Navigation & Time Above the Clouds: The Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch
A tale of how a man’s solo journey over the Atlantic sparked the creation of a watch that aided pilots in global navigation.
The Flight That Changed Everything
In 1927, Charles Lindbergh made history by becoming the first individual to successfully complete a solo, non-stop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris in his specially designed Spirit of St. Louis. The world looked on in admiration, celebrating not only a brave pilot but also the dawn of a new era in aviation.
Lindbergh realized that flying over the ocean required more than courage; it required precise navigation. He encountered a problem to solve. Early aviators depended on celestial navigation, stopwatches, and radio communications. While tracking latitude was straightforward, determining longitude posed a significant challenge during flight.
Lindbergh partnered with Longines, the official timekeeper for several aviation milestones, to develop a tool to simplify this process.
The result was the Hour Angle Watch, released in 1931. This was no ordinary timepiece; rather, it was a portable navigational instrument!
How the Hour Angle Watch Worked
The Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch was inspired by the calculations of Captain Philip Van Horn Weems, who originally created the concept of “Weems Second-Setting” watches. Lindbergh expanded upon that idea.
With its rotating bezel and inner disk, the Hour Angle Watch allowed pilots to calculate their Greenwich Hour Angle, a critical value for determining longitude using the stars.
It aligned perfectly with Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and a sextant reading, providing aviators with unprecedented autonomy in the skies. Wearing it meant having a piece of the stars on your wrist.
From Cockpits to Collectors
Originally intended as a professional instrument, the Lindbergh Hour Angle has gained a cult following. Pilots valued its practical use, while collectors were drawn to its striking, large case (typically 47mm) and its ties to the golden age of aviation.
Over the years, Longines has faithfully reissued the model, preserving its navigation-inspired dial, rotating bezel, and classic appearance while incorporating modern movements and materials.
Today, sporting the Hour Angle symbolizes not only a connection to aviation but also honors human curiosity, problem-solving, and exploration.
In a time dominated by GPS, smartphones, and smartwatches, the concept of using a wristwatch to navigate over the ocean may seem outdated. However, the Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle embodies something greater: innovation arising from necessity, design prioritizing function, and a connection between timekeeping and celestial navigation.
The Hour Angle watch reminds us that exceptional timepieces do more than indicate the hour; they tell stories. For aviators, history enthusiasts, or watch collectors, the Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle represents a tale worth exploring again.
