by Brent Robillard
“What time is it there?”
It’s a simple question with complex implications—and it’s also the starting point for Longines’ latest centennial celebration. The Swiss brand is honouring 100 years since the debut of its very first dual time zone wristwatch with the launch of the new Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925. With actor Henry Cavill—Longines Ambassador of Elegance and seemingly a man who never gets jet-lagged—leading the charge in a new global campaign, the message is clear: this isn’t just a watch, it’s a tribute to connection across time and space.
I was lucky enough to ask Cavill about the new watch and his latest role—as the watchmaker’s ambassador.
“For me, the Spirit Zulu Time represents not only precision timekeeping, but also connection,” Cavill says. “Our loved ones and colleagues can often be a world away. However, the Spirit Zulu Time gives me, at a glance, that immediate connection with them, and it does so with the elegance that Longines excels at.”
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A century in the making
“Longines timepieces are not only beautiful with that classic understated elegance that the brand is known for,” says Cavill, “but they also come with the storied history of pioneers. Longines were at the forefront during a time of true adventure, when travelling the globe was still the stuff of stories and legend.”
Indeed, Longines has been in the business of crossing time zones longer than most of us have been alive. It started with the brand’s “Turkish Watches” in 1908, created for the Ottoman Empire to display both Western and Turkish time simultaneously—no small feat for the pre-smartwatch era. Then, in 1925, came the original Zulu Time wristwatch. Named for the letter “Z” in the NATO phonetic alphabet (which corresponds to GMT +0), the watch bore the colourful maritime flag for “Z” on its dial—a nod to Greenwich Mean Time and a necessary tool for pilots navigating international skies.
“There is such a history to watchmaking and to keeping time. These days we really take it for granted quite how important it was for navigation, and how the smallest error meant the difference between life and death.”
Fast forward to 2025, and the new Spirit Zulu Time 1925 serves as both a celebration and a serious horological flex. Longines has not only honoured that avigation past—they’ve added a handful of tasteful updates that may well make this model the crown jewel of the Spirit Collection.
Henry Cavill: Ambassador of Elegance
Cavill himself may have come to watches and watch enthusiasm later in life, but like most, he always appreciated the aesthetic allure of timepieces. “My journey into true watch enthusiasm is only just beginning, but I have always appreciated the beauty and craftsmanship of fine watches.”
“I’m not sure I was ever officially introduced by one person to watches. My taste comes from how my parents encouraged me to be. Pursuing excellence but never crowing about it, regardless of what I might be pursuing excellence in.”
These may well be the same characteristics one finds in a watch from Longines. This most recent iteration of the Spirit Zulu Time, for instance, makes a compelling case for understated elegance.
When asked about the notion of elegance, and how the new ambassador might embody it, Cavill is pragmatic. “Elegance is beauty, without being garish. How do I embody it? I try not to overly focus on my own elegance as that can quickly become counterproductive, but I try to keep my eye on it as far as my behaviour goes and interactions both personally and professionally.”
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Designed to Travel (in Style)
This centennial edition of the Spirit Zulu Time keeps things refined with a 39mm stainless steel case and a bidirectional rotating bezel, which gets an elegant upgrade in the form of a circular-brushed 18K rose gold cap—a first for the Spirit Zulu Time line. It’s more than a pretty face: the rose gold insert pays homage to the copper strip running through the Prime Meridian at Greenwich, a subtle but meaningful historical wink.
The matte black dial contrasts beautifully with rose-gold-coloured hands and applied indexes, all treated with Super-LumiNova for that all-important nighttime visibility. A discreet date window sits at 6 o’clock, just beneath the five signature stars and the engraved “1925–2025” marker—quiet but confident reminders of the watch’s legacy.
Also new: a transparent case back, a first for the Spirit Zulu Time series, revealing the rose-gold-coloured PVD rotor engraved with a planisphere centered on the Prime Meridian. Like a miniature globe on your wrist, it’s a poetic nod to the universal scope of timekeeping.
Real GMT Functionality
Powering the Zulu Time 1925 is the exclusive Longines calibre L844.4—COSC-certified movement with a silicon balance spring and anti-magnetic components that exceed ISO 764 standards. It offers a 72-hour power reserve and true “traveler GMT” functionality—meaning the local hour hand is independently adjustable. No need to stop your watch while bouncing between New York, Geneva, and Tokyo.
In other words: this is a watch made for movement—just like the man wearing it.
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A Line That Keeps Evolving
While the 1925 limited edition takes centre stage this year, Longines is also expanding the Spirit Zulu Time lineup with new 39mm and 42mm stainless steel variants featuring dual-tone ceramic bezels—matte black for night, polished black for day. These additions keep the rose gold accents and sharp aesthetics intact, offering more sizes and styles for would-be globe-trotters.
And let’s not forget the line’s recent hits: the lightweight titanium version from 2024, the gold-accented 39mm model in 2023, and the debut 42mm releases from 2022 that launched the modern Zulu Time revival. Each has pushed the collection forward—but this 1925 edition feels like a moment. A culmination. A centennial exclamation point.
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Final Thoughts: A Connection Through Time
Watches are about more than just telling time. They tell stories—about where we’ve been, who we are, and who we’re trying to connect with, whether it’s a client across an ocean or someone you miss back home. With the Spirit Zulu Time 1925, Longines hasn’t just made a GMT. They’ve made a time machine, a wrist-worn reminder that the world might be big, but the right watch can transcend time zones and bring us a little closer together.
“Yes,” Cavill agrees. “Knowing where someone is in their day gives you an instant connection to them. Whilst not detailed you can imagine being in their shoes, which places you with them for a moment.”
Pricing & Availability
The Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 retails for $5500 CAD. For more information, please visit the brand website.
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About the author
Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.
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