Longines Legend Diver 42mm L3.774.4.50.0

The Longines Legend Diver ref. L3.774.4.50.0 is the 42mm, date-equipped version of Longines' reissue of its 1959 twin-crown, Super Compressor–style diver. It has a stainless steel case, a black lacquered dial, an internal rotating bezel operated by the upper of two screw-in crowns, a domed sapphire crystal, and 300 m water resistance. It runs the automatic Longines caliber L888 (based on the ETA A31.L01), beating at 25,200 vph with a 72-hour power reserve. This particular reference is fitted on a black fabric strap; sibling references use a steel mesh bracelet (L3.774.4.50.6) or a rubber strap (L3.774.4.50.9).

The Legend Diver descends from the Longines ref. 7042, a twin-crown diver whose design language enthusiasts now associate with the line. Monochrome dates the original to 1959 and describes it as a 42mm EPSA compressor-style case with dual crowns and an internally rotating bezel; StockX places the original ref. 7042 around 1960 and characterizes it as a Super Compressor-style oversized 42mm case with an internal rotating bezel. The upper crown drives the internal bezel while the lower crown handles winding and setting.

Longines revived the design at Baselworld 2007. As StockX and Monochrome both note, the reissue is not a true compressor but a compressor-style 42mm case built with modern construction, and it became one of the brand's most successful heritage reintroductions on the strength of a faithful design and accessible pricing. Monochrome records that a date-equipped 42mm version was added in 2009 — the branch of the family to which ref. L3.774.4.50.0 belongs.

The reissue then broadened and shifted. Monochrome reports a 39mm no-date version in 2023, additional 39mm dial colors in 2024, and the eventual retirement of the 42mm black-dial model in favor of the 39mm series, before 42mm proportions returned with the 2026 Legend Diver 59. Ref. L3.774.4.50.0 sits in the main 42mm run that carried the line for most of that period.

Ref. L3.774.4.50.0 is powered by the automatic Longines caliber L888. PrestigeTime identifies this caliber as a 21-jewel movement based on the ETA A31.L01, running at 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz). WatchReviewBlog describes it as a modified ETA-based L888 rated to roughly +/-5 seconds per day with a 72-hour power reserve.

The reduced 3.5 Hz beat is the notable point. PrestigeTime contrasts the date-carrying L3.774 references (caliber L888, 25,200 vph) with the no-date L3.674 references, which use the ETA 2824-2-based caliber L633 at 28,800 vph (4 Hz) with a shorter 38-hour reserve. Lowering the frequency is what buys the L888 its longer autonomy.

The stated reserve has drifted upward as the caliber evolved: PrestigeTime's review quotes 65 hours for the L888, while the current product listing and WatchReviewBlog cite approximately 72 hours. The movement drives central hours, minutes and seconds plus the date at 3 o'clock.

WatchReviewBlog, reviewing this exact reference, describes the 42mm case as having "a medium wrist presence, while still keeping the weight to a minimum." The same review notes that the domed, "arched" sapphire crystal's curvature will "obscure details at a wide angle" — a legibility trade-off inherent to the vintage-style profile.

StockX's reviewer found the watch "reasonably comfortable" but cautions on fit: the long lugs "will hang over the confines of a 7 inch wrist," and the review gives the lug/strap width as 22mm. Taken together, the two reviews frame it as a light-wearing but visually present 42mm diver whose long lugs, rather than its diameter alone, govern how it sits on smaller wrists.

Within the reissue, PrestigeTime distinguishes two 42mm branches: the no-date L3.674 references running the ETA 2824-2-based caliber L633, and the date-equipped L3.774 references — including L3.774.4.50.0 — running the L888. The 42mm models have been offered on a steel mesh (Milanese) bracelet, a fabric strap, and a rubber strap; the .50.0 is the fabric-strap configuration, while WatchMaxx lists the rubber-strap sibling L3.774.4.50.9 on the same case.

In 2023 Longines added a smaller version. Teddy Baldassarre's review of the 39mm gives it as 39mm in diameter, 12.7mm thick, and 47mm lug-to-lug, powered by the COSC-certified caliber L888.6 with a silicon balance spring, priced at $3,250 on strap and $3,550 on bracelet.

Monochrome records that the 42mm black-dial model was eventually retired in favor of the 39mm series, and that 42mm proportions later returned with the 2026 Legend Diver 59 (42mm x 12.85mm, 50.1mm lug-to-lug, caliber L888.6) at CHF 3,400 / EUR 4,000. That newer 42mm is a distinct model from the L3.774.4.50.0 covered here.

Ref. L3.774.4.50.0 is the 42mm, black-lacquered-dial, date model delivered on a black fabric strap with a tang buckle. Longines has offered the same case with a steel mesh bracelet (L3.774.4.50.6) and a rubber strap (L3.774.4.50.9), so buyers cross-shopping straps should check the corresponding reference number rather than assume a single price.

Reported US pricing varies by strap and over time. StockX's review cites a $2,400 MSRP for the Legend Diver, with resale examples around $1,750–$1,850. WatchMaxx lists the rubber-strap L3.774.4.50.9 at a $2,850 US retail (sold below that after discount). Because the 42mm line has been repositioned around the 39mm version and the newer Legend Diver 59, confirm the current figure for this specific reference with an authorized Longines dealer before purchase.