Longines Spirit Zulu Time is a watch that makes you fall in love with it, then it makes you forget it, and then it makes you love it forever. At least that happened to me.
I got to choose some time ago between Longines Master Collection Chrono Moonphase and Spirit Zulu Time, which was a fresh addition to their collection at that time. I instantly liked the Zulu GMT, so I chose it. After some time, the wrist time was low, really low, and I didn’t feel the need to wear the watch.
I decided to list it for sale. Instantly I got offers for it, but when the time to sell came, I just couldn’t , somehow the watch spoke to me, and I decided that it would stay in my collection. So here we are, a watch that I loved, then forgot about it, and now forever in love with it.
What makes Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT so special? I will answer in the article.
Design and Aesthetics
You either love it or hate it, but you need to give it some time if it’s not love at the first sight. Design wise, it is a beautiful watch, not very expensive, but it looks like an expensive watch, at least in the configuration I have.
Case
Longines Spirit ZULU Time GMT comes in two diameters: 42mm and 39mm, the 42mm was the first model launched and it had great success. Then Longines decided to add the 39mm option and it was a smart move because I saw a lot of people request it.
The model I have, the one in 42mm diameter, measures 49.4mm lug to lug with a thickness of 13.9mm, and I can tell you that the watch feels good on your wrist, it doesn’t feel heavy at all like the Omega Seamaster for example. Longines used stainless steel 316L which is a standard in the industry , and the majority of surfaces on the case are brushed and polished chamfered edges on the lugs.
No sharp edges that can be used as a weapon or to peel a potato like we saw on CIGA Design Blue Planet II.
The case finishing shows attention to details, the multi-faceted lugs catch light beautifully and the oversized crown grips easily and fits the pilot watch aesthetics without looking weird.
The water resistance is 100 meters and the crown is screw-down. The crown and water resistance are perfect In my opinion. The case is really good, I love the shape of the watch when you look at it horizontally. Reminds me of Tudor, but more beautiful.
Dial
From what I have read, some of the owners of Longines Spirit Zulu Time complained about the Dial being busy. I don’t see it, I think it has a clean look and it’s not busy at all. It has applied Arabic numerals, a raised chapter ring with lume pips, the date window is positioned at 6 o’clock and multiple lines of text.
Sure, I agree that the logo plus Zulu Time inscription would have been enough. I don’t see the point of the Automatic inscription (we already know) or even the Chronometer inscription. Those are extra, alongside with the 5 stars and Longines Logo. Yet again, I don’t perceive it as being a busy dial.
The applied numerals look good, giving the watch an elegant look. The chapter ring features small diamond shaped lume cutouts at each hour marker. I might add that it aligns perfectly with the diamond tip on the seconds hand.
For this model you have a variety of colours to choose from. Anthracite, matte black and sunray blue dials. The vintage inspired versions use faux patine lume, while modern variants have white Super-LumiNova. The lume performance is solid.
The handset is really good, we have broad sword hands for hours and minutes which extend all the way to the minute track, I think it’s the first thing you observe, because they do seem long. The GMT hand features a smart two-tone design where the lower shaft matches the dial color while the tip is painted golden like the markers, making the GMT hand looks like it’s floating and also reducing the clutter.
Sapphire crystal is present on the watch as well, scratch resistant and all that, at this price point would have been a really crazy move to use something else.
The overall design of the Dial is really nice in my opinion. Black dial with gold accents and the green bezel makes this watch look elegant but also keeps the military aesthetics.
Lume
Swiss Super-LumiNova fills the hands, hour markers and chapter ring pips. They have been generous with the lume because the glow lasts several hours after a full charge. It handles low-light situations without any issue. The second hand pip sits above the numerals making it really easy to track it in the darkness.
Bezel
Made of ceramic in a nice green colour that gives this watch a military look, but combined with the golden accents makes the watch very elegant. The bezel rotates both ways and it has 24 hour markings for the GMT Function. I have the watch for 3 years and I have never seen a scratch on the dial or bezel.
Bracelet/Strap
For Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT you have a lot of options when it comes to dial colours, but the same thing applies to the straps as well. Not a lot, but you have 3 options, you either go with the stainless steel bracelet, leather strap or NATO Strap.
My personal advice? Go with the stainless steel one, and you can buy the other variants after that. The steel bracelet is usually expensive to buy separately.
Either way, it looks good on each strap, it’s not a strap monster like Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur which can be sporty or classy depending on the bracelet you have, but it gives you a nice aesthetic when you have the watch on NATO Strap or Leather strap.
In my case I got the watch in a steel bracelet and I custom made a leather strap for me. I might consider buying a NATO strap, even though it is not really my thing.
