Longines Avigation Big Eye Chronograph

[@davemcc7713]

I have the titanium Big Eye. It is a fantastic watch and a great value. It has become one of my favourites despite being far from my most expensive.

[@markstarmer3677]

Same here. Great looking watch, gets lots of wrist time.

[@davidb9531]

Just the best looking chrono in existence

[@LocoD829]

I have been eyeing this watch for awhile. It will definitely be my next purchase. Great value for a chrono under 3K. I really like the stainless version because it looks more vintage.

[@bwebb671]

Great review, thank you for the detail (showing the movement)

[@EverydayWatchGuy]

Great review of the steel Big Eye! I'd be stoked if they came out with a version with display caseback and better water resistance.

[@runningames9324]

Agreed!

[@highwaystar3780]

I don't care for this watch. I love my 1948 Heritage which has display case back also decorated. The Blue is unique but actually makes it look cheap and like a kiddy watch. Also hate the strap it's on. Would be interesting to wear Titanium watch though. I'd get the steel and Save$. It's $2k on Jomashop.

[@ItsNeverTooHot4Leather]

If Longines made a manual wind version of this in a thinner case with a display case-back, then they could just take my money.

[@Shysphere]

@TheBigSlick can I ask your wrist size? I am thinking of checking this out soon!!

[@vaughandurful]

It can't be made thinner due to the complications. I agree it should have a display case back to show off that derived Valjoux 7750 that should be manual wind. However, it's a great piece all around.

[@Burgersandboxing]

Totally agree. Also if they made one that was still an automatic but thinner say 11.5mm, with a black lacquer dial and screw down pushers with better water resistance and a screw down caseback,… oh and a bracelet than they could JUST take MY money.

[@floydmorrison2025]

I love these Abigations so much. I have an old gold plated Longines pocketwatch that was given to my Great Uncle upon his retirement from the Otis Elevator Company in 1936. The caseback bears the inscription of his name and "Otis Elevator Co. 1936". Sometimes I'll wind it up, pop off the caseback, and just watch the inscribed movement, with it's massive balance wheel run @ 18,000 vph. It still keeps great time! Heat blued hands & a beautiful dial with Breguet numerals too! Great review, Rob!

[@TheRobertlonski]

What a great watch -- it feels and looks just perfect on the wrist. Longines does not get enough credit for this watch. No doubt this is the best value for a column wheel chronograph with a well decorated movement.

[@cuckooforwatches382]

I love the Big 👁, worth every penny!

[@anthonystevens8683]

I have the black dial version in steel, for me it's the most readable chronograph that I've seen. The tactile feedback from the pushers is really good thanks to that column wheel mod to the workhorse Valjoux 7753. I think Omega modified the movement further adding the coaxial escapement for the old sometime discontinued non wave dial Seamaster chronographs and called it a cal 3303, also some discontinued Speedmasters had the cal 3303 if I recall correctly.

[@Hans-Georg_Buddne]

Omega still uses it in the current Speedmaster 38

[@anthonystevens8683]

@@Hans-Georg_Buddne Thank you for the correction, the 38 Speedy still has the 3330 movement, Not all versions are available now from Omega. Some 38mm versions are still available though. Anyway from my experience it's a great movement. Thanks again.

[@VersedNJ]

Have the SS Big Eye, like the one you're reviewing, bought it used a few years ago, the watch itself looked perfect, slight wear on the comfy strap.

[@j.harbottle8928]

Got my Big-Eye Stainless, on an orange FKM strap, killer ! lot of WT in the summer on this

[@karnapiraksawat4864]

Love the petroleum dial

[@taelorh1289]

the 3 ATM really has me hesitant on pulling the trigger. has this been an issue for you? I live in a place where the rain is constant.

[@ponjk101]

I wouldn't worry, it's got a o-ring in rear case & crown is tight to pull out.. I live in UK it's mostly wet here, splashes of water will b fine (just don't submerge it)

[@ronpower7790]

The steel one in 38 mm, max 13 mm thick in handwound would be a dream...unfortunately not a realistic one.

[@antonhallergren588]

The bigeye wears really small though. I tried it next to the 40mm longines spirit and the spirit was considerably bigger looking and wider on the wrist. The bigeye wears close to something like a Tudor bb58 on a leather strap.

[@ronpower7790]

@@antonhallergren588 tried it in store and found it huge, especially way too thick even compared to my 39 mm Explorer back then, which also wears rather large. Maybe I give it another try. The prices these go for are insane, true value for money.

