Vintage 1956 Longines 2041 Cal. 23Z Manual

$390.00

This is a wonderfully honest mid-1950s Longines dress watch powered by the legendary Longines Caliber 23Z, freshly serviced and regulated and running with excellent performance. It is a watch for the true patina lover: the dial has aged into a heavy, mottled vintage texture that reads like parchment, giving the piece a one-of-one character that you simply cannot replicate.

Case, Dial & Aesthetic

The 34mm 10K gold-filled case has been intentionally kept in its original, unpolished condition to match the dial's aged aesthetic, preserving the watch's authentic mid-century presence. The dial shows significant patina and spotting across the surface, while the applied gold markers and hands still provide strong visual contrast and legibility. A new crystal has been installed to improve clarity while maintaining the correct vintage profile. As part of the restoration, the crown has been replaced with a new item matching the original style to ensure secure winding and setting, while the rest of the case has been left honest and original to keep the overall look cohesive.

Movement: Longines 23Z

Inside is the Longines 23Z, a classic mid-century manual-wind caliber known for its straightforward, high-quality construction and excellent long-term serviceability. Despite the watch's deliberately aged exterior, the movement has been fully serviced and regulated and is performing strongly, which makes this a great option for someone who wants real vintage character without the usual mechanical uncertainty.

  • Movement: Longines 23Z

  • Winding: Manual wind

  • Jewels: 17

  • Display: Small seconds at 6 o'clock

Condition & Service

This watch has been fully serviced and regulated and is running well. Restoration work includes a new crystal and new setting parts (stem, crown, setting lever, and setting lever screw) to ensure smooth, reliable winding and time-setting. Dial patina is heavy and intentional in the presentation; if you love clean dials, this is not that watch, but if you love true vintage texture, it is fantastic.

Specs & Details

  • Brand: Longines

  • Reference: 2041

  • Year (Estimated): circa 1956–1957

  • Case: 10K gold filled with gold-filled screwback

  • Case size: 34mm

  • Lug-to-lug: 36mm

  • Thickness: approx. 9mm

  • Lug width: 17.6mm (17mm strap)

  • Crystal: New

  • Crown/stem/setting lever & screw: New

Why This Watch Matters

Collectors often talk about patina as a story, and this Longines wears its history openly. What makes it especially compelling is the contrast: a dial that has aged dramatically, paired with a freshly serviced Longines movement that performs with the confidence you would expect from the brand. If you want a high-quality vintage Longines that leans hard into character and authenticity, this is a very satisfying piece.

This is a wonderfully honest mid-1950s Longines dress watch powered by the legendary Longines Caliber 23Z, freshly serviced and regulated and running with excellent performance. It is a watch for the true patina lover: the dial has aged into a heavy, mottled vintage texture that reads like parchment, giving the piece a one-of-one character that you simply cannot replicate.

Case, Dial & Aesthetic

The 34mm 10K gold-filled case has been intentionally kept in its original, unpolished condition to match the dial's aged aesthetic, preserving the watch's authentic mid-century presence. The dial shows significant patina and spotting across the surface, while the applied gold markers and hands still provide strong visual contrast and legibility. A new crystal has been installed to improve clarity while maintaining the correct vintage profile. As part of the restoration, the crown has been replaced with a new item matching the original style to ensure secure winding and setting, while the rest of the case has been left honest and original to keep the overall look cohesive.

Movement: Longines 23Z

Inside is the Longines 23Z, a classic mid-century manual-wind caliber known for its straightforward, high-quality construction and excellent long-term serviceability. Despite the watch's deliberately aged exterior, the movement has been fully serviced and regulated and is performing strongly, which makes this a great option for someone who wants real vintage character without the usual mechanical uncertainty.

  • Movement: Longines 23Z

  • Winding: Manual wind

  • Jewels: 17

  • Display: Small seconds at 6 o'clock

Condition & Service

This watch has been fully serviced and regulated and is running well. Restoration work includes a new crystal and new setting parts (stem, crown, setting lever, and setting lever screw) to ensure smooth, reliable winding and time-setting. Dial patina is heavy and intentional in the presentation; if you love clean dials, this is not that watch, but if you love true vintage texture, it is fantastic.

Specs & Details

  • Brand: Longines

  • Reference: 2041

  • Year (Estimated): circa 1956–1957

  • Case: 10K gold filled with gold-filled screwback

  • Case size: 34mm

  • Lug-to-lug: 36mm

  • Thickness: approx. 9mm

  • Lug width: 17.6mm (17mm strap)

  • Crystal: New

  • Crown/stem/setting lever & screw: New

Why This Watch Matters

Collectors often talk about patina as a story, and this Longines wears its history openly. What makes it especially compelling is the contrast: a dial that has aged dramatically, paired with a freshly serviced Longines movement that performs with the confidence you would expect from the brand. If you want a high-quality vintage Longines that leans hard into character and authenticity, this is a very satisfying piece.

Important Note on the Watch Band

Please note that the band pictured is NOT included with watch purchase. I generally acquire new bands for display purposes and do not include them because they vary significantly in price and many purchasers will want to obtain their own band as suits their taste.

You will need an 17mm band to pair with this watch.

However, if you are interested in purchasing the band pictured in the photos along with the watch, it will be available at or near my replacement cost as an optional add-on. If you don’t see it as an option in the listing please message me for help. I am also happy to point you to where you can purchase the exact same band directly from the seller.

If you have questions about bands or want my assistance, please message me. I’m happy to help.

Standard Disclaimer

I make every effort to ensure that the vintage watches I work on are both accurate enough to serve as practical timepieces and reliable enough to be worn and enjoyed for many years to come. That said, vintage watches are delicate and, like any mechanical device, subject to wear.

Therefore, I cannot provide any express or implied warranty for this watch, beyond the fact that it is running, and it is being sold AS IS.

Additional notes

·       Servicing and restoration followed the process described in detail here.

  • Vintage watches are delicate - particularly older models that lack shock protection. Please handle with care

  • Regardless of what it says on the case, I do not attempt to restore watches to a fully waterproof condition. Please keep this watch away from water and definitely do not submerge it.

  • If the watch is an automatic, I recommend that you use the hand wind feature sparingly to minimize wear on the automatic winding mechanism.

I do like to stand behind my work, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any problems. I will correct any obvious defects in my workmanship free of charge and will provide lifetime service (as long as I am able) for vintage timepieces that I have restored at heavily discounted rates.

Regarding Parts Originality

I know that some collectors are very concerned with originality of parts. I will list any parts that I replace, internally or externally, in the condition notes above. I will also make a good faith effort to assess whether any of the watch parts (e.g. dial, crown or hands, etc.) may have been replaced or refinished prior to my acquisition of the watch and, if I believe it is likely they were, I will also indicate this in the condition notes above. However, I cannot make any bedrock guarantees regarding originality of parts. I work on many different watch brands and lack the deep expertise on the history of any given brand that would be necessary to do so.