Either way. The steel bracelet looks good, I like it, nothing out of the ordinary, it’s a three-link bracelet that tapers from 22mm down to a folding clasp. It is finished mostly with brushed surfaces and thin polished accents on center links.
One thing that I don’t like – The bracelet uses pins for sizing instead of screws. The clasp has five micro-adjustments holes but no on-the-fly extension. For this price I would have expected better from Longines in this department.
Every version of the watch has a quick-release system so you can easily replace the strap.
Build Quality and Durability
Overall I can say that the watch is resistant, no scratches on the case or sapphire crystal, I have had it for a long time and still looks good and fresh. I cannot say the same thing about the bracelet though, even if in the first year I didn’t wear the watch too much, I found out that there are some pretty big scratches. I don’t mind them, but keep in mind that the bracelet is sensitive when it comes to scratches.
Materials
We have 316L stainless steel on the case and bracelet. There is also a titanium version which uses Grade 5 titanium.
The bezel insert uses ceramic in all versions, which is really good, because we usually see ceramic on more expensive models. Ceramic bezels look good, with the glossy finish and scratch resistance, this will make the watch look as new for decades.
We also have a domed sapphire crystal with multiple layers of anti-reflective coating on both sides, it’s good but not as good as Omega Seamaster coating for example.
Overall good materials and great quality for a watch at this price point.
Water Resistance and Scratch Resistance
We already know we have ceramic bezel which will scratch only if you declare war on it and attack it with some diamonds. The brushed steel however, will easily catch some scratches from daily wear, especially on the bracelet. From what I saw the polished bevels on the lugs are the most vulnerable but those are easy to refinish.
Sapphire Crystal means good protection on the watch, so you can bang it around without worrying too much.
One thing I like about a watch that is not a Diver is the 100 meters water resistance. In my opinion this should be the minimum accepted across the industry. Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT has the 100 meters water resistance which is assuring that the watch will not sustain any damage from water.
You can shower with it, swim with it if you want, just don’t take it with you to scuba diving. If you need more information about Diver Watches – check our guide.
Weight and Feel
The 42mm version which we cover today weighs around 140 grams. It is a substantial watch, but not a heavy one. The watch wears good, I wore it for a week in order to make this review and didn’t feel the need to take it off at the end of the day.
The watch was on my wrist all day, the only time I was taking it off was when I showered or when I was sleeping. I can say it is comfortable to wear it and it’s even more comfortable with a leather strap.
I used to wear the watch a lot on leather straps, but in the last year I started to prefer the watch with the stainless steel bracelet.
For the model we review I suggest the brown leather strap it works perfectly with the dial colours.
Movement and Functionality
The Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT is powered by the caliber L844.4, an automatic movement based on ETA A31.411 but modified and certified by Longines. You might complain and say it’s not in-house, but I think you are missing the point here.
Longines is part of the Swatch Group, as is ETA, so they took a proven ETA base and upgraded it with a silicon balance spring, COSC chronometer certification and true GMT functionality. THat’s more proprietary than Tudor’s movements, for example which are just Rolex calibers without the Superlative Chronometer certification.
The fact that the watch has COSC certification guarantees a good timekeeping with -4 to+6 seconds per day. But in my research I got +2 seconds per day and that is excellent for any mechanical watch, let alone for one at this price point.
The silicon balance spring has a good magnetic resistance, so you can leave it beside your laptop or phone without worries.
Complications
Of course we have the date complication, positioned at 6 o’clock, but the the star of the show is the True GMT complication.
The hour hand jumps independently without stopping the watch, so if you are landing in a new time zone, you pull the crown at position two and advance or retract the hour hand. The GMT hand stays locked to home time. The cool part is that with the bezel you can track a third timezone if you need it.
The date changes with the local hour hand which is a thing I don’t really like because it will take some time to reach the desired date if you don’t use the watch for a long time. Also, no hacking seconds which is an odd omission, but is not really something that bothers me to be honest.
Power Reserve and Winding
The L844.4 movement has a 72 hours power reserve, which I like very much. I’m a simple man, I need at least 100 meters of water resistance and more than 40 hours of power reserve. Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT checked both boxes in this case.
The movement beats at 25,200 vibrations per hour, which is lower than the standard of 28,800 , it looks to me that they traded smoother sweep for longer power reserve, which in my books is a smart choice.
Hand winding works smoothly, it takes you around 30 turns from dead to fully wounded, I tested it. Also the rotor spins freely and you cannot hear it or feel it when it rotates, not a thing we can say about other watches.
