Hot Take: The New Longines Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition

Back in early 2023, Longines brought back the famous Majetek pilot’s watch. This tribute to the 1935 Czechoslovak-military-issued wristwatch was the second and, to us, more successful reinterpretation after an earlier version in 2014. Today, however, Longines is back with another variation on the Majetek theme, this time in titanium. Let’s take a quick first look to see what’s what.

This new version is limited to 1,935 pieces and priced at €5,350. This is a pretty hefty markup from the €4,150 non-limited steel version, so let’s see if it lives up to its promise.

Longines Majetek

Let me kick things off with a condensed review of the Majetek’s history. These watches were originally developed for the Czechoslovak Air Force, which requested a watch with a triangular marker that could be used to set a starting time. Longines, Eterna, and Lemania ended up supplying these watches.

Interestingly, in the originals, the entire crystal and bezel were rotated to move the arrow. Naturally, that is a very tough construction to make, especially considering water resistance and solidity. So the later reissues, including today’s, feature a clever transmission of the movement of the external bezel to the arrow inside without affecting the crystal and how it is affixed.

The non-limited steel version from 2023

Longines provided an estimated 1,700 of these oversized 41mm watches, which saw immediate military action. The case back featured the text “Majetek Vojenské Správy” (“Property of the Military Administration”). The word “Majetek,” specifically, means “property.”

The Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition

Let’s move on to today’s watch. As you can see, the new version follows the template set by last year’s tribute. Longines opted not to faithfully reproduce the original but to use it as a source of inspiration for something new. The case is more angular and muscular, and the handset is more reminiscent of the Eterna Majetek than the original Longines model. The watch also saw a 2mm increase to measure 43mm across by 51.4mm long and 13.3mm thick. Lastly, it has a set of crown guards, which the original watches did not.

In short, the term “tribute” seems just right as this is not a reissue by a long shot. Specs-wise, this watch is nearly identical to last year’s steel version. The dimensions are identical, and the same COSC-certified caliber L893 ticks away inside. This Longines-proprietary ETA-based caliber has an autonomy of 72 hours and beats at 25,200vph. The screw-down crown and 100m water resistance rating also remain.

What’s different, then? Well, the biggest change is the case material. The new limited Pioneer Edition’s case is Grade 5 titanium. The other changes are minor aesthetic tweaks with a significant impact. The dial is stripped of any faux patina. Instead, you get an ominous gray-on-black scheme, which carries over to the black sailcloth 22mm strap.

Initial impressions

Let me come straight out and proclaim that really dig the changes. Last year’s version always felt a tad gimmicky to me. However, the subtle changes to the Pioneer Edition solve that issue. Without the faux patina, the watch now looks much more distinct. It gained relevance by standing on its own rather than leaning on prior accomplishments.

To me, the Majetek occupies roughly the same role as the IWC Big Pilot and most of Panerai’s watches. All of these are unlikely to be your only watch, but they gloriously fulfill the outlier role in a collection. They are big, retro, full of character, and a great way to add variety to a watch collection. If you feel your collection is getting stale, I can highly recommend trying something like this.

The Majetek is a big watch; there are no two ways about it. It is also quite flat, meaning it doesn’t hug the wrist very nicely. But this is all forgiven when considering the style of the watch. It is a chunky, almost steampunk statement watch. Interestingly, Longines stripped the 1935 original of a lot of elegance and subtlety, replacing it with brutalist visual strength. This is a daring move, and I think it pays off royally in this gloomy Pioneer Edition. Would I wear it? Yes, I would.

Closing thoughts on the Longines Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition

Unfortunately, the Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition does prove that new-watch prices are still going up. I like this watch a lot, but €5,350 / US$5,000 / £4,600 feels steep. Still, other than the price, I have no complaints about this watch — and you may know that’s quite rare! I am always particularly fascinated when a watch undergoes minute changes and suddenly goes from a “meh” to a “wow!” for me. It shows how the tiniest of details matter in our field.

I am curious to hear which you prefer, dear Fratelli. Purely based on aesthetics, would you pick last year’s version of the Majetek or this new titanium variant? Let us know in the comments section below!