# My VHP arrived today. HELP!



## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

My new Longines Conquest V.H.P arrived today WITHOUT A MANUAL. Well, I should say it did come with a manual, just not one for the movement that's in this watch. This movement has a perpetual calendar and a "smart crown," and adjustment is not like a regular watch. Does anyone here know how to adjust the time and date?

I called Longines customer service and they were totally useless. Even the service department couldn't help me. "We'll call you back when we find the manual for that watch." I'm tempted to send the damn thing back.

I've played around with the crown and managed to get the time more or less adjusted--I say "more or less" because the hour hand is now not lined up correctly for where the minute hand is on the dial. I know on my The Citizen, the movement will self-adjust to correct an alignment error like this, so I'm wondering if the VHP movement will too.

Any help would be appreciated.


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## woodville63 (Dec 28, 2011)

https://secure.eta.ch/CSP/DefaultDesktop.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=28&Caliber=F06111


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

woodville63 said:


> https://secure.eta.ch/CSP/DefaultDesktop.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=28&Caliber=F06111


Thanks, but I'm pretty sure this is not the ETA movement that the VHP is based on. The VHP is not a 3-position crown. It only has two positions--or three if you count that you can push it in (but I haven't figured out what that does yet).


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## ppaulusz (Feb 11, 2006)

GMF said:


> My new Longines Conquest V.H.P arrived today WITHOUT A MANUAL. Well, I should say it did come with a manual, just not one for the L3.716.4 movement that's in the watch. This movement has a perpetual calendar and a "smart crown," and adjustment is not like a regular watch. Does anyone here know how to adjust the time and date?...


Gary, L3.716.4 is the _model number_ of your watch. Its _movement number _is *Longines Caliber* *L288.2* (*ETA E56.111*).


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

Here's a pic:


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

ppaulusz said:


> Gary, L3.716.4 is the _model number_ of your watch. Its _movement number _is *Longines Caliber* *L288.2* (*ETA E56.111*).


My bad. Thanks. I was thinking it was the movement # on the back--like on my The Citizen and Grand Seiko.


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

Well, I've not been able to find any online manuals for the Longines L288.2 or ETA E56.111 movement. But I've discovered that the calendar is pre-set at the factory to the year 2400 and can't be reset by the user (unlike The Citizen). If the battery is changed within six months of the EOL indicator, the watch date and time will reset automatically. If the battery is not replaced within that time frame, the watch must be sent back to Longines for the calendar to be reset.

So, it appears the only the time can be adjusted with the "Smart Crown": You pull the crown out once and rotate it slowly to adjust the minute hand and rotate it rapidly to advance the hour hand. Hour hand alignment will evidently self-correct because mine has since I set the time this afternoon.


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

*I just got the following e-mail from Longines:*

_Hello Mr. Frazier,

There is no manual for the VHP watch since it is a quartz movement. Please see below for the information the customer needs:

• The watch is delivered in 'energy-saving' mode: the crown is extended, the hands are at twelve o'clock.

• Once the crown has been pushed in, the watch automatically changes to the Swiss time and date.

• It must then be set to the local time. If the user extends the crown once again, the hands return to twelve o'clock and the watch goes back into 'energy-saving' mode.

• Once the crown has been pushed in, the watch automatically changes to the local time.

Thank You,
Longines Sales Support 
Swatch Group (U.S.) Inc. 
703 Waterford Way
Suite 990
Miami, FL 33126
P: +1 800-283-7236_

*Notice that they tell me the watch must be set to the local time (duh!) but don't explain how to do it properly with the Smart Crown. And pulling the crown out does not return the hands to the twelve o'clock position--at least it doesn't do it on my watch. Maybe if you leave it pulled out long enough, it will. I haven't tried that.*


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## Tom-HK (Jan 6, 2015)

Is it just me or does it seem particularly arrogant of Longines (especially given their pedigree in quartz watches) to declare that there is no manual for the VHP "since it is a quartz movement"? Maybe something has got lost in translation.


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## woodville63 (Dec 28, 2011)

GMF said:


> Thanks, but I'm pretty sure this is not the ETA movement that the VHP is based on. The VHP is not a 3-position crown. It only has two positions--or thre if you count that you can push it in (but I haven't figured out what that does yet).


