Grandfather’s Longines 5 Star Admiral

I finally had my grandfather’s Longines Admiral service.  I remember as a child seeing him wear the watch all the time. Working, golfing, lounging….

When I found it in a forgotten box of his possessions (he passed away in 1989 at the age of 89), it definitely had the look of a watch worn all the time.

It was very dirty and the grit that built up between the Speidel band and the case actually pitted and rusted it a bit.  Plus, the crystal had been cracked. Fortunately, the dial was pristine.

Back from the watchmaker, the case is pretty well buffed out and a new crystal was fitted.  The only lasting damage seems to be inside the case where the back screws in.

The movement is the 507 (Record 1958-2) caliber.  It sports 19,800 bph and has a power reserve of 44 hours according to Ranfft.  The only difference I can see in this model is that it lacks the quick date set feature.

Interestingly, I noticed a small etching on the inside of one of the lugs which reads 7-13-66.  So, the watch definitely dates earlier than I thought it did.

The case measures 33mm from 10 to 2.