Longines Hydroconquest VS TAG Heuer Formula 1
Time for some battle of the brands!
These two brands are highly respected and have tremendous brand value. Both Swiss watchmakers are on Interbrand's Top 50 Swiss Brands list for 2016* with Longines at position #24 and TAG Heuer at #34. It should not be a big surprise that many of the brands on this list are high-quality Swiss luxury watchmakers. So let's dive in and see what makes each of these two sports watches special. Once we've presented all the facts, and before you go and buy one, look at our side-by-side comparison this way you can be the judge for yourself.
Longines Hydroconquest
Longines was founded by Ernest Francillon and is a well-established brand that has been around since 1832. In fact, Longines has been around for so long that their flying hourglass logo is the oldest trademarked logo for a watchmaker. Longines is presently owned by the Swatch Group.
Is the Longines Hydroconquest a good watch? The Longines Hydroconquest was introduced as a luxury tool watch for divers. Being a diving watch doesn't only mean you can play in the water while wearing this watch, but it also says a lot about the watch itself. Hydroconquest is the kind of watch that you can wear every single day. It's reliable and solidly built. It has a solid case back and has an excellent water-resistance of 300m/1000 ft. It also has a very easy to read dial and hands that are filled with Super LumiNova® luminescent fill. For a budget of about $1,000 or less, this is a very dependable watch.
PROS
- Brand Prestige
- Longines is the more famous of the two brands
- Resale Value
- The Longines brand generally has a better resale value
- Price
- Longines Hydroconquest watches start at a lower price than TAG Heuer F1 watches
- Movement Options
- Available in Quartz and Mechanical Movements
- Water-Resistance
- Longines Hydroconquest has over 30% more water resistance than the TAG F1 making it a better watch for diver's and swimmers
CONS
- Style Options
- The Hydroconquest has fewer style options than the Formula 1
- Strap Options
- Not available with a leather strap yet
TAG Heuer Formula 1
TAG Heuer is also a well-established brand that has been around since 1860. It was founded by Edouard Heuer and is now owned by LVMH. TAG Heuer conducts a tremendous amount of testing on all their watches because TAG Heuer expects all their watches will be worn every day. Therefore, they put each watch through the challenges that the end-user would face.
With the TAG Heuer Formula 1, they factored that driving a Formula 1 car, Motorcycle or any other vehicle causes one's watch to endure long exposure to vibrations and bumps. TAG Heuer developed a simulator that puts the watch through well above the normal amount of vibrations caused by a Formula 1 car or a dirt bike. This is only one of a series of 60 tests that their watches go through before receiving a green light. It also has pretty good water resistance at 200m/660 ft although this is good for an everyday watch, the Longines has significantly better water resistance at 300m/1000ft.
PROS
- Style Options
- Has many style options available
- Strap Options
- Available with a leather strap, nato strap and stainless steel bracelet
- Movement Options
- Avilable in Quartz and Mechanical Movements
CONS
- Brand Prestige
- The less famous of the two brands
- Resale Value
- Lower resale value in most cases
- Price
- Formula 1 starts at a higher price than Longines Hydroconquest watches
- Water-Resistance
- The TAG Heuer F1 has less water-resistance than the Longines Hydroconquest
Pricing
For a budget of about $1,000 or less, these are both very dependable watches. The TAG Heuer Formula 1 has a list price of $1,300 but it can be always purchased from PrestigeTime.com for less. The Longines Hydroconquesthas a list price of $1,000 but we have them on sale at a discounted price.
Conclusion
Choosing between one watch or the other will be pretty challenging for some since they are pretty evenly matched other than with the difference in water resistance and a small difference in price. They are both very dependable and carry a quartz movement which is highly accurate. Compare the data side-by-side and let us know which one you like the most, even if it's just because of the way it looks.
Side by Side Comparison of the Longines Hydroconquest VS TAG Heuer Formula 1
*Source: Interbrand Report
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