Oops, sorry. I'm willing to bet it has the same functionality as the old VHP movement based on your description of the crown. See p.16 onwards of https://secure.eta.ch/CSP/DesktopModules/ViewDoc.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=28&DocId=207&DocType=DT.

PS Could you show a piccy head-on of the seconds hand; I want to know how close it is to hitting the markers. Ta.


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## Hans Moleman (Sep 24, 2007)

GMF said:


> Well, I've not been able to find any online manuals for the Longines L288.2 or ETA E56.111 movement. But I've discovered that the calendar is pre-set at the factory to the year 2400 and can't be reset by the user (unlike The Citizen). If the battery is changed within six months of the EOL indicator, the watch date and time will reset automatically. If the battery is not replaced within that time frame, the watch must be sent back to Longines for the calendar to be reset.
> 
> So, it appears the only the time can be adjusted with the "Smart Crown": You pull the crown out once and rotate it slowly to adjust the minute hand and rotate it rapidly to advance the hour hand. Hour hand alignment will evidently self-correct because mine has since I set the time this afternoon.


Is there a way to change the seconds hand?


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

Hans Moleman said:


> Is there a way to change seconds hand?


The watch doesn't hack in the traditional sense. When you pull the crown out to adjust the time, the second hand doesn't stop. When you start to rotate the crown to adjust the time, the second hand jumps to the 12 o'clock position and stops. After you adjust the time and push the crown back in, the second hand starts back up. But unlike The Citizen, the hour hand is not independently adjustable.

I have verified that if you pull the crown out and leave it long enough, ALL the hands reset to the 12 o'clock position--the "power saver" mode referenced in the e-mail I quoted.


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

woodville63 said:


> Oops, sorry. I'm willing to bet it has the same functionality as the old VHP movement based on your description of the crown. See p.16 onwards of https://secure.eta.ch/CSP/DesktopModules/ViewDoc.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=28&DocId=207&DocType=DT.
> 
> PS Could you show a piccy head-on of the seconds hand; I want to know how close it is to hitting the markers. Ta.


Your link doesn't work for me.

The second hand lands dead on each second marker on the dial.


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## woodville63 (Dec 28, 2011)

see p.6 of attached.


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

woodville63 said:


> see p.6 of attached.


Thanks. After reading through this, I can tell you the movt. in my watch does not adjust this way.









The new VHP only has positions 0, 1, and 2 from the above diagram. So far as I can tell, Position 0 doesn't do anything. Pushing the crown in either briefly or holding it in doesn't do anything. Position 1 is normal running position. Position 2 is to adjust the time as follows:

To hack the watch to set it to a time reference:
1. Pull crown out to Position 2.
2. Slightly rotate the crown forward. The second hand will jump to the 12 o'clock position.
3. Rotate the crown rapidly either forward or backward to get to the desired hour. The hour and minute hand will advance together in one-hour increments.
4. Rotate the crown slowly to set the minute.
5. Push the crown in to Position 1 to restart the second hand at the reference time from 00 seconds.

To adjust the time either forward or backward WITHOUT HACKING:
1. Pull crown out to Position 2.
2. Rapidly spin the crown either forward or backward. (If you hesitate in the least, and turn the crown slowly, the second hand will jump to 12 o'clock and stop.)
3. The hour and minute hand will advance together forward or backward in one-hour increments.
4. Push the crown in to Position 1.

The date is preset at the factory and cannot be adjusted. And while the hour hand is not independently adjustable, the watch can be adjusted across time zones (or for Daylight Savings Time) without hacking as shown above.


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## kapahoo (Apr 8, 2015)

Thanks for all this info GMF.
Seems really lazy of Longines not having a manual included. Specially since it is a very unique way of setting the time.
You must be able to hange the date in some way. Otherwise you’ll ger into real trouble if the battery runs out and you don’t change it within a day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

kapahoo said:


> Thanks for all this info GMF.
> Seems really lazy of Longines not having a manual included. Specially since it is a very unique way of setting the time.
> You must be able to hange the date in some way. Otherwise you'll ger into real trouble if the battery runs out and you don't change it within a day.


According to Longines, as long as you change the battery within six months of the EOL indicator going off, the perpetual calendar will remain set. If you exceed six months, the watch has to go back to Longines to reset the calendar.


