Watch museums
Longines Museum in Saint-Imier
The Longines Museum is located at the brand's historic site in Saint-Imier, where Longines has been based since 1832. Visits take the form of guided tours in French, German or English, which must be booked in advance.
- Location
- Saint-Imier, Switzerland
- Address
- Les Longines 8, 2610 Saint-Imier
- Type
- Brand museum
History of the museum
The museum sits in Saint-Imier, the town where Auguste Agassiz founded his watchmaking business in 1832. In 1867 Ernest Francillon inaugurated the company's first factory, bringing all production steps together under one roof. The name Longines comes from the local dialect and means "long meadows", after the land on which the factory was built. The Longines watch factory is listed, together with Saint-Imier's Collégiale, as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
According to Longines, the museum was renovated and restructured in 2012. Its sections are organized around the three values the brand uses to describe itself: tradition, elegance and performance.
What you can see
The collections cover the brand's main watch models as well as navigation and timing instruments, complemented by photographs, posters, films, medals and archive records. The Swatch Group mentions 800 written records from the earliest days of the company. The visit is divided into several areas:
- Reception area: an introduction to the brand's watchmaking tradition and skills.
- Adventure room: timepieces that accompanied exploration missions and aviation achievements, including a reproduction of a Louis Blériot airplane. Longines' aviation history includes the Weems Avigation watch of 1927 and the Hour Angle watch developed with Charles Lindbergh in 1931.
- Sport area: timing instruments documenting sports timekeeping, which Longines has developed since 1878, the year of its "20H" chronograph caliber.
- "Elegance is an attitude" room: advertisements and refined designs, some of which have won style awards.
Switzerland Tourism also mentions pocket watches and wristwatches, some finely decorated or set with jewels, and the history of the winged hourglass logo. Registered in 1889, it is described as the oldest unchanged active trademark registered with WIPO.
Why it matters for watch collectors and owners
Many vintage Longines watches are still in circulation, and the museum's combination of watches, instruments and archive documents helps owners place a piece in the brand's timeline. The aviation and timing rooms are particularly relevant for collectors of pilot's watches and chronographs, two areas in which Longines has a documented history and which inspire many of its current reissues. Saint-Imier itself is also a key place in Swiss watch history: the town depended heavily on watchmaking, and Breitling was founded there before moving to Grenchen. The museum is an exhibition, not an appraisal service; questions about an individual watch should be addressed to Longines.
Visiting
The museum is located at Les Longines 8, 2610 Saint-Imier, in the Bernese Jura.
Opening hours (as of 2026, according to the official Longines website): Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:00; closed on bank holidays. Guided tours are offered in French, German or English, and a reservation is required, made via the booking contact on the Longines website. Pets are not admitted. The official site does not list admission prices.
Getting there: Saint-Imier has a railway station, St-Imier, on the line between Biel/Bienne and La Chaux-de-Fonds, with half-hourly trains in both directions. This makes it easy to combine a visit with the OMEGA Museum and Planet Swatch in Biel/Bienne.
Related brands
Opening hours, prices and exhibitions change. Please check the official website before your visit.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Longines Museum?
At Les Longines 8, 2610 Saint-Imier, Switzerland, the town where Longines was founded in 1832.
Do I need to book a visit?
Yes. The official website states that guided tours in French, German or English require a reservation.
What are the opening hours?
As of 2026, according to the official Longines website: Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:00; closed on bank holidays.
What can I see in the museum?
Main watch models, navigation and timing instruments, archive documents, posters and films, arranged in areas on tradition, adventure, sport and elegance.
How do I get to Saint-Imier by train?
St-Imier station is on the Biel/Bienne to La Chaux-de-Fonds line, with half-hourly services in both directions.
Find out what your watch is worth
Upload a photo and get a free estimate in about a minute. No sign-up needed.