One of my favorite sleepers of Baselworld this year was a Longines reissue inspired by a 1940s pilots watch supplied to the Royal Air Force. While the vintage piece was a hot commodity, this modern take brings a faux-vintage charm and availability. The new-for-2018 Longines Heritage Military Watch has earned a bit of a reputation for spectators literally having to ask whether its?actually?new.The Longines Heritage Collection has been well-received, albeit controversial, among some enthusiasts who are dead set against any?fake patina. So, before we get into it, lets step aside and separate ourselves from the controversy surrounding faux patina and instead talk about how to do it?right. This watch does feature fake aging. I put fake in quotes?because this is meticulously done by Longines and borderline indistinguishable from its 1940s counterpart short of a minuscule size difference. Short of having both the vintage and reissued watch next to each other, you wouldnt know this was a new watch. This is some of the finest faking Ive ever seen in a wristwatch. In fact, when I was first assigned this article, I had to do a bit of research on the?original RAF Military watch, because I thought, ignorantly, that they maybe re-used old material a la Tockr with the D-Day C-47 Watch? they did not. Hands-on images by Ariel AdamsLets get to it. The brushed stainless steel case measures in at 38.5mm (thank God for not trying to modernize the size with a 42mm pilots watch), slightly larger than its predecessor, and wears quite well even on a larger wrist. While I dont have the exact measurements of the thickness, the watch wears relatively thin, and really?feels?like a vintage piece. Lightweight, compact, well-sized, and unobtrusive a true no-frills watch that looks and feels like a tool. The crystal is slightly domed sapphire with several layers of anti-reflective coating, making the watch superbly legible. The narrow and curved lugs give the watch a great profile and dip out of the way when paired with the oversized crown making the watch easy to adjust on the wrist.Hands down, the real focus on this watch is the dial. Longines, and the Heritage Collection specifically, has flirted with the faux patina look for as long as I can remember I would argue there arent many other brands that have pulled it off as fluidly as they have. However, this is the first model that Ive really ever felt enthused by.The dial plate itself is (I would say) perfectly colored for the vintage look. On top of the dial plate, is a spray of little brownish black specs further aiding the aged look and giving the watch a more legitimate vintage feel. Furthermore, this spray ensures that no two watches are identical. In fact, I truly believe, if you showed me a decent conditioned vintage dial of the RAF watch, and the Heritage Military Watch, I would have a hard time determining which is which without a close-up examination. The uniquely shaped handset is blued, and rounded a nod to handsets of the 40s, and even feature a?barely?aged hue. Again, further adding to the vintage charm. I need to commend Longines on two things for the handset: one, the length and shape are damn near perfect for its utilitarian nature right down to the seconds hand reaching the railroad minute track exactly where it should, and two, non-modernization of the shape. Many brands tend to attempt to slim down vintage-style handsets and unfortunately, produce an out-of-place aesthetic with a handset that doesnt exactly look vintage but doesnt look modern either, and Longines avoided that on the Heritage Military Watch.There is no Automatic on the dial, a usual fetish for the brand and besides Longines and a small Swiss Made at the bottom of the dial, there isnt any other text displayed front or back. Additionally, and shockingly, this watch features NO date leaving minimal interruptions in the dial. Overall, I need to commend Longines on the dial design here. Im not typically a fan of faking it but come to realize Im actually not a fan of faking it poorly and if youre going to do a faux patina dial, this model is certainly something to look towards on how to accomplish it without looking kitschy.While the rest of the watch calls on some vintage vibes, the guts are very much a modern upgrade. Instead of the hand-wound movement of the 1940s era, the L619/888 Automatic movement gives the watch its heartbeat. Its a movement based on the ETA A31, beats at 3.5Hz, and features a generous 64-hour power reserve. The time-only movement isnt visible through the case back, as the watch features a steel, rounded caseback a nod to the watch its emulating and realistically (in my opinion) the only viable option to keep this watch uniform in its aesthetic.Strapping the watch to the wrist is an aged calfskin leather strap. I must say, it fits the watch extraordinarily well. As a strap junky, I tend to be critical of these types of finishings, and I cant be here. As for the leather itself, it may look irritating on the top, but is superbly comfortable. It features a full-length strip for the belly and doesnt utilize a turn-over method (as is often found in cheaper straps) reducing a further point for possible discomfort. My one gripe is the sealant on the edge could be a bit more refined and match a little better. While I understand thats a little more difficult to do than people realize, it takes away a little bit of the aged look with its crude application. The thin pin buckle features Longines wing logo and furthers the simplicity of the look while nodding to the pilots influence.I am?not?a vintage watch person, but I would totally wear this piece regularly. The modest sizing, influence, and attention to detail on the Patina leave little to be desired in way of effort that is to say, Longines didnt phone it in here, and thats rare to see in a Faux-Patina-ed timepiece in this price-point. This is one of the few Pseudo-Vintage watches that feels honest. I dont mind the fake aging paired with the modern guts. Overall, if youre in the market for an aged piece that isnt from the 50s, and wont require a service every other weekend, this may be the piece for you. Price for the Longines Heritage Military Watch is $2,150. Learn more at?longines.com [...]