A HERITAGE OF INNOVATION
This momentous release marks the 100th anniversary of the Swiss brand's first dual time zone wristwatch from 1925.
Precision across time zones
In the late 19th century, the standardisation of time zones revolutionised global travel and communication.
Prior to this, each locality kept its own local time based on the sun's position, creating practical challenges as railway networks expanded and international travel increased.
The establishment of Greenwich as the Prime Meridian in 1884 along with the division of the world into 24 time zones allowed people to synchronise activities across vast distances.
'Zulu', a term which has its origins in the Nato phonetic alphabet, designates the letter 'Z' – that is, zero, or GMT+0 for Greenwich Mean Time.
This designation would became particularly important in aviation and maritime operations, where precise time coordination across different regions proved essential for safety and navigation.
From creating history with its famous Turkish Watches in 1908, Longines established itself as a preeminent expert in multiple time zone watches.
In 1925, Longines advanced horological history again by introducing the world's first dual time zone wristwatch, the Zulu Time, which displayed both local time and Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0) for the Royal Canadian Navy.
By the early 1930s, Longines had developed one of the first true GMT cockpit clocks, which became indispensable tools for aviation pioneers like Hugh Herndon and Clyde Pangborn during their historic non-stop Pacific crossing in 1931.
A true traveller's watch
To celebrate the Zulu Time's centennial, in 2025 the brand unveils the Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925.
The commemorative edition features a 39mm stainless steel case with a bidirectional rotating bezel adorned with exquisite 18 ct rose-gold cap, circular-brushed insert — a first for the collection — and 24-hour graduations, enabling the wearer to track a third time zone.
The choice of rose gold, which contains copper, pays homage to the copper strip marking the Prime Meridian that is embedded in the ground at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, erected 350 years ago.
Its matt black dial creates a striking contrast with the rose-gold-coloured hands and indexes, providing exceptional legibility.
As Cavill moves through global airports and destinations, his Longines timepiece serves as a private language that bridges continents and time zones.
Both the hands and hour markers are treated with Super-LumiNova for optimal readability in all lighting conditions.
The dial is further distinguished by five stars elegantly positioned above the 6 o'clock marker, where there is also a discreet date window and the years '1925 – 2025' elegantly engraved in a subtle tone-on-tone finish.
In two more firsts for the Longines Spirit Zulu Time collection, a transparent case back reveals a rose-gold-coloured PVD rotor featuring a special engraving of a planisphere with the Prime (or 'zero') Meridian running through its centre.
The watch is powered by the exclusive Longines calibre L844.4, a self-winding mechanical movement with a silicon balance spring and components that make it up to 10 times more resistant to magnetic fields than the ISO 764 standard requires.
This high-precision movement provides a power reserve of up to 72 hours and is chronometer-certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).
The Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925, presented in a special edition box, comes with both a stainless-steel bracelet featuring a double-folding safety clasp and a black NATO strap with a pin buckle.
Global connection
In a campaign that explores the timeless question that connects people across distances — 'What time is it there?' — Longines Ambassador of Elegance, actor Henry Cavill depicts the emotional connection between two people navigating international skyways.
As Cavill moves through global airports and destinations, his Longines timepiece serves as a private language that bridges continents and time zones.
The campaign showcases how a Spirit Zulu Time watch becomes more than a precision instrument to form a symbolic connection between loved ones, helping them synchronise their lives despite physical separation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
4 days ago
- The Star
Air Canada flight attendants walk off job, picket lines set up at airports
People hold placards as a strike begins after the union representing Air Canada's 10,000 flight attendants failed to reach an agreement with the airline, at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Dorval, Quebec, Canada August 16, 2025. REUTERS/Peter McCabe TORONTO/OTTAWA (Reuters) -Hundreds of Air Canada employees formed picket lines outside major Canadian airports on Saturday, hours after unionized flight attendants walked off the job in a contract dispute that has disrupted travel for tens of thousands of passengers. The strike, which started just before 1 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT), had forced Canada's largest airline to suspend the majority of its 700 daily flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers who were forced to find alternative flights or stay put. As of Saturday morning, there were no bargaining sessions scheduled between the two sides, which have held on-and-off negotiations for months. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, representing more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants, confirmed the stoppage in a social media post. It is the first strike by Air Canada flight attendants since 1985. Outside Toronto Pearson International Airport - the country's busiest - hundreds of cabin crew waved flags, banners and picket signs. Union officials called on members to assemble outside all of the country's major airports, including in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. Montreal-based Air Canada said the suspended flights included those operated by its budget arm, Air Canada Rouge. The stoppage would affect about 130,000 customers a day, the carrier said in a statement. Flights by Air Canada's regional affiliates - Air Canada Jazz and PAL Airlines - will operate as usual. "Air Canada is strongly advising affected customers not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed ticket on an airline other than Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge," the airline said. WAGE DISPUTE The dispute between the union and the airline centers on wages. Attendants are currently paid only when