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## GT27 (Jun 13, 2016)

Hang on, I'm confused about the whole "we don't include a manual because it's a quartz watch" statement. This watch seems overly complex if anything and sounds like exactly the reason it should have come with a manual??

I'm glad you got the issue rectified OP. Now, the real question: Is it any good? Fit and finish? Overall quality?


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

GT27 said:


> I'm glad you got the issue rectified OP. Now, the real question: Is it any good? Fit and finish? Overall quality?


Fit and finish are what you'd expect for a $1000 watch. Generally excellent, but not to the level of my Grand Seiko and The Citizen.


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## PeterG_SVK (Jan 20, 2012)

GMF said:


> My new Longines Conquest V.H.P arrived today WITHOUT A MANUAL. ...


The link hidden behind "Longines Conquest V.H.P." in the original post points to eBay Seiko watch listing which refers to original ended listing of old style Longines Conquest VHP watch - that confused many readers here, me included ...

Edit: The hidden link is there, if the user is not signed into the forum.


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

PeterG_SVK said:


> The link hidden behind "Longines Conquest V.H.P." in the original post points to eBay Seiko watch listing which refers to original ended listing of old style Longines Conquest VHP watch - that confused many readers here, me included ...
> 
> Edit: The hidden link is there, if the user is not signed into the forum.


I don't know what hidden link you're talking about, but I sure didn't put any links to eBay (or any other site) in my post.


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## PeterG_SVK (Jan 20, 2012)

Log out first, then go to the first post. Click on the underlined link "My new Longines Conquest V.H.P. ..." like on enclosed picture below and you'll see.

Please note, the mouse cursor position is not captured by printscreen function, but the mouse is pointed on the link, hence full path is displayed in the lower left window corner in the enclosed pictures.

I didn't say you have put there any link, but the link is surely there (automatic one?). The link is visible only IF YOU ARE SIGNED OUT.


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## kapahoo (Apr 8, 2015)

GMF said:


> According to Longines, as long as you change the battery within six months of the EOL indicator going off, the perpetual calendar will remain set. If you exceed six months, the watch has to go back to Longines to reset the calendar.


Ok! Thanks.
This seems a bit scary but if it works... well, it works.

Edit: did you get the 43 or 41 mm version? How does it fit?


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## hughesyn (Oct 9, 2014)

GMF said:


> According to Longines, as long as you change the battery within six months of the EOL indicator going off, the perpetual calendar will remain set. If you exceed six months, the watch has to go back to Longines to reset the calendar.


That is the most ridiculous thing ever.

They couldn't come up with way for the user to set the perpetual calender like Seiko 8F or Citizen A010?

So in 6 years time there will be loads of them on eBay that need the calender resetting because the battery ran out.

Daft.


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## woodville63 (Dec 28, 2011)

GMF said:


> The date is preset at the factory and cannot be adjusted.


I was thinking of getting one once enough recipients had assured me the seconds hand was good. Having no user date reset is a big no-no for me. Thanks for the info.


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## gangrel (Jun 25, 2015)

I wasn't planning to get one before, but at this point, I'm not comfortable suggesting these, with the questions about how to set it...and what can or can't be set...are lingering.

I'd be massively disappointed if Swatch made a really nicely functioning movement, then botched the user experience so badly.


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## tmathes (Jan 11, 2013)

Tom-HK said:


> Is it just me or does it seem particularly arrogant of Longines (especially given their pedigree in quartz watches) to declare that there is no manual for the VHP "since it is a quartz movement"? Maybe something has got lost in translation.


Typical Swatch arrogance and customer indifference. I swear they want to put themselves out of business, they're already in a declining market and this obnoxious stuff only will speed up their demise.


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

gangrel said:


> I wasn't planning to get one before, but at this point, I'm not comfortable suggesting these, with the questions about how to set it...and what can or can't be set...are lingering.


Did you see my post with the setting instructions?


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## gangrel (Jun 25, 2015)

Yes, I saw it. 