[@drferto]

Can't decide between steel and titanium, what are your thougths?

[@canadianwatchmonkey3992]

Yip that is a spectacular looking movement. Shame it isn’t a display back

[@thetimeflipper2259]

they should have gone with an exhibition caseback then :) nice watch Rob !

[@thomascolletti4715]

Just too add...If you buy from AD you get a 5 year warranty. Shows that Longines "backs-up" the mechanicals. Piece of mind for 5 years.

[@Gundal66]

Good looking watch

[@patricknaswell2686]

Top notch, Rob!

[@ralfwindte5986]

Would have preferred it with a manual wind system if that would cause it to be thinner. Apart from that I find this is a very nice watch.

[@ralfwindte5986]

You were saying is has a column wheel, not a vertical clutch. I think you intended to say: not a cam actuator? Column wheel or not- it should have either a vertical or horizontal clutch?

[@shuycg]

Indeed. It's a vertical clutch, column wheel chrono.

[@kyrosrf1924]

Is the column wheel made from silicon? Looks like it from the video at the end

[@RandomRobReviews]

It’s blued, so guessing steel.

[@LTC_Tiger]

It's interesting to me that the minute counter sweeps, rather than clicks over...

[@grandpadale4026]

I have a Tissot automatic chronograph that does that. I hate it. I like the minute hand to click over at 12. Makes it easier to read.

[@lovie479]

does L688 in the bigeye come with silicon hair spring?

[@SamuelRichter7]

Only those BigEyes with the L688.5 have the silicon hairspring. That is all titanium BigEyes. The steel BigEyes were originally built with the L688.2 movement with the regular hairspring. Later between 2021 and 2022 Longines also put the L688.5 movement into the steel version.

[@bonnystarks]

I have the same watch, but when I start the chrono, the chrono hand "jump" like 1 second forward, is it the same for you ? Also, when I leave the chrono for a while, when the more south cadran, the hour cadran is show 2 or 3 or 4 hours and I want to reset the chrono, first the hour cadran come back to 0 then the minutes cadran and the second at the same time, isn't weird ?

[@highwaystar3780]

That is weird. I have the Heritage Chrono and that doesn't happen. Although, mine is based on 7750mvmnt. Since this Dude hasn't answered you....I would go to a Store and test one out or call Longines.

[@ViaromanaLeather]

that 3sec increments marker is impossible to read..

[@duvalpenny100]

Almost the perfect watch IMO. I just dislike that the 30 minute dial emphasizes the marker at every 3 minutes instead of 5.

[@duvalpenny100]

@danleeds9204 oh! I didn't know that. Cool. It wouldn't prevent me from buying the watch, but it would definitely take some getting used to.

[@cecielhelder5923]

I read somewhere that French military pilots had to preflight and get their aircraft ready within 30 minutes. Hence that scale. Another thing I read was that long distance call ticks went every three minutes when the Type XX was designed. Not a clue if either was the case. I like the scale because most IFR approaches take about three minutes at 120kts. That happens to be my normal approach speed so a good reminder or back up if the onboard timer fails. It’s also nice to remind me to switch fuel tanks every 30 minutes. It would’ve been perfect if it had a bezel with a 12 hour scale to be used as a second time zone. My Breitling AVI 765 1953 re edition has this, very handy. That one has a 15 minute subdial. Over the 40 years I’ve been using the chronograph functions, outside of flying, it’s mostly less than 2 minutes at a time. Longer and I forget I had it going. My attention-span is not what it used to be.🙂@TheBigSlick

[@yashara1e]

I saw the blue dial version and the dial was not that high quality, seemed a bit cheap, I would choose the black dial all day everyday

[@baderyousef4044]

💟

[@ShadowJ20]

I use to own one. I sold it because it's too big for my wrist.

[@anjav6]

How big was your wrist?

[@stevenuk]

its nice

[@WetWatches]

That’s my wet watch 💦

[@iainsutherland1113]

I’d take the black dial version over the blue one any day ! While I like the idea of a titanium case, I absolutely hate this fashion for coloured, gradient dials whereas Longines (a brand I really like) seem to love them. I’ve got the black dial Legend Diver, a beautiful watch… until you see the gradient dial versions of it. Awful !

[@Met377]

To each their own, better off with choices than not.

[@bilioakenshield7845]

Cmon its a brick