Longines Super Compressor 'Jumbo' Diver

The Submariner and the Seamaster aren’t the only stars of the dive watch world.

In the 1960s, Longines made beautiful divers housed in “compressor” cases. 42mm wide and featuring dual crowns — one to adjust the time and one to operate the internal bezel — these special cases became more watertight the deeper one dove by compressing the caseback against a rubber gasket system - brilliant!

Its worth noting that from a technical standpoint, a compressor case wasn’t any better at preventing water intrusion than a screw-down caseback. But it was one attempt at improving the functionality of a watch that was, first and foremost, built to do a job. Despite their functional limitations — and due to their good looks — compressor cased-watches proved to be popular during the 1960s.

Since the Reference 7042 was revived in 2007, the iconic diver has seen many iterations maintaining the signature super compressor design. But like with all things — nothing beats the original.

This particular example is a Reference 7150-1 and dates back to the 1960s. It features a ‘Jumbo’ sized 42mm stainless steel EPSA case with its distinct dual crown layout. Its gloss black dial is protected by an acrylic crystal and features heavily patinated markers, cardinal ‘Arabic’ indices and the distinctive ‘shovel’ hour hand. Powering this awesome example is the equally cool and original Calibre 290 automatic winding movement.

The classic template for the dive watch is a timeless design and that’s exactly what the Submariner and Seamaster are built on. But it’s the DOXAs and Aquastars of the world that have put out many interesting takes on the dive watch. Longines blended both of these worlds with their Super Compressors. It has the serious diver aesthetic with just enough distinctive cues to separate it from a 'traditional' diver's watch.

We don’t see these oversized examples surface often, and theres no telling when or where another will again. So if you’re looking for a serious vintage diver with tons of character and a great story to add to your collection, then we suggest that you act fast!

Founded in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, Longines was at the sharp end of the watchmaking spear during the beginnings of modern horology. Constantly innovating, the company devised some of the most important wristwatches of the 20th century. Indeed, by 1919, Longines was the official supplier of timepieces for the International Aeronautical Federation, working to develop highly accurate navigation chronometers for many of the era's great aviation pioneers.
Most famous among Longines' forays into navigation pieces is the Lindbergh Hour Angle watch, a wristwatch designed by famed aviator Charles Lindberg in conjunction with the brand to allow aviators to calculate, with the help of a sextant and a known latitude, their exact geographic location.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, Longines also released a series of stunning time-only watches. Often referred to as “Calatravas” after the iconic model by Patek Philippe, most of these watches had thin stainless steel cases at 32-35mm, standard sizes for the time. Like the Patek Philippe Calatrava, these timepieces were known for their perfect proportions and the elegant simplicity of their designs.

But it wasn’t just time-only watches that drew the attention of clients the world over — particularly in the Americas: The company’s caliber 13ZN, first released in 1936, is widely regarded as one of the finest chronograph movements ever devised by any brand. This development would form the basis of work in sports timing, in which Longines developed timepieces with flyback functionality as well as 1/100th-second counters.

Today, Longines produces a remarkable number of watches annually — over 1.5 million of them — and rakes in over $1B in annual revenue through the sale of everything from simple quartz watches to sophisticated moon phases and chronographs. Incredibly, they produced their 51 millionth timepiece in 2019 and in some ways, it feels like the brand is just getting started.

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Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

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We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

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All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.