Longines Admiral Mystery Dial

Recommendations for vintage dress watches are one of the most common inquiries we get at analog/shift HQ. While sports watches are generally understood by collectors and enthusiasts, dress pieces have been off their radar for some time. Now that smaller, more delicate timepieces are becoming popular again, choosing one that offers a good blend of looks, construction, history, and originality can be a daunting task. The good news is that there are lots of options!

The challenge lies (as with any vintage watch) in finding a good one. Years of neglect, damage, and over-restoration can make finding a suitable timepiece a burden. In our minds, there are few minimum requirements for a proper dress piece: svelte case design, clean looks,a solid movement, and originality. 

Longines is a brand that needs no introduction.  Now closely associated with Omega under the Swatch Group umbrella, the brand was a staple of the Swiss watchmaking industry throughout the 20th century.  They are well-known for their broad assortment of lines and designs, as well as their close association with equestrian sports.  Introduced around 1960, their luxury-focused Admiral line earned the manufacture a well deserved reputation for quality and value.

Featuring an elegant and slim gold-filled case, silver sunburst dial and gold highlights on the markers and hands, this peculiar model from the1960s checks all the boxes for a vintage dress piece, with an added element of fun: a so-called "Mystery Dial".  This unusual complication utilizes an inner rotating dial element with a gold star-shaped marker to indicate the hour of the day, instead of a central hour hand. As the mechanics operating the inner dial are completely hidden, the motion is virtually undetectable to the human eye, making the appearance of the hour marker star in different places around the dial a "mystery" to wearers.

So there you have it, folks. If you're looking to round out your collection with a delightful vintage dress piece with a little bit of whimsy, look no further!