their plane is moving. The union is seeking compensation for time spent on theground between flights and when helping passengers board. The union has said Air Canada offered to compensate flight attendants for some work that is now unpaid but only at 50% of their hourly rate. The carrier had offered a 38% increase in total compensation for flight attendants over four years, with a 25% raise in the first year, which the union said was insufficient. The impact of a strike will ripple far beyond Canada. Air Canada is the busiest foreign carrier servicing the U.S. by number of scheduled flights. While passengers have generally voiced support for the flight attendants on social media, Canadian businesses - already reeling from a trade dispute with the U.S. - have urged the federal government to impose binding arbitration on both sides, ending the strike. The Canada Labour Code gives Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu the right to ask the country's Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration in the interests of protecting the economy. Air Canada has asked Prime Minister Mark Carney's minority Liberal government to act, but the union says it wants a negotiated solution, as binding arbitration would take pressure off the airline. Hajdu has repeatedly urged the two sides to return to the bargaining table. In a note to clients, analysts at financial services firm TD Cowen urged the carrier to "extend an olive branch to end the impasse," adding that investors are worried that any cost savings on labor would be outweighed by lost earnings in the airline's most important quarter. "We think it would be best for AC to achieve labor peace," the note said. "Not budging on negotiations risks being a Pyrrhic victory." (Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal, and Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru. Additional reporting by Kyaw Soe Oo in Toronto and Disha Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Frank McGurty and Paul Simao)
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Air Canada, union deadlocked despite government plea for deal to avert Saturday strike
MONTREAL: Air Canada and its unionized flight attendants remained at odds on Friday, despite government pleas for both sides to return to bargaining to avert a strike that would upend travel for tens of thousands of passengers. Canada's largest carrier has said it expects to cancel 500 flights by the end of the day, ahead of the planned Saturday strike, leaving some 100,000 passengers scrambling for alternatives. Flightradar data showed Air Canada had cancelled 30 flights as of 5:30 AM EDT on Friday (0930 GMT). The carrier's 10,000 flight attendants are gearing up to strike just before 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday over stalled contract talks on union demands for higher wages and compensation for unpaid work. A strike would hit Canada's tourism sector during the height of the summer travel season and test the ruling Liberal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney, which has been asked by the carrier to intervene and impose arbitration. Air Canada and its low-cost affiliate Air Canada Rouge normally carry about 130,000 customers a day. Air Canada is also the non-U.S. carrier with the largest number of flights to the U.S., despite recent cutbacks in travel there from Canada due to trade tensions. Air Canada, which has also given notice that it will lock out its flight attendants, has ceased negotiating, said the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the cabin crew. Canadian Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has repeatedly urged both parties to negotiate. Air Canada's Chief Human Resources Officer Arielle Meloul-Wechsler said on Thursday the carrier was 'available to bargain at any time on the condition that the negotiation has substance.' On Thursday night, Air Canada and the union clashed over an agreement to avoid stranding thousands of passengers abroad when the strike is expected to begin on Saturday. The deal would have delayed the walkout for cabin crew who were away from their home base, until they returned with their passengers on Saturday. Air Canada said on X that an additional 25,000 passengers would be stranded after the union rejected that deal, adding that double the usual number of flight attendants did not report for work on Thursday night. But in a bulletin to members, the union said it supports the deal, which failed because Air Canada said it would not honor its members' collective agreements when they fly back on Saturday with their passengers. The flight attendants' contract ceases to apply when the strike begins on Saturday, the union said. The dispute hinges on the way airlines compensate flight attendants. Most have traditionally paid them only when planes are in motion. But in their latest contract negotiations, flight attendants in North America have sought compensation for hours worked, including for tasks such as boarding passengers and waiting around the airport before and between flights - REUTERS
The Star
05-08-2025
- The Star
Rapid wildfire prompts mass evacuations in Spanish resort town
MADRID, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Authorities evacuated beaches, hotels, and campsites near the southern Spanish resort of Tarifa on Tuesday afternoon after a fast-moving wildfire broke out amid hot and windy conditions. The fire reportedly started around 3:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) in a motorhome at a campsite near Valdevaqueros beach, a place popular with surfers and kite surfers. Fanned by strong winds and dry conditions, the flames quickly spread across the surrounding area. Live footage on Spanish television showed thick plumes of smoke billowing over the coastline as emergency crews worked to clear sunbathers and tourists from beaches in the fire's path. Tarifa Mayor Antonio Santos described the situation as unprecedented. "This is the fastest-spreading fire I've ever seen," Santos said on national channel La Sexta. He indicated that the fire ignited along the N-340 highway, an area densely lined with hotels, and that initial indications suggest the blaze originated in a caravan. At least nine km of the N-340 have been closed due to thick smoke. The fire is currently advancing through pine forests, agricultural fields, and farmland in the area. The blaze near Tarifa is one of several wildfires burning across Spain as the country endures its second major heatwave of the summer, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in many regions.
