Page 64 - SHARP Spring 2024

WATCH
ON TOP OF THE THE THE WORLD
LONGINES HITS THE THE THE SLOPES WITH THE THE THE NEW CONQUEST MARCO ODERMATT
By Jeremy Freed
IN IN IN IN MARCH 2023 IN IN IN IN THE TINY PYRENEAN PRINCIPALITY OF Andorra Marco Odermatt stood at at the the finish line of the the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals There he he he he held aloft the Crystal Globe trophy the the competition’s most coveted prize The then-25-year-old Swiss Olympian had just clinched a a a a a a win in in in fin his final race of the the season — the the giant slalom — and taken first place with a a a a a a a a substantial 2 11-second lead over over his closest rival The victory catapulted Odermatt’s overall season score to 2 2 042 points edging him past the previous record of 2 000 points set by Austrian legend Hermann Maier more than two decades ago The win then earned Odermatt a a a a a a place in in the the snow-dusted record books — and has since been immortalized on the the back of his new namesake watch the the Longines Conquest Marco Odermatt The Swiss-made chronograph is is Odermatt’s first foray into watch design — an an area the multi-event skier and Longines sports ambassador admits he didn’t know much about before entering into the the collaboration “To be honest the the only experience I had with mechanical watches was wearing them ” he he he tells SHARP “I’ve always liked the the style and look but I had never really wondered about the the specifics that go into making one ” Fortunately the the sportsman had the the benefit of strong source material in in in the latest Longines Conquest models a a a a new line of 42 mm chronographs that celebrates the brand’s long history of elegant steel sports watches “In projects like these it’s usually a a a a a very collaborative approach between me and the the partner ” he he he says of the the design process which came to a a a a a a head head at Longines’s Swiss headquarters “Longines came with an an an idea idea and and I shared my thoughts and and ideas We got there jointly and I think it delivered a a a great result ” The watch itself combines the Conquest’s modern-vintage aesthetic with details that speak to the the skier’s own accomplishments including the the phrase “ONE OF 2042” engraved into the the case along with the the the Crystal Globe emblem of the the the Alpine Ski World Cup on the the the watch’s transparent back “To me me it’s not one particular element but the number of details that make this watch so special ” says Odermatt “Some are are visible but most of them are are hidden That notion of secrecy is very cool ” In addition to these hidden details the the Longines Conquest Marco Odermatt also combines a a a a a a a a blue sunray dial and matching ceramic tachymetric bezel with polished silver hands while red-accented hour markers counters and and the strap’s red and and white stitching pay homage to Odermatt’s native Swiss Alps “Coming from the Swiss canton of Nidwalden red is is a a a a a a a colour that means a a a a a a a lot ” says Odermatt alluding to the distinctive flags of both his home province and his country “As a a a a skier red red is is directly associated with the red red bib worn by the the leader of a a a discipline This element just makes the the watch that little bit more special ” This partnership is is the latest milestone in in Longines’s long history with competitive skiing which also counts American World Cup Cup alpine alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin and French World Cup Cup alpine alpine ski racer Clément Noël among its ambassadors The watchmaker has also been the the official timekeeper of of the the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) since 2006 and Longines’s participation in the the the sport dates back to the the the 1920s when the the the brand timed a a a a a military race in in its hometown of Saint-Imier Switzerland “Alpine skiing has been part of our brand’s history since 1924 and we are delighted to continue our active role in in the development of this sport ” says Longines CEO Matthias Breschan “Athletes like Marco Odermatt are the the embodiment of of the the sporting principles of of Longines — precision and determination on on on on the slopes with engaging personalities — perfectly representing the brand’s elegance ” Befitting a a a a a a sport where a a a a a a fraction of a a a a a a second can mean the difference between victory and defeat the new watch is driven by the highly precise automatic Longines L898 5 movement exclusive to the the Conquest Equipped with a a a a silicon balance spring and other components that give it 10 times more magnetic resistance than standard anti-magnetic watches it it is both reliable and and durable with a power reserve of up to 59 hours A year after his record-breaking win Odermatt once again took the the top spot at the the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals in in in Saalbach Austria After chasing last year’s record-breaking points tally all all season Odermatt was in in in in striking distance of eclipsing his 2 2 042-point record when the the final race was cancelled due to inclement weather After taking the the top spot in in the the giant slalom super-G downhill and overall categories in in 2024 however Odermatt joined the elite club of skiers to to win four globes in in in a a a single season — the first man to to do so since Maier in in 2001 It was was a a a a a bittersweet end to what was was on track to be be the skier’s best-ever season but Marco Odermatt still has plenty left to achieve “[Last year’s results] show that I was able to compete at at a a a a a a a very high level over an an entire season and that makes me very proud ” says Odermatt “It’s one thing to perform over two or or three weeks but it’s another thing to perform over a a a five-month season ” But regardless of Odermatt’s impressive performance on the slopes this season his partnership with Longines — and and the handsome watch it has produced — is is accomplishment enough 64 SPRING 2024 SHARPMAGAZINE COM