The Longines Conquest was launched in 1954, and according to the brand it was the first Longines watch line whose name was protected with the Swiss Federal Intellectual Property Office. The first-generation model, often listed by dealers as reference 9000, carries the case reference 364 stamped inside the back. Worn & Wound measured an example at 35.2mm wide and 42.6mm lug to lug, with 18mm lugs, offered in steel, gold plate and solid gold. The matte silvery dial has applied faceted arrowhead markers at 12, 3, 6 and 9, dauphine hands, no date, and the Conquest name in script above six, under an acrylic Hesalite crystal. Inside is the automatic calibre 19AS with 19 jewels, beating at 18,000 vibrations per hour with a 39-hour power reserve. The thick screw-in caseback carries a gold medallion engraved with a fish and filled with green enamel, marked “Longines Automatic Waterproof”.

The Conquest marked a turning point in how Longines sold watches: instead of anonymous references, it introduced named families, soon followed by the Flagship, Admiral and Grand Prize. The design grew out of the earlier All Guard, which shared a similar case, movement, dial and hands. Steel models used the fish medallion, while gold models carried a constellation motif. The 19AS movement, introduced in 1952, is compact but thick with a large rotor, and early versions used a Breguet hairspring; it is reputed to be robust but tricky to service. The first-generation case and movement were replaced around 1959, after which the Conquest appeared with date windows at 3 and later at 12 o’clock, and in many case and dial designs through the 1970s. A 35mm Conquest Heritage revisited the original in the 2000s.

Vintage collectors regard the first-generation Conquest as the most classic and recognisable version, and Worn & Wound counts its dial among the finest of the 1950s. Collectors also seek out the 19AS movement, and the enamelled fish medallion has become the line’s signature. The model has long been an affordable entry into quality mid-century watches: the same article put first-generation steel and gold-plated examples at roughly $500 to $1,000, with solid gold pieces considerably higher. The original 1954 references are no longer produced, but the line continues: Longines still makes the Conquest, including a Conquest Heritage in 38mm and 40mm with the calibre L888.5, a 72-hour power reserve and an 18-karat gold fish medallion paying tribute to the 1954 original.