I can’t wait to see the marvels, says Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

On the hunt for the oldest Longines Watch in India? Amy Fernandes clues you in with more details.

If you happen to own a really old Longines watch (the one in which Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is ambassador of in India), now is the time to rummage through your lockers and present it for a competition that the brand is initiating on the 17th June. The hunt for the oldest Longines watch in the country, is a campaign that has been carried out worldwide in countries like China, Russia, Japan, Taiwan and now, India. Why? “Because,” says President of Logines, Walter von Kanel, “India is a country of tradition, culture and heritage, where people believe in passing on heirlooms to thenext generation.” The purpose however, is to attempt to track the antique Longines watches in India, which by the way, brand history records, date back to 1878, when the first shipment entered the country. The hunt therefore also commemorates the brand’s presence in India for more than 135 years. Quoting Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Longines Ambassadress of Elegance for more than 13 years said “I think it’s an absolutely brilliant idea to hold this competition in India.. I can’t wait to see the marvels this competition will reveal in India..” Owners of these antique pieces need to fill in an application form to include the serial number of the time piece and send it with multiple images of the front and back which legibly displays the serial number. If found suitable it will be carefully scrutinized by a panel of experts and the winner gets a paid trip for two to Switzerland for a week and a chance to visit the Longines factory. A similar campaign in China ran to overwhelming submissions, with a clear winner: Mr Zhou Yong, whose timepiece of December 12 1869, ow places it in the hallowed position of the oldest Longines watch in China. So if you want to make your old Longines work for you, log on to www.oldestwatchindia.longines.com.