Longines by Serge Manzon

The 1970s were a moment when watch design broke free from tradition — and a handful of artists were invited to rethink what a watch could be. Among them was Serge Manzon, a French designer known for bringing a distinctly sculptural, almost conceptual approach to Longines. Born in 1935, Manzon treated watches less like instruments and more like objects of modern art. His work for Longines ranged from subtly architectural to outright radical — pieces that blurred the line between wearable design and gallery-worthy sculpture. Think oversized bold disks, cubes, and curving buckles. Housed in a tank-like steel case measuring 17mm x 29 mm, it feels clean and controlled at first glance — but the dial tells a different story. A brushed gray 'crosshairs' layout divides the surface into quadrants, creating a graphic tension that feels more aligned with mid-century design studios than traditional Swiss watchmaking. It’s the kind of visual language you might associate with Grima’s work for Omega or the more experimental pieces from Jaeger-LeCoultre and Pierre Cardin — thoughtful, modern, and just a little bit rebellious. The minimalist handset floats within that grid, reinforcing the idea that time here is secondary to composition. Powered by a manual-winding movement and fitted to a black lizard leather strap, the watch remains wearable, but never ordinary. Quietly avant-garde. Subtly disruptive.