It might just be that it's kinda tricky and takes some practice. I'm not real fond of that but it might be OK. I'm not fond of the lack of manual, at all...even online. Heck, I have to go back to double check changing the TZ on my Seiko RF...it doesn't adjust for DST changes, which it's supposed to do. But obviously it's something I do only twice a year, and I don't trust my memory that much. BUT, I don't have to. I may have the PDF here, or at worst, I can find it trivially. (Finding the printed manual would be much more work. No, I'm not that organized.  ) 

Of course, if I liked it more, I might well be more inclined to forgive....  But still, at the price point, the manuals situation is just disturbing.


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## woodville63 (Dec 28, 2011)

Longines has brought out a new movement that is 5s but loses the ability to set the leap year manually, unlike the previous VHP (albeit 10s). Citizen replaced the E510 with G530; G530 has no date, no etc. (you know). We are going backwards?

BTW, G530s are usually 35000JPY+ on YahooJapan, with E510s being sold for less than 10000JPY, even though E510 is a lot more sophisticated. I would love an A060, but will have to wait, me thinks, 7 years+ for the price to be cheap enough based on looking at how age drives A660 pricing.:-(


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## gaijin (Oct 29, 2007)

woodville63 said:


> BTW, G530s are usually 35000JPY+ on YahooJapan, with E510s being sold for less than 10000JPY, even though E510 is a lot more sophisticated.


US$308 for a G530 and US$88 for an E510? Please let me know where you are shopping!

Unbelievable prices!


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## woodville63 (Dec 28, 2011)

gaijin said:


> US$308 for a G530 and US$88 for an E510? Please let me know where you are shopping!
> 
> Unbelievable prices!


Used on YahooJapan. I'm not allowed to post links. Trick is to wait for the 1JPY starting bids.


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## DaveM (Aug 9, 2008)

GMF said:


> Did you see my post with the setting instructions?


I think that the instructions from GMF emphasise how bad this is.
So they have a big handbook that covers all watches in many languages and do not want to re-print
> Might have been a good excuse in the days of hand-set lead-type.
But lets accept that they do not want to print a special manual, as a minimum they could easily do this :-
.. Make an instruction PDF like the one from GMF and put it on the internet
.. Print hyperlink on a 'visiting card' in the watch-box (or even engrave it on watch-case) 
.. Instruct all sellers to offer to print out a copy (in their own language) for any not-internet-savvy customers.

I sent a 'disgusted' email to Longines and suggested that they contribute to this thread defending their position.
It basically looks like a good product, and represents a half-turn from the attitude 'all quartz is cheap rubbish'.
Perhaps we should all tweet our opinion & hopefully shame them into doing the right thing !


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## kapahoo (Apr 8, 2015)

Well, e-mail and ask for a manual at least...


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

kapahoo said:


> Well, e-mail and ask for a manual at least...


Have you read all my posts in this thread? I e-mailed Longines and I quoted the full response I got from them.


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## kapahoo (Apr 8, 2015)

GMF said:


> Have you read all my posts in this thread? I e-mailed Longines and I quoted the full response I got from them.


Oh yes! The point would be spam them into making a manual. I know it's a longshot.

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## DaveM (Aug 9, 2008)

GMF said:


> Have you read all my posts in this thread? I e-mailed Longines and I quoted the full response I got from them.


I did read it, but your e-mail appeared to be from US office rather than Switzerland.
In any case it they get a few emails about the same thing it may motivate them to get their fingers out !


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

*After getting the e-mail from Longines that I quoted earlier in this thread, I sent them another thanking them for the response, but pointing out that they still did not tell me how to adjust the time. I just got this e-mail in response. Of course, I've now already figured out how to adjust the V.H.P.
*
_Hello Mr. Frazier,

The V.H.P. has a smart crown, which doesn't work like a regular crown. The Smart Crown allows you to adjust the hour hand and minute hand individually, without one affecting the other. To adjust the hour hand, the user must turn the crown in one quick movement which will make the hour hand move in one full rotation (one hour increment). To adjust the minute hand, the user must, instead, turn the crown slowly which will move the minute hand in fractions of a minute.

Thank You,
Longines Sales Support

Swatch Group (U.S.) Inc. 
703 Waterford Way
Suite 990
Miami, FL 33126
P: +1 800-283-7236

_


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## gangrel (Jun 25, 2015)

And they think they don't need a manual?


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## kapahoo (Apr 8, 2015)

And they still don’t answer you properly!!

Man, this thread is not making the Longines brand shine...


