Vintage gentleman’s Longines Jamboree wristwatch, c1958

Last Updated on April 19, 2025 by Jason

I must admit I had no intention of buying the Longines Jamboree even though it had been sold when I had a chance to review the piece. Although I am familiar with the Longines brand, I had no knowledge of the Jamboree model. I spent a few hours researching this obscure model and below is what little I have discovered. It is an elegant looking timepiece with a stainless steel case and a respectable manually wound movement.

A brief history of Longines

Longines began in 1832 when Auguste Agassiz and his partners started a watchmaking business in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. Back then, they used a system called “établissage,” where parts made by different craftsmen were assembled into watches. Later, Longines set up its own factory and became independent.

Agassiz had strong ties to the U.S., helping Longines grow in that market. After his partners left, his nephew Ernest Francillon took over in 1852. Francillon modernized the business, built a factory, and named it Longines after the area where it was located.

In the early 1900s, Longines became famous for timing international sports events like the Olympics and equestrian competitions. This boosted its global reputation. During the mid-1900s, Longines innovated with collections like the Conquest and Flagship. In 1969, they introduced the Ultra-Quartz, one of the first quartz watches, showing their commitment to cutting-edge technology.

Longines Jamboree model

The Longines Jamboree gentleman’s watch was first introduced in the late 1950s and was produced through to the early 1960s. The Jamboree typically used the manual wind Longines calibre 280 movement. It was a strong and reliable movement. I didn’t find any other examples of Longines Jamboree watches using any other movement. The Jamboree model wasn’t around for a long time, and it is not completely clear where it sat alongside the Longines Conquest and Flagship models.

Vintage advertisements showed that Longines promoted the Jamboree as an elegant Hermetic or waterproof watch with a high precision movement. There is nothing much to distinguish this model from some of the other models Longines promoted at the time. Online forums suggest two sources for the Jamboree name. One was the Boy Scouts whose large gathering of Scouts and guests focused on Scouting activities, such as physical fitness, conservation, and education. Another suggestion was that the word Jamboree had at some point meant “Luxury”. However, I was unable to uncover such a translation.

Longines calibre 280

The Longines calibre 280 is a manually wound movement, with a lever escapement, 17 jewels, a mono-metallic balance, Incabloc shock protection and a power reserve of 42 hours. The frequency of the movement at 19,800 vph was higher than the standard 18,00 vph at the time. This allowed Longines to promote watches with the calibre 280 as high precision in terms of accuracy. The Longines calibre 280 was in production from around 1959 until approximately 1964. The fully signed movement bears the serial number 10814973, dating it back to 1958.

Dial and case

This Longines Jamboree has a silvered satin finished dial with applied Arabic and lozenge shaped numerals. There are luminescent dots at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock. The luminescence is also applied to the hands. Please note that in both instances the luminescence has naturally dulled with age). It has centre seconds. The signed dial has an applied winged hourglass logo, black LONGINES signature, a “Jamboree” inscription and is branded “SWISS MADE”. The case is polished stainless steel with a chamfered bezel, faceted lugs, and a screw-down case back. Contemporary advertising claims that the Jamboree is waterproof, but owners should keep any vintage watch, including this one, away from water and moisture. As a final touch to originality, there is a signed Longines winding crown and a steel Longines buckle on a new brown leather strap.

Measurements

Diameter excluding winding crown: 35mm.

Length including lugs: 42mm.

Depth to the centre of crystal: 8mm.

Lug gauge: 18mm.

What happened to the Longines Jamboree?

During the 1900s through to the 1950s, Longines played a key role in developing aviation and navigation watches. This includes the Longines Hour Angle watch, famously used by pilots like Charles Lindbergh. Its precision instruments were widely used in sports timing, enhancing its reputation for accuracy and utility.

During the Golden Age of Swiss Watchmaking (1950s – 1970s), people considered Longines one of the top-tier Swiss luxury brands, placing it in direct competition with Omega, Rolex, and Patek Philippe.. It was renowned for elegant designs and technical excellence. During this period Longines launched models such as the Conquest, Flagship and Ultra-Chron. These exist in Heritage models today. The Longines Jamboree failed to reach the heights of these Heritage models and quietly disappeared. It is not to say that the Longines Jamboree was not a good quality watch, it just failed to establish a foothold in a competitive watchmaking market.

Longines Jamboree advertisement (translated from French).

However, the Quartz Crisis during the 1970s & 1980s forced Longines to change its focus. Like many Swiss watchmakers, Longines faced challenges during the Quartz Crisis. The Swatch Group repositioned the brand in the 1980s to focus on affordability and accessibility rather than pure Swiss craftsmanship, ensuring its survival. This led to a slight diminishment in prestige compared to brands that retained a high-end luxury focus.

Conclusion

In summary, while the Longines Jamboree is a fine vintage watch with reliable movement and elegant design, it does not have the standout characteristics or historical allure that typically capture the attention of dedicated Longines collectors. It may be more appealing to casual collectors or those seeking an understated vintage timepiece. If someone gave me a Longines Jamboree as a gift, I wouldn’t say no. However, as nice as it is, it is not a Longines model that I would actively seek out.