SPECIFICATIONS
Incredible Longines Comet ref. 8475 NOS with a rare red dial, steel case, and in-house manual winding movement 702, from the 1970s.
Steel case measuring 35 mm x 39 mm
Tritium dial with red and black analog display
Original logo crown
Original logo crystal
Original signed strap
Original push-button clasp
Longines 702 movement inside
ANALYSIS
The world of so-called “mysterious” watches is very diverse, and their allure dates back to the late 19th century, when the first attempts to make the time display “floating” through suspended hands were being experimented with. In the 1910s, Cartier launched its “Modèle A,” created in collaboration with Maurice Couet, which was incredibly successful.
In the 1940s, Juvenia revived the theme with its “Mystère,” followed by versions by Jaeger-LeCoultre, and then again in the 1950s by Longines itself and Ernest Borel with the famous “Cocktail” model, which enjoyed incredible commercial success.
The Longines Comet ushered in the late 1960s and well into the 1970s. This model symbolizes how, despite the passage of time, the fascination with mysterious watches has never waned.
Launched in 1969, this timepiece stands out for its vintage design, featuring a beveled, elongated cushion-shaped case and a range of boldly colored dials: from shades of light blue and dark blue to bright yellow, and even the exclusive red-white and red-black configurations. With this model, Longines has hit the mark, leveraging a unique, now almost iconic design.
Its display system is extraordinary: an arrow-shaped hand marks the hours, while a luminous dot – aptly named “Comet” – sweeps across the dial to indicate the minutes. These elements are mounted on overlapping, colored discs, positioned between the hour and minute rings, creating an optical effect of lightness and movement. The hour and minute hands, and the baton-shaped indexes are treated with a tritium coating, ensuring clear readability in low-light conditions.
This watch is NOS and has retained all its splendor straight from the 1970s to the present day. The case retains its original brushing, the dial’s colors remain intact and vibrant, and the tritium retains its beautiful, original warmth.
Completing this stunning and rare piece is its original, signed strap, which closes with a metal snap clasp.
The Comet is powered by the in-house hand-wound 702 movement derived from Record, and represents one of the latest calibres made by Longines.
