Longines has been around since 1832, which makes it one of the oldest continuously operating watchmakers on Earth — old enough to have spent decades strapped to the wrists of aviators and explorers before most brands existed. So when the Saint-Imier company, now part of the Swiss giant Swatch Group, revives something from its own archives, it’s got real history to draw on. The Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve is a good example.
The Conquest line dates to 1954 — the first Longines collection to have its name trademarked with the Swiss IP office. And in 1959, one Conquest model introduced the complication this watch is built around: a power reserve indicator planted dead center on the dial. For 2026, Longines has given the modern revival a light refresh: a new light-blue opaline dial and (for the first time on this model) a stainless-steel bracelet alongside the returning dark leather strap.
The case is carrying over, because why mess with something that’s working? It’s 38mm of stainless steel with alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces and a box-shaped sapphire crystal. Inside is the Longines caliber L896.5, self-winding with a 72-hour power reserve. The leather version costs $4,300, while the steel bracelet is $4,400.
An unusual complication
Most power reserve indicators live at the edge of the dial. Longines does it completely differently, and has since that 1959 Conquest.
On the Conquest Heritage, the power reserve is dead center, on two rotating discs stacked beneath the hands. A slim baton points to the charge remaining on a scale from 64 down to 0 hours. Wind it and the discs turn together; as the mainspring drains, the inner disc creeps back toward zero.
It’s a cool solution, and it stayed exclusive to Longines. Plenty of brands mine the archives for a nice old dial and call it a day. Longines dug out a legitimately weird complication and built a modern watch around it, which is more than the usual nostalgia play.
Where to buy it
The Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve is available now through Longines and authorized dealers — $4,300 on the leather strap, $4,400 on the steel bracelet.
Both share the same light blue dial, so the only real call is bracelet versus strap.