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## DaveM (Aug 9, 2008)

kapahoo said:


> And they still don't answer you properly!!
> 
> Man, this thread is not making the Longines brand shine...
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It is so silly, they only need to spend 1% of a watch-ambassador-cost to sort it out.
> PDF instructions on web-site
> Post on a forum like this to keep in with the nerds.

Like GMF I emailed Longines
Got a letter straight back, no useful information and from *SWATCH UK* not Longines.
I am just sad that good engineers and products are being let down by a bad customer-support system.


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## GT27 (Jun 13, 2016)

Anymore real life pictures of these watches appearing yet?


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## Deity42 (Jan 7, 2016)

As a technical writer, I wonder what kind of setup ETA has over there that led to a failure to provide proper documentation for this product.

Typically, you have a writer, who speaks with a subject matter expert (the engineer or nerd who knows the product best), and the writer then translates that into instructions written to a corporate style guide. ETA certainly has a style guide and likely procedures for approvals by both an editor and the engineer. Then after approval it's off to the marketing department (or whoever is in charge of their website) and whatever team is in charge of producing printed material and ensuring it is in the boxes.

This watch was announced some time ago, and I know I've been anticipating it since then, I am sure Longines sales department were hot to get it to market. I'm not sure how Swatch Group is set up corporately, but maybe some disagreement with Longines' sales people versus ETA's technical documentation procedures as to who was dragging feet.

If they're anything like my company, some VP at Longines said "damn the paperwork, sell the watch, let tech support take care of it." Then tech support gets a call like the one OP placed and has to give an answer such as the one he received. Then the tech support guys and the tech documentation guys argue about who screwed up and which one hates Sales more.


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## gangrel (Jun 25, 2015)

The movement is exclusive to Longines at this point. It is IMO reasonable to assume that they have their own techies who understand the ins and outs. And this is the user guide...not the technical guide. The technical guide probably exists, but is proprietary. The user guide is Longines' responsibility, IMO, 100%. 

And what was going on for the last 9 months? Was this really rushed to market? It sure doesn't feel like it. 

From the other "user guides"...Longines gives the impression that they think, "This is a watch, you blithering bag of waste gases! Oh, I get it, you failed pre-school." Yeah, well, your watch doesn't operate like most. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find a significant number of returns and harshly negative reviews from customers who can't work the procedures out.


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## tmathes (Jan 11, 2013)

Gangrel, you stated Swatch's mentality exactly. I love a lot of their watch designs dearly (which is why I stupidly come back) but their initial quality is lousy and their customer indifference, bordering on hostility, will be their undoing. The idea of releasing a difficult-to-use product is outright idiotic and self-defeating. This isn't their only customer hostile operating mode, I've personally experienced other version of it.

I can easily see your prediction will come to pass. My guess is in 6-8 months expect to see a flood of these watches on the gray market, many being returns due to the customer not having a clue how to set it AD's that can't help either.


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## tmathes (Jan 11, 2013)

Regarding the gray market, well, THAT was quick:

https://www.jomashop.com/longines-watch-l37164566.html

It wasn't 6-8 months, it was more like 6-8 weeks (if not 6-8 DAYS).


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## Deity42 (Jan 7, 2016)

Took a look at the Longines website. Looks like they do their user instructions like Omega, where they just literally dump procedures for every movement in the catalog into one doc, translated into nearly every global language. So they have to first document this pretty strange movement, have that translated (dunno if they have in-house guys or outsource their localization), then pretty much redo that whole shebang with the new procedure. That's a lot of work, bet that's where the hangup is.


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## gangrel (Jun 25, 2015)

Deity42 said:


> Took a look at the Longines website. Looks like they do their user instructions like Omega, where they just literally dump procedures for every movement in the catalog into one doc, translated into nearly every global language. So they have to first document this pretty strange movement, have that translated (dunno if they have in-house guys or outsource their localization), then pretty much redo that whole shebang with the new procedure. That's a lot of work, bet that's where the hangup is.


Only if their documentation processes are decades out of date.

Adding a new chapter, with automatically updated links, references, and such, was something serious desktop publishing handled with ease 15 years ago.

And it's idiotic to do what they're doing in the first place. You *don't* lump everything together, unless all the movements . That was one of the core issues I had, in forming the opinions I've stated.

