1962 Longines Grand Prize Automatic — Solid 14K Gold, Cal. 340, Original Box & Papers
$2,199.00
WHY THIS WATCH MATTERS
Many vintage gold dress watches are visually similar. Here the combination is unusually personal: a known 1962 presentation inscription, a linen dial, Longines’ inventive caliber 340, a hallmarked solid-gold case, and surviving original box and warranty materials. Together they provide more context than a watch with no surviving history.
The Found Dial preserves the engraving rather than hiding or erasing it; the recognition it records is a part of the watch’s life.
READ THE FULL REFERENCE ROOM STORY →
The auction that almost ended in scrap, a 1962 presentation inscription, Longines caliber 340 and the original box and papers.
THE HARD DETAILS
| Maker | Longines |
| Model | Grand Prize Automatic |
| Case reference | 5005, stamped inside 14K caseback |
| Movement serial | 11,709,496 |
| Caseback number | 2,738,540 — separate from movement serial |
| Period | Early 1960s; engraved presentation date 1962 |
| Movement | Longines caliber 340, Swiss automatic |
| Jewels | 17 |
| Nominal beat rate | 19,800 vph (caliber specification, not measured) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, sweep seconds |
| Case | Solid 14K yellow gold, Longines-Wittnauer D&A signed |
| Case and back weight | 14.32 g, weighed without movement by owner |
| Case diameter | 34.8 mm |
| Lug-to-lug | 39.6 mm |
| Case thickness | 9 mm |
| Lug width | 17.7 mm |
| Dial | Silver-white crosshatched linen dial, applied gold baton markers |
| Hands | Gold-tone dauphine hands and slim central seconds |
| Crystal | Replacement; composition unverified |
| Crown | Longines-signed winged hourglass, gold tone |
| Strap | Black textured stitched strap; age/originality not confirmed |
| Running and setting | Owner reports running well; time-setting functional |
| Rate and reserve | No measured rate, amplitude or reserve test |
| Water resistance | Not pressure tested; keep dry |
| Accessories | Original Longines box, warranty booklet and warranty card (owner confirmed) |
OPERATING CONDITION
The owner reports that the signed Longines caliber 340 automatic runs well and the crown sets the hands correctly. The off-center rotor and winding gearing are present in the movement photographs. No current timegrapher rate, amplitude, beat error, measured power reserve, or automatic-winding efficiency test has been supplied. 'Running well' does not mean recently fully serviced.
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WHAT WAS DONE
The crystal was replaced and the movement received lubrication. No full overhaul is claimed. The dial and hands were not repainted or refinished; no machine case polishing is documented. Replacement crystal is disclosed rather than portrayed as factory original.
CONDITION & ORIGINALITY
The original-looking fine linen dial remains attractive with scattered small age flecks. Gold-tone dauphine hands display small areas of surface wear or oxidation near the center. The solid 14K case and bezel carry ordinary scratches and scuffs. The outer back bears a prominent personalized 1962 engraving, with faint earlier watchmaker marks inside the back. The Longines-branded crown, signed caliber 340 and Longines-Wittnauer stamped gold case are photographed, but absolute factory originality of every fitted component is not independently certified. The crystal is a confirmed replacement.
THE STORY OF THIS WATCH
In 1962, someone marked an achievement with something meant to last. Engraved on the back of this solid-gold Longines Grand Prize are the words “LONE STAR CO / TOP SALES / MANAGERS CLUB / FRANK E. / JONES / 1962.” It is a moment of recognition, recorded not in a newspaper clipping but in precious metal worn against a wrist.
Turn the watch over and the story shifts from its first owner to the makers. A finely textured linen dial, restrained gold indexes and the gentle geometry of a 14K case frame one of Longines’ most recognizable early-1960s automatic movements. This is an occasion piece that remained an everyday mechanical instrument.
REFERENCE & MODEL HISTORY
The movement is signed Longines caliber 340, with owner-confirmed serial 11,709,496. Published approximate serial-number tables place this number around 1961; the watch was engraved for presentation in 1962. Those are two different dates. The precise factory shipment, delivery date and customer cannot be established from the available materials without a Longines archival extract.
The inside caseback carries reference 5005 and a separate number 2,738,540. Neither should be confused with the movement serial, and the stamped case number has not been independently matched to a full Longines catalog reference.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Longines, founded in Saint-Imier in 1832, developed a reputation for finely engineered chronometers and precision watchmaking. In the early 1960s its automatic caliber 340 offered a distinctive technical solution: an off-center oscillating weight working with a perimeter gear train, unlike the familiar centrally pivoted rotor. The Grand Prize name celebrated a tradition of watchmaking awards and accomplishment.
This watch carries a Longines-Wittnauer Watch Co. U.S.-market 14K case made with D&A case markings, illustrating the collaboration between Swiss movement production and American-market casing and distribution.
FOUND DETAILS
Watch: Longines Grand Prize Automatic, caliber 340, 17 jewels
Period: Movement likely circa 1961; personalized presentation engraving 1962
Case: Solid 14K gold, 14.32g case and back
Measurements: 34.8mm diameter, 39.6mm lug-to-lug, 9mm thickness, 17.7mm lug width
Restoration: Replacement crystal and lubrication
Included: Original Longines box, warranty booklet, warranty card
WHAT COMES WITH THE WATCH
The Longines Grand Prize Automatic watch on its photographed black strap, its original Longines presentation box, original warranty booklet and original warranty card, as confirmed by the owner. The newly uploaded accessory photographs (0244–0247) document the accompanying materials. Printed card entries and any warranty date must be read separately before making claims about matching numbers or original point of sale.
A NOTE ON VINTAGE
An early-1960s mechanical wristwatch with age and a partially documented service history. Timing may vary with position and wear. The watch is not pressure tested and should be kept away from water. The presentation engraving and the replacement crystal are clearly disclosed. The original warranty materials are historical collectibles, not a current warranty.
PHOTOGRAPHED PURELY. SOLD HONESTLY.
These photographs are intended to show the watch as accurately as possible—the wear, the patina, the imperfections, and the details that matter. If there is something you want to see more closely before buying, ask.
