LONGINES 9ct Gold Dennison Case ref.13322 cal.12.68ZS / 1950s

— The poise of the 1950s —

A 9ct solid gold manual-wind Longines made in the 1950s.

It wears a classic case design of the kind Dennison is known for — the appeal of Longines for the British market, concentrated into one watch.

A rare 1950s Longines in 9ct solid gold, made for the British market. Struck with Dennison's "ALD" mark and that of the agent, Baume. An honorific inscription marking thirty years' service at the 100 Club, a holy site of British rock. Powered by Longines' enduring centre-seconds manual calibre 12.68ZS.

— The Dennison and Baume marks —

Inside the caseback sit the "ALD" mark of Dennison and the mark of Baume, then Longines' British agent.

In a British culture that prized hardness in a material, a 9ct solid gold case was treated as a mark of standing — a watch set apart.

— Evidence of the A.M. Hundred Club —

The caseback is engraved "A·M Hundred Club Great Britain": an honour marking thirty years of service, and a quiet account of the years this watch has travelled.

— The memory of the 100 Club —

The 100 Club opened in 1942 as a jazz club and is known as a holy site of British music, having given the stage to The Who, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and Oasis, among many others.

In recent years the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Mark Ronson have all played secret shows there, and it remains a symbolic place for young musicians chasing their own ambitions.

— The breath of the Cal.12.68ZS —

The movement is Cal.12.68ZS, one of the calibres that defines Longines.

From the late 1930s through the 1950s it kept centre-seconds time without interruption — an enduring calibre in which the technical strength and the elegance of design Longines was proud of both live on.

— Time kept alongside music —

For thirty years this watch marked time in sympathy with the passion of great bands.

For those who know its background, it is a piece whose value runs well past its price.