The Longines Legend Diver 39mm range expands with new polished lacquer dial colours (live pics)
Zach Blass- The Longines Legend Diver 39mm is now available with three new polished lacquer dials – terracotta, green, and anthracite.
- This 39mm size debuted in 2023, offering a middle ground between the prior 42mm and 36mm models.
- Outfitted on a beads of rice bracelet, driven by a 72-hour automatic movement, and priced at US$3,400.
Dive watches, pun intended, are by far the most saturated watch category on the market. There are so many options, yet so many look the same, reverting to a typical black dial and traditional timing bezel. Compression divers are by no means new, but the aesthetic is far less seen, and Longines has distinguished itself within the very saturated segment with its Legend Diver. Previously, the Legend Diver was available only in 42mm or 36mm sizes, but in 2023, a middle ground was born with a redesigned 39mm case. The range of Longines Legend Diver 39mm watches expands with three new polished lacquer dials to explore.
Forgive my smaller 6.5-inch wrist and less-than-stellar photography (live shots are always better than renders no?), but the 39mm case size was a welcomed evolution as its Goldilocks-considered diameter and 47mm lug-to-lug span offers the sizing many find perfect for a modern sports or dive watch. For those who find typical 42mm watches too large and prefer watches that wear more like a typical 40mm sports watch, the Legend Diver 39mm is the answer.
The 42mm variant has longer lugs creating a 52mm lug-to-lug span that goes beyond my personal danger zone, and the 36mm version has a 44.5mm lug-to-lug that would be my preference but could be perceived to be too small for average tastes. Therefore I suspect this 39mm size is what many will find just right. One thing I like about the Legend Diver is how, even with a vintage-inspired domed sapphire crystal, the thickness for this 39mm model is 12.7mm – rather slender.
Pivoting to what is actually new, the terracotta dial was the first to catch my eye as it is not a common dial colour. It is a dial colour phrase I have only seen used once elsewhere by fellow Swatch Group brand Omega, and its hue is not identical to this. In renders, the colour appears brighter, but in person, the colour is akin to the red clay of a tennis court – and has a pseudo-tropical vibe. Of the new trio, this is the most distinguished and bold colour option of these new polished lacquer models.
In the middle of the colour safety spectrum, the green dial will certainly speak to many as a once-certified colour of the year. In most lighting, it will appear a rich forest green, but under intense light, it will brighten a bit. By no means exclusive to this dial, I really dig how the gloss of the lacquer interacts with light – especially when looking at the curves of the sloped inner timing bezel.
The safest colour option, which I unfortunately did not get to see in the metal, is the new anthracite dial. While safe, it’s by no means boring, it appears to have a modern, fashion-forward aesthetic for those who prefer a dial with chic minimalism. Maybe minimalism is not the right term, perhaps subdued and suave are more appropriate descriptors. Speaking of modernity, the luminous material used on the terracotta and green dials is all white – so no fauxtina here. The anthracite, however, does incorporate some pale green (but, again, not fauxtina).
The 2024 Longines Legend Diver 39mm models are once again outfitted on a beads of rice style bracelet that meets flush with the case, and you’ll be glad to know its folding clasp does have micro-adjustment.
Beneath a perfectly aligned solid and engraved caseback, Longines’ automatic calibre L888.6 offers 72 hours of power reserve, has a silicon balance-spring to resist against magnetism, and is COSC-certified to run within +6/-4 seconds per day. The L888.6 is ETA-based, but it is a Longines-exclusive modified calibre based on the ETA A31.L11 with 64 hours of power reserve, based on the tried-and-true ETA 2892-A2. If such ETA lineage deters you (though why should it at the US$3,400 price point?), keep in mind that it is Swatch Group’s heavy modification of its base calibres that result in thinner watches, with movements that feature silicon balance springs, all while keeping prices where we would like them to be.
A colour refresh is hardly revelatory, but when it happens to a fan-favourite model, I cannot imagine anyone will be complaining that they have new options to investigate – unless you’re dead-set on the 36mm or 42mm models. In terms of 300-metre water-resistant divers, the Longines Legend Diver 39mm is an objectively strong offering at its price. I suspect they will sell well, but I am curious to see which of the three colours performs the best.
Longines Legend Diver 39mm 2024 models pricing and availability
The Longines Legend Diver 39mm Terracotta, Green, and Anthracite, are all available now for purchase. Price: US$3,400
| Brand | Longines |
| Model | Legend Diver 39mm |
| Reference | L3.764.4.06.6 (Green) L3.764.4.96.6 (Terracotta) L3.764.4.99.6 (Anthracite) |
| Case Dimensions | 39mm (D) x 12.7mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 300 metres (screw-down crown) |
| Crystal | Sapphire crystal, domed |
| Dial | Green, terracotta, or anthracite, polished lacquer |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet, folding clasp |
| Movement | L888.6, ETA A31.L11-base, automatic, COSC |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$3,400 |