Comfort and Wearability
I said and I will say it again. I wore the watch for a week for this review, even though it has been in my collection for 2 years already. I never wore it more than 2 days up until now.
I will speak only about the 42mm that I have. Obviously you need more wrist real estate. I have big wrists, I used to be a boxer (not a pro one, relax) so my wrists are a little bit bigger, and a 42 mm watch is perfect for me.
It’s not an uncomfortable watch, but is more present on your wrist. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a big watch, even though Omega Seamaster has 42mm looks way bigger than the Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT.
I’m going to repeat myself, but I haven’t felt fatigue from wearing the watch, or feeling the need to take the watch down from my wrist. This happened to me with Omega Seamaster because of the bracelet.
I think it’s a good daily watch, easy to wear with a quick swappable bracelet. I don’t like the fact that the five-hole micro-adjustment is not on the fly, and if you ever feel the need during the day to make the bracelet bigger or smaller, you need tools for that.
This is a big minus honestly and i’m talking obviously about the stainless steel bracelet.
Brand and Heritage
Longines started in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland and it’s one of the oldest watch companies in the world. We are not going to go through all their history, we will do that in a separate article.
Longines pioneered GMT watches a long time ago. In 1925 they produced a dual-timezone watch with the Zulu Flag on the dial. Some aviation legends like Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh or Howard Huges wore Longines watches. And it wasn’t a celebrity endorsement, but tools that were actually used by pilots.
Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT is a pilot watch no doubt about it, The arabic numerals, the big crown, it looks like a cockpit watch.
The Zulu name has an interesting history and on the internet two stories on why the watch is called Zulu. The first one is that the letter Z in NATO phonetic alphabet is called Zulu, which stands for 0 hours. In other words, Universal time/UTC. So when pilots say we fly at 0800 Zulu they mean 8 am universal time, regardless of the time zone.
But I think it’s a direct connection to Longines History actually. In 1925 they made the first dual-timezone wristwatch and they put the Zulu flag on the dial and the Modern Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT takes his identity directly from that watch.
I guess.. I don’t know!
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The ceramic bezel at this price point is unmatched. You typically see this on watches costing $5,000 or more.
- True traveler’s GMT with jumping hour hand is the right complication for actual travelers. Pull the crown, adjust the hour, keep going.
- COSC chronometer certification means accuracy you can rely on.
- Silicon balance spring offers anti-magnetic properties found in far more expensive watches.
- Quick-release strap system makes it easy to change the watch’s character.
- Multiple size options (39mm and 42mm) accommodate different wrist sizes.
- Titanium option provides exceptional wearing comfort.
- The finishing quality exceeds the price point.
- Heritage and aviation history give the watch genuine credibility.
Cons
- The bracelet needs better engineering. Pins instead of screws, basic clasp with no on-the-fly adjustment.
- The 42mm case wears large for smaller wrists due to long lug-to-lug.
- No drilled lug holes means you need your own spring bars for non-quick-release straps.
Price and Value for Money
The price for Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT starts at $3,450 and can go up to $5,200 if you want some real gold on the watch. I don’t see this model as a Luxury Watch, it feels more like a tool to me
Based on what you choose you can pay more, for example the steel bracelet model starts at $3,550 no matter the diameter and I think this is the best option to take. You can buy a leather strap or NATO later, and it’s cheaper.
I think this watch has a great Value for money, you get a true GMT, a good quality watch, great finishes, amazing history and a superb design. Honestly you cannot go wrong with the watch and I think it’s worth every penny.
Is it a good investment? No, this is not stock market people! Watches are not good investments. Period. But it has great value for money, you get a chronometer certification, ceramic bezel, 72 hours power reserve. It has all that you need. Probably if I were to choose only one watch to wear for life at this price point, it would be Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT.
Box and Packaging
Longines ships the Zulu Time in their standard boxes. You have a warranty card, instruction manual and chronometer certificate. Extra links come in a small bag for bracelet models.
The package is appropriate for a watch in this price point, but nothing out of the extraordinary.
I’m still waiting to see a box that competes with Omega.
Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT – My final thoughts
I think it delivers more than a watch that you should expect at this price point. They took premium materials like ceramic and used them to create the watch. Overall it’s a watch that I would recommend over the Tudor GMT. I just think it’s way better, has a great heritage, from a brand with an amazing history and the quality is excellent.
Is it perfect? No! The bracelet is not that good , scratches easily, no quick micro adjustments. But I consider these to be minor complaints.
You have a true GMT complication, genuine aviation heritage, great materials that creates a compelling package that punches well above its weight class. I think the Zulu time deserves serious recognition and they got it.