BTW, with Omega...

https://www.omegawatches.com/en-us/customer-service/user-manuals

Scroll down a little past halfway. They did video manuals, that look to be by line and by movement. It's on YouTube. From the Omega US site, doesn't play for me out of SlimJet, which is a Chrome base, but redirection like that is becoming more restricted in some browsers. It did work out of Edge, and it should be easy to find the video on YouTube itself.

Yeah, the PDF is for all models, but the one I got was English only. Much better flow. Along with the 30 video manuals...without checking all of them out, I'd still say they get an A. Longines gets an F.


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## Deity42 (Jan 7, 2016)

lol I am coming at it from the perspective of one poor guy in Bienne crouched over an IBM getting yelled at by someone in another department. >_> <_<

It is easier with the tools available today, how quickly and easily it can be done depends on how many people they have working on it and how much bureaucracy they have to run through before it's done. Please call me on this if I'm talking out of my rear, but I've always thought of Swatch Group like General Motors and similar in how they handle their brands. Growing up my parents had Buick Centuries and Olds Cutlasses, and the owner's manuals were identical, just different logos on the covers. So I am thinking (logically), it makes the most sense for the documentation to come out of Swatch Group corporate. Again I'm the lone writer in a small company and have been out of the big corporate world for a long time, and I have no real idea how Swiss companies like this are any different.

Seems like they have technical information coming out of the top now and the individual brands have their own people, technical or marketing, to work with it. I've seen the Omega stuff, particularly the Z-33 iPad app and stuff, which is super cool. I dunno if that stuff was out the day the watch was released. The Swatch brand proper has some cool little flash videos explaining their movements, but they have a lot fewer to work with.

We are in agreement Longines has let their customers down. I'm just laughing because I've been imagining different Brazil-esque scenarios all afternoon as to why the ball dropped.


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## gangrel (Jun 25, 2015)

Since Omega and Longines are both Swatch Group, it looks like marketing like this is left to the brand. I'd say, by and large, brand positioning is the primary role played by the Group managers; model development within that positioning is what's left to the brands. 

Brands appear to be given freedom to present as they wish, too. Looking at Mido's site, looks like they've got 1 short (3 page) user manual for all 2- and 3-handers (day and date optional), but there's also another for 2-register chronos. And both are single-language. (Honestly, translation should be a minor problem any more. Any serious international company handles multiple languages all the time.) So we've got at least 3 different approaches to the manuals situation, and I'd say that's enough to assert that the Group level doesn't have formatting control. (MAYBE technical, that we can't say.)

Remember, Swatch Group owns kid level, teen level, entry level, mid level, high level, and haute horlogerie level. Everything from $20 to, what, $200K? If not more? Not sure what the priciest Droz or Breguet runs. That's HUGE differences in target markets, therefore marketing strategies. And ETA movements stop at Longines/Rado, I believe. Above that you're going in-house.


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## kapahoo (Apr 8, 2015)

Omega quartz watches must be ETA, right? 
Not that many though but still.


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## tmathes (Jan 11, 2013)

kapahoo said:


> Omega quartz watches must be ETA, right? Not that many though but still. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 Yes, they're ETA. And the "in-house" movements are really collaborations between ETA and a particular brand. The best example in the automotive world to this set-up would be GM's brands (equate to Longines, Swatch, Omega, etc to Chevy, Cadillac) and GM Powertrain (equate to ETA). The brand asks for particular attributes but it's the corporate 'powertrain' group that builds the powertrain in the end. I've read in the past that's basically how Omega operates with their unique movements, like the coaxial lines, they used some Omega unique expertise but it was ETA that makes the parts, uses it's expertise to integrate and make the movement manufacturable and in the end is really who makes the movement. ETA is basically using their expertise and mfr. apparatus to build a custom movement for their in-house customer. It would be insane for Swatch to have Omega build a movement on their own when they have one of the biggest expert organizations under the corporate roof with resources and know-how few other outfits can match.


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## dirkpitt73 (Dec 8, 2006)

The instructions listed on the Longines page for the one I'm interested in (blue dial chronograph L3.727.4.96.6) link to a manual for the L441 movement, doesn't quite look the same though: https://www.longines.com/uploads/cu...INSTUCTIONS-FOR-USE-ENGLISH-MOVEMENT-L441.pdf How can they not have a manual for this watch!? If anything, a drive-by-wire quartz needs a manual more than an automatic! I had a Citizen Signature Grand Complication and they went overboard with a CD with videos, step-by-step instructions, pretty much everything you could want. I hope this no manual thing is an anomaly.

Update: Looks like the VHP chronographs use an L289, so the link is clearly wrong.

Anyone know if the 9:00 register is a 12 hour counter?


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## DaveM (Aug 9, 2008)

Its like this, the *only* Longines watch with its own manual is the L441. This has a quartz movement specially modified for horse-jumping measurements.
Much more important to do a manual for this than for a new range of high-accuracy watches !


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## chris01 (Jan 5, 2011)

dirkpitt73 said:


> Anyone know if the 9:00 register is a 12 hour counter?


Have a look here: https://www.longines.com/novelties/conquest-vhp

Click on DISCOVER then scroll right to reach the chrono page, where you'll find just about everything that has been made public.

Perhaps someone who has acquired any VHP model would be good enough to post some information: thickness, lug-to-lug length, and weight of watch+bracelet would be a good start, since Longines apparently don't want us to know. As for all that stuff about operation, it's just another old quartz, so who cares?


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## Miguel (May 4, 2008)

It looks better in this picture than the ones I saw in Internet.

Congratulations!

Miguel


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## mikls168 (Jul 4, 2010)

Hello, I am also thinking on this watch. How would you evaluate this watch comper The Citizen? Has this Longines also precise sec. hand movements, hitting the markers as the The Citizen? Is the crown screw down type? Thanks for your info in advance, B.R. Miklós


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

mikls168 said:


> Hello, I am also thinking on this watch. How would you evaluate this watch comper The Citizen? Has this Longines also precise sec. hand movements, hitting the markers as the The Citizen? Is the crown screw down type? Thanks for your info in advance, B.R. Miklós


Yes, the second hand hits each second mark dead on. Crown is not screw down. Fit and finish are good, but not up to the level of my The Citizen or Grand Seiko--but then the VHP does not cost as much these watches.


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## mikls168 (Jul 4, 2010)

Thanks for the info! Since I am unable to find any relevant picture or video on the net could you please show some picture about the bracelet and the clasp? Thanks in advance, Miklós


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

mikls168 said:


> Thanks for the info! Since I am unable to find any relevant picture or video on the net could you please show some picture about the bracelet and the clasp? Thanks in advance, Miklós


The bracelet and hidden butterfly clasp are very high quality.


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## mikls168 (Jul 4, 2010)

Thanky you! Is the watch size 43mm?


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## GMF (Apr 30, 2005)

mikls168 said:


> Thanky you! Is the watch size 43mm?


Mine is the 41mm size.


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## ChristopherJ (Jun 8, 2012)

It's worth noting that the full instructions are now available at the longines uk website (this site won't let me post the actual link) Look for the watches and then at the bottom is a link to instructions. Select your language and then "Instructions for Conquest VHP" is shown at the bottom as a pdf.
I have just purchased the 3 hand silver dial 43mm version. I haven't found any 41mm here in the UK. I am also rather surprised that Longines offer two sizes so close together. This must complicate inventory issues considerably. My local dealer had not even realised that two sizes were available.


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## chris01 (Jan 5, 2011)

ChristopherJ said:


> It's worth noting that the full instructions are now available at the longines uk website (this site won't let me post the actual link) Look for the watches and then at the bottom is a link to instructions. Select your language and then "Instructions for Conquest VHP" is shown at the bottom as a pdf.
> I have just purchased the 3 hand silver dial 43mm version. I haven't found any 41mm here in the UK. I am also rather surprised that Longines offer two sizes so close together. This must complicate inventory issues considerably. My local dealer had not even realised that two sizes were available.


If you want to keep up to speed with the VHPs, this thread is far more useful:
https://www.watchuseek.com/f9/longines-vhp-2017-collection-4120034.html
The link to the manual download was posted there some time ago.

Strange about the sizes, all the UK sellers' websites I've seen only offer the 41mm. My local AD, where I got mine, said they've received no info on the 43mm, and weren't expecting it. The two size thing is a bit odd, but maybe their two largest markets - China and USA - demand it the big one.


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