Part of the fun of following Longines’s timing partnership with equestrian sports and events like the Kentucky Derby, Breeder’s Cup, and Belmont Stakes is guessing which timepiece from the Swiss brand’s timepiece collection will be elected as Official Watch of each event. In the spirit and style of horse race betting (Win, Place, Show = 1st place finisher, 2nd place, 3rd place, respectively), here’s my assessment of the top three watches that made their presence felt at last weekend’s Belmont Stakes, the third jewel of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, which I attended with Longines, the official timekeeper. We’ll count up from “Show” to “Win,” the latter being the actual watch chosen as Official Watch of the 151st Belmont Stakes. Longines timed Sir Winston’s winning time of 2:28:30.
Show: Longines Conquest VHP Chronograph
This watch makes the list as an Official Watch contender because of its previous first-place finish as Official Watch of the Kentucky Derby. The steel case measures either 42 mm or 44 mm in diameter, based on the reference, and is water-resistant to 50 meters. The chronograph dial has a tricompax layout with a 30-minute counter at 3 o?clock, a 12-hour counter at 9 o?clock, and a 60-second counter at 6 o’clock. The ultra-high-frequency quartz movement, Caliber L289.2, is notable for its very high degree of precision for an analog watch (± 5 seconds per year) and its use of a s...