Would I buy it? Yes! I think it’s the most recognizable watch from Longines line-up at this moment. More about the watch on official website.
| Specification | Detail |
| Reference | L3.812.4.63.6 |
| Case Diameter | 42 mm |
| Lug-to-Lug | 49.40 mm |
| Lug Width | 22 mm |
| Case Thickness | 13.90 mm |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Bezel | Bi-directional rotating, ceramic insert, dark green, 24-hour scale |
| Crystal | Domed sapphire, multi-layer AR coating both sides |
| Dial Color | Anthracite |
| Lume | Swiss Super-LumiNova |
| Water Resistance | 100 meters / 10 bar |
| Movement | Longines Caliber L844.4 |
| Movement Type | Automatic (self-winding) |
| Beat Rate | 25,200 vph / 3.5 Hz |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Jewels | 21 |
| Balance Spring | Silicon (anti-magnetic) |
| Certification | COSC Chronometer |
| Accuracy | -4 / +6 seconds per day |
| Complications | True GMT, Date |
| Crown | Screw-in, oversized |
| Caseback | Solid, 6-screw |
| Bracelet | Stainless steel 3-link, quick-release |
| Clasp | Double safety folding clasp with push-piece opening |
| Retail Price | $3,550 USD |
It’s a true traveler’s GMT. The hour hand jumps independently, meaning you adjust it without stopping the watch. Land in a new timezone, pull the crown, move the hour hand forward or backward, and your home time on the GMT hand stays untouched. A caller GMT can’t do this. It forces you to stop the movement and work around the minute hand to set the time. For actual travelers, the Zulu Time works the way a GMT should.
It depends on your wrist. The 42mm has a 49.4mm lug-to-lug distance, which is long. If your wrist is 6.5 inches or under, the lugs will overhang and the watch will rock. Go for the 39mm. Its 46.8mm lug-to-lug sits much better on smaller wrists. If you have a 7-inch wrist or larger, the 42mm wears the way it was designed to.
Technically, it’s based on an ETA A31.411 platform. Longines and ETA both sit under Swatch Group, so Longines modified and certified it as their own caliber. Whether that qualifies as “in-house” depends on how strict your definition is. What matters more is what it delivers: COSC chronometer certification, silicon balance spring, 72-hour power reserve, and true GMT functionality. Judged on performance rather than politics, the movement punches well above its price class.
These two compete directly. The Tudor Black Bay GMT starts at $4,675 on bracelet. The Longines starts at $3,150 on bracelet. For the difference in price, the Longines gives you a ceramic bezel, COSC certification, and a longer 72-hour power reserve. The Tudor offers stronger brand recognition and a dive-oriented design. Both use true traveler’s GMT movements. If brand prestige matters to you, go Tudor. If you want more watch for the money, the Longines wins.
The Super-LumiNova application is generous across hands and markers. After a few minutes of direct light exposure, the lume glows visibly for around 4 to 5 hours. It won’t match a dedicated dive watch, but it’s more than enough for finding your watch on a nightstand or reading the time in a dark room or restaurant.
Yes, for swimming. The 100-meter water resistance handles pools, showers, and open-water swimming without issue. Don’t take it scuba diving. The screw-in crown and 6-screw caseback keep water out reliably, but 100 meters is recreational water resistance, not dive-rated.
No. 39mm sits right at the sweet spot for a sports watch in today’s market. The design has enough presence with the applied Arabic numerals, raised chapter ring, and ceramic bezel to read confidently on the wrist. Reviewers with wrists ranging from 6.5 to 7.5 inches consistently report the 39mm as the better wearing option of the two sizes.
Not particularly. Longines is not Rolex or Patek Philippe. You won’t see this watch appreciate over time. Buy it to wear it, not to invest in it. On the secondary market, used examples trade at a discount from retail, which actually makes a pre-owned Zulu Time an excellent entry point if you want one at a lower price.
The vintage-inspired references use a khaki-toned lume treatment on the hands and markers, mimicking the aged tritium look of old pilot watches. Modern variants use bright white Super-LumiNova. The faux patina models also pair with gilt handsets and indices, giving them a warmer, heritage feel. It’s purely a style choice. The movement and functionality are identical across both.
It’s adequate but not exceptional. The brushed three-link stainless steel bracelet feels solid and tapers nicely toward the clasp. The main criticism is its adjustment mechanism. It uses pins instead of screws for link removal, and the folding clasp offers five micro-adjustment holes but no on-the-fly extension system. For a watch at $3,500, a better clasp engineering is a fair expectation. The leather strap with its two-button micro-adjust deployant is actually the superior option if wrist comfort and adjustability matter to you.
