2.1243 LONGINES “GOLDEN SILK DIAL” L847.2 GOLD PLATED, SWISS 1976

An elