This watch will likely be a love it or hate it proposition for many based on the particulars of the case. At 42mm it’s not unreasonable in terms of diameter for a contemporary sports watch, but that 17mm case height, on paper, is imposing. I had a chance to handle the steel version of the Flyback Chronograph briefly at a pre-launch preview earlier this year, and while the watch is certainly chunky, I didn’t find the thickness to be a non-starter. There’s no escaping the size, but also, this watch isn’t trying to hide it anyway. I haven’t handled the new titanium version, but I imagine the weight reduction will be significant, and make the watch considerably more approachable for many who might be on the fence, if they can get over the initial hurdle of considering a 17mm thick watch in the first place. My advice, as always, is to be open minded, try watches on, and do your best not to be a stickler for the numbers.
Of course, the titanium version of the Flyback Chronograph gets the same Longines L7914 caliber as its steel counterpart. Its flyback functionality allows for the successive timing of multiple events by returning the chronograph seconds hand immediately to “zero” and starting again with a single button press. This comes in handy in all kinds of sporting contexts (timing successive laps, for example) but is also a feature that is useful in aviation, where much of the DNA for the Spirit Collection resides.
The Longines Spirit Flyback in titanium is available now via authorized Longines channels. The retail price is $5,200 on a bracelet, $4,850 on a strap. Longines