection. The two more contemporary blue models are a welcome addition to last year’s black editions. I assume that in 2027 we will see the launch of the Longines Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback with green dials. What do you think? And do you like these blue versions? Please let me know in the comments section below.

Watch specifications