Split seconds chronograph Ref. 8350

LONGINES, REF. 8350, « OLYMPIC »

ICONEEK price: SOLD

Iconeek is proud to introduce here a superb, fine and rare, keyless, large, stainless steel « Staybrite », openface professional split seconds chronograph pocket watch, high frequency, instantaneous 30-minute register,  1/10th second indication, with original fitted black leather holder with outer functional buttons.

Longines were the official timers from the 1952 Olympics in Olso to the 1980 games in Moscow, including summer and winter events, plus many, many other events in the sporting calendar, after developing large 24 lines chronometer calibers. They were later modified to become cal. 260 in 1957, and then cal. 262 in 1966, such as the present watch. They were even sent to the Swiss Observatory for timing at Neuchatel. They were Longines’s pinacle instruments for professional timing. They were kept by the factory and lent out for all types of events from Olympic games, to the timing of Donald Campbells “ Bluebird “ water and land speed record attempts ( and everything in between ), according to scholars.

The model comes with a four-body construction: a large almost 67 mm. diameter steel bassine & filets case with split second chronograph button at 11, secured co-axial chronograph button to the winding crown at 12, a screwed steel back, engraved inside « ACIER INOX, LONGINES, SWISS MADE & 7819 1 » and bearing the Longines flying hour glass logo, a screwed bezel, a snap-on cuvette, engraved « 86 ». Operation: after winding with the crown at 12, press the crown to activate the chronograph, stop and reset to zero. Button at 11 allows to stop and reunite the split seconds hand anytime. Under the glass, we find a mint two-tone satiné silvered dial, with painted Arabic numerals, outer minute division, an outermost black chapter ring graduated for 60 secondes with painted white Arabic numerals,  two subsidiary dials for the constant second at 6, for the 30-minute register at 12, with « roulette » black and white graduation and red minute recording hand, red split seconds counting hand with special yellow tip, vernier like, for 1/10 second instantaneous counting. The slit seconds chronograph hands is bearing a vernier yellow scale at his end, that allows to precisely know the measurement of the 1/10th second.

The watch is powered by a caliber 262, manual winding, 24”, 36’000 Alt/hr, high beat, rhodium plated, 26 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self compensating balance spring with swan-neck micrometric index. Split seconds chronograph with visible work, button on the winding crown and push piece in the band. 44 Hour Power Reserve.The movement is engraved twice with the serial number 14461153, a particularity for movements that were sent to Observatory contest. Dial signed, case numbered and signed,  movement signed and numbered twice. The protective black leather operating case is set with two three operating button on the top, a front hinged cover secured by a locket on the top. Front and reverse are both printing with blue Longines logo.

Condition: 8.5/10, extremely good overall condition for a professional timekeeper.