Here we have a beautiful and uncommon 1977 Longines Lapis Lazuli stone dial ladies watch. It has a beautiful dial with the deep blue of the Lapis with lighter and gold speckles. It has a diamond set as a 12 O’clock marker, with the Longines signing in gold with the applied winger hourglass logo. The hands are of facetted Dauphine style in a gold tone. The case is formed of 9ct gold with the rope twist design to the bezel. To the right is the sapphire cabochon set crown. The case back has the serial number with hallmarking for 9ct gold. Inside it is signed with further Swiss hallmarking and the poincon de maitre for Bernard Dubois. The movement is a manual wind Longines calibre L817.4 which has been recently serviced and is keeping good time. It comes on a Longines leather strap, with gold plated Longines buckle.
 
Humans valued Lapis Lazuli for over 6500 years, with Afghanistans Badakhshan region being a key source for the stone. It was used in jewellery across the world, passing along the silk roads, reaching the mediterranean and South Asia. 
The Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians used it for seals and jewellery, whilst the ancient Egyptians viewed it as a ‘heavenly stone’. This led to its use in amulets, ornaments and in burial masks, including that of Pharos Tutankhamun. 
 
The 1970s saw a renewed interest in Laps Lazuli, as well as other semi-precious stones such as Tigers eye and Malachite. The adoption of these semi-precious stones as watch dials represented a period of top craftsmanship, often combined with the luxury of gold cases. 
 
In the case of this Longines we have a beautiful Lapis Lazuli dial which is in flawless condition. It has the beautiful deep blue tone which is polished to highlight the deep tone in the light. It has the natural lighter spots with the gold speckles. At 12 O’clock there is a diamond which is small, but bright and of good quality. Below is the ‘Longines’ signing in a rich gold tone. The three-dimensional winged hourglass logo is applied below in gold. To the base of the dial is the reference signing ‘817 Swiss 3941’. The hands are simple and elegant, of a facetted dauphine style with the bevel to the centre. 
 
The case is well proportioned for a classic ladies watch, measuring 23mm x 23mm. It has a lug-to-lug length of 26.6mm with a lug width of 12mm, It is sleek with a slim depth of 6.25mm. The bezel has a beautiful rope twist design which extends down the sides of the case. This adds an extra layer of quality to the watch and the design frames the dial nicely, providing an intriguing and complex texture. The lugs are short and thin with the downwards turn to meet the wrist. They have the polished finish. To the right is the coin edge crown set with the Sapphire Cabochon. The case back has the polished exterior, with the brushed finish to the main face. It has the clear serial number with the Swiss hallmarking to the bottom. 
Inside it is marked with the Longines signing and further Swiss hallmarking for 9ct gold. It has the Poincon De Maitre 171 for the case maker Bernard Dubois. It is also marked with the reference 3941-817, matching the dial.
 
The movement is a small and slim manual wind Longines calibre L817.4. It is a high-quality ladies movement with a jewel count of 17 and Incabloc shock protection. It has been recently serviced and is keeping accurate time to within 15 seconds variation a day.
 
The watch comes on a Longines leather strap, with the gold plated Longines buckle. Both seem to be original to the watch.
 
Full condition report below. Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
 
Dial: 
The dial is formed of Lapis Lazuli, a semi-precious stone. It is in excellent condition with no chips or damage. It has the clear gold Longines text and reference signing, with applied logo. It has a bright diamond set at 12 O’clock. 
 
Hands: 
The hands are original, of dauphine style. They have light spotted corrosion associated with age.
 
Glass: 
The sapphire crystal is original and in good condition. It has some light marks.
 
Crown: 
The crown is original with the inset sapphire cabochon. It is in good condition, with no damage to the cabochon. 
 
Case:
The case is formed of 9ct gold and is in good condition. It has the polished finish with only light marking. 
 
Caseback:
The case back is formed of gold and is in good condition. It has the original brushed finish with clear serial number and hallmarking.
 
Strap: 
The watch comes on a Longines leather strap, with gold plated Longines buckle. 
 
Movement: 
The movement is a Longines calibre L817.4. It is a manual wind calibre. It has a jewel count of 17 and is shock protected.  
The movement has been recently serviced. It’s keeping to within -15 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 310 degrees and a beat error of 0.1m/s.
 
Case Dimensions:
Case width: 22.85mm
Case width with crown: 25.5mm 
Case length: 23mm 
Case length lug to lug: 26.6mm
Case Depth: 6.3mm
Lug width: 12mm