Longines Takes Flight with the New Spirit Pilot Collection

Published: 2nd October 2025

Reading Time: 9 minutes

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Swiss watchmaker Longines has expanded its Spirit lineup for 2025 with new Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback models, reinforcing its position in the modern aviation watch market.
The 39mm Spirit Pilot is powered by the Longines calibre L888.4 automatic movement, which delivers a 72-hour power reserve, chronometer-certified precision, and improved resistance to magnetic fields.
The 39.5mm Spirit Pilot Flyback is equipped with the hand-wound Longines calibre L792.4, which offers a 68-hour power reserve and COSC certification, and adds a flyback chronograph and enhanced timing functionality.
Both models feature cleaner dial layouts, refined proportions and improved ergonomics, making them more practical for everyday wear while remaining true to their aviation roots.

Aviation has always been part of Longines’ identity, but the brand doesn’t make a big deal out of it. You see it in the details, like how the watches are designed, their layout, and how easy they are to read and use. The Spirit collection really shows this approach. It’s clean, practical, and made for everyday wear, rather than being too technical or complicated for its own sake.

For 2025, Longines is expanding on that idea with new Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback models. Nothing about these watches feels forced or overly different, which is a good thing. They seem more refined, a bit tougher, and more focused, while still keeping the design that made the collection popular. It’s the kind of update that feels familiar but clearly better once you see it.

These new releases also seem to match what people really want in a modern pilot watch. Longines has been involved in aviation for over a hundred years, working with famous names like Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh, but this doesn’t read like a history lesson. Instead, it feels up-to-date. The new Spirit Pilot models take that heritage and turn it into something you’d actually wear today: reliable, straightforward, and made with a clear purpose.

Longines Spirit Collection 2025

In 2025, Longines is carefully refining and expanding the Spirit collection, focusing on meaningful updates rather than major changes. The collection now feels more complete. The Spirit Pilot enhances the three-hand models, while the Spirit Pilot Flyback elevates the chronographs’ elegance. Both maintain their distinctive aviation-inspired style, with marked improvements in proportions and overall design.

Many refinements are present in subtle details, especially in daily wear and usability. Updated movements, sleeker dials, and improved ergonomics provide a more comfortable wrist experience, complemented by new clasp options that enhance comfort. Although these updates are not drastic, collectively they make the collection more elegant and better aligned with modern requirements, showcasing the Spirit line’s ongoing evolution.

Longines Spirit Pilot

Brand: Longines
Model: Spirit Pilot
Reference: L38094539 / L38094536 / L38094532
Diameter: 39 mm
Thickness: 11.5 mm
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Dial: Black Matt
Calibre: Calibre L888.4 Self-Winding
Power Reserve: 72 Hours
Water-Resistance: 10 Bars (100 metres, 330 feet)
Price: USD $2,700 / USD $3,100 / USD $2,850

The Spirit Pilot models are central to the 2025 update, and Longines has put more thought into the design this year. The three-hand version now features a 39mm stainless-steel case, making it feel more balanced and comfortable. This size is more comfortable on the wrist than larger pilot watches, which can feel too big. The updated proportions improve comfort while preserving the sturdy, reliable look that defines the collection.

The biggest change is on the dial, where Longines opted for a cleaner, simpler design. Instead of bold colours or extra features, the brand used a matte black finish that makes the watch easy to read. Removing details like the stars and date display makes the dial look more open and focused. The gold-toned hands and Arabic numerals stand out against the dark background, giving the watch a look that matches classic pilot watches, where clear readability is key.

Longines Spirit Pilot Ref. L38094536 | Image: Longines

The Spirit line integrates well into Longines’ broader collection, particularly in how the Spirit Pilot emphasizes balance and practicality. Unlike other models that experiment with brighter colours and more daring designs, this watch features a brushed steel case, a matte dial, and a cohesive overall design that highlights its aviation heritage.

Inside, the watch uses the Longines calibre L888.4, a self-winding movement with a 72-hour power reserve and official chronometer certification for reliable accuracy. It also features a silicon balance spring and improved resistance to magnetic fields, making it more durable for daily wear. The screw-down case back adds strength, showing that the Spirit Pilot is built to perform well in real-world situations, not just look good.

Overall, the Spirit Pilot is a thoughtful update to the collection. The changes focus on improved proportions, a simpler design, and better performance, while retaining the features that made it popular.

Longines Spirit Flyback

Brand: Longines
Model: Spirit Flyback
Reference: L37214532 / L37214536
Diameter: 39.5 mm
Thickness: 13.4 mm
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Dial: Black Matt
Calibre: Calibre L792.4 Hand-wound mechanical
Power Reserve: 68 Hours
Water-Resistance: 10 Bars (100 metres, 330 feet)
Price: USD $5,350 / USD $5,550

While the standard Spirit Pilot is straightforward, the Spirit Flyback takes Longines’ aviation heritage a step further. The flyback function has been part of Longines’ story since the 1930s, created to help pilots time events quickly and efficiently. With this feature, you can reset and restart the chronograph with a single push, instead of stopping, resetting, and starting it again. It might seem like a minor detail, but it makes the watch much more intuitive and practical in real use.

The 2025 model takes things further and feels more polished than before. Its 39.5mm stainless steel case is easy to wear, and the thickness is reasonable considering the features inside. There’s a new bidirectional bezel that moves more smoothly, plus a countdown timer that’s new for the Spirit Flyback. The matte black dial is simple to read, and the gold-toned hands and numbers are easy to see, especially with Super-LumiNova. The box-shaped sapphire crystal gives a hint of vintage style without making the watch look outdated.

Longines Spirit Flyback Collection Ref. L37214532 | Image: Longines

Despite the extra chronograph features, the dial still looks clean, a testament to Longines’ handling. The sub-dials are spaced for easy reading, so you don’t have to hunt for information. It still has the Spirit Watch feel, just with more features.

This is where the Flyback stands out. It uses the Longines calibre L792.4, a hand-wound chronograph movement with a column wheel and flyback function. The watch has a 68-hour power reserve and is chronometer-certified, so it performs as well as it looks. It’s also more resistant to magnetic fields, a useful upgrade you might not notice until you need it. Overall, it’s the more serious, performance-focused model in the Spirit line, but it’s still something you can wear every day without a second thought.

Longines Spirit Pilot Ref. L38094539 | Image: Longines

Price & Availability

Longines takes a simple approach with the new Spirit lineup, offering watches for both daily wear and more technical needs without making them too expensive. The three-hand Spirit Pilot models are the most affordable, while the Flyback versions cost more because of their additional features and advanced movement. This pricing makes sense and lets buyers choose the level of functionality they want.

Once you choose one, these watches are easy to wear every day. There are several bracelet and strap options, all designed for comfort, so you can change the look as you like. The collection will be available in October 2025 at Longines boutiques and online. There’s something here for almost anyone who likes a simple, well-made pilot watch.

View Longines Spirit Collection

Longines Pilot Watches

About the Author

Elias Al Bay

Elias Albay is the Founder and Director of Many Men Magazine, a Toronto-based digital publication dedicated to promoting modern masculinity through style, culture, and self-improvement. What started as a personal turning point became a purposeful platform. — born from Elias’ desire to create something meaningful after completing his studies and finding no career path that truly matched his ambitions. With a background in Civil Engineering from York University and experience in Commercial Flight Operations at CAE, he applied skills, and resilience from both fields to forge a new path.

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Porsche has never been shy about flexing its engineering muscles, but this time, they’ve created something that feels less like a car and more like a daring statement. In a bold move that has the motorsport world buzzing, the German brand unveiled a road-going interpretation of its ferocious 963 hybrid endurance racer. Built as a one-off for billionaire racing legend Roger Penske, the Porsche 963 RSP proves that sometimes the wildest ideas from racing garages can actually make it onto the street.

Highlights:

The Porsche 963 RSP is a unique, road-legal version of its Le Mans-winning 963 race car, built exclusively for Roger Penske.
Its design draws direct inspiration from the legendary 917, featuring a Martini Silver finish, enamel Porsche badge, and retro Michelin logos.
A 4.6-litre twin-turbo V8 with hybrid technology generates 680 hp, providing acceleration nearly identical to that of the actual race car.
Adjustable racing dampers, refined ECU mapping, and a tan leather interior provide the car with a comfortable balance.
While Porsche hasn’t revealed the price, experts estimate it is in the multi-million-dollar range, making it one of the rarest and most expensive Porsches ever.

From the outside, the car looks like it rolled straight out of Le Mans and accidentally wandered into civilization. Yet behind its wild silhouette lies a story rooted in passion. “This really started out as a ‘what if?’ – a passion project by a small team of enthusiasts at Penske and Porsche who together imagined a version of the 963 that as closely as possible the spirit and appearance of the Count Rossi 917,” said Timo Resch, Porsche Cars North America president and CEO. “The 917 from the story was every inch a race car – albeit one driven on the road – and we took the same approach with the 963 RSP. It uses beautiful materials of the best quality available, but is still every bit a race car underneath.”

That reference to the 917 isn’t just marketing fluff. The legendary model is one of Porsche’s most iconic machines, remembered for its outrageous speed and dominance on the track. To create a spiritual successor, Porsche’s engineers needed to walk a fine line: stay true to racing DNA while adding just enough refinement for the road. The result? A machine that still feels like a prototype racer at heart, just with license plates.

Powering this monster is a 4.6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 derived from the RS Spyder race program. It’s not just a nod to Porsche’s past—it’s the same basic unit that later found its way, in naturally aspirated form, into the 918 Spyder hypercar. Here, though, it’s armed with turbochargers from Van der Lee and paired with a lithium-ion hybrid system, delivering a violent 680 horsepower. The acceleration is said to be so intense it borders on absurd, nearly matching the full-blown race car in sheer brutality.

To make it survivable on real roads, Porsche did soften things ever so slightly. The ECU has been remapped to provide smoother power delivery, and adjustable Multimatic DSSV dampers—normally the preserve of racing prototypes—have been tuned to their gentlest settings. This means the 963 RSP won’t destroy your spine on a city commute, but don’t mistake it for comfort. This isn’t a Panamera in disguise. It’s still pure race-bred chaos with just enough civility to pass inspection.

Visually, the homage to the 917 is crystal clear. The car features a “Martini Silver” finish, just like its spiritual predecessor, complemented by satin black trim and a subtle 3D-printed “963 RSP” badge on the rear. Compared to the standard 963, Porsche has made a few modifications to enhance its road presence: fender vents, carbon-fibre blanking plates within the rear wing, and enamel Porsche badging instead of simple decals. Even the tyres nod to the past, with retro 1970s-style Michelin logos wrapped around 18-inch wheels.

The single-piece carbon seat is trimmed in soft tan leather, the cabin materials are high-end, and, in a playful twist, there’s even a detachable 3D-printed cupholder. Sure, it won’t win any awards for practicality—luggage space is laughable—but this isn’t a car designed for grocery runs. It’s designed to thrill, impress, and maybe even terrify.

For Penske, the car is more than a vanity project—it’s a continuation of a decades-long partnership with Porsche. “We have enjoyed a terrific relationship with Porsche dating back to 1972. The Porsche 917/30 was one of the greatest eras in Team Penske history with numerous wins and championships, along with the closed-course speed record set by Mark Donohue in 1975,” said Roger Penske, chairman of the Penske Corporation.

“With such a remarkable partnership continuing to this day, we felt it was time to create the most exciting car we could imagine,” Penske continued. “Just like the 917, I wanted this car to be authentic to its origin and have as few changes to it as possible. When we got into the project, the differences in the two generations of race cars provided a great challenge. What emerged is a car that has lost none of its edge and is exciting whether on the track or on the road.”

Naturally, Porsche hasn’t revealed the price of this one-of-a-kind vehicle, but insiders indicate it could match the seven-figure sums commanded by the original 917. A custom, unique hypercar with this much heritage isn’t just costly—it’s priceless. For collectors, it embodies the ultimate goal: something unattainable elsewhere, built by one of the most renowned automakers in the world.

And perhaps that’s the true magic here. The 963 RSP isn’t about practicality or even logic. It’s about dreams. It’s about proving that a wild “what if?” can turn into an incredible reality. It’s about showing the world that Porsche still knows how to shock, delight, and inspire. Because at the end of the day, the only thing rarer than a race car for the road is a car that captures the imagination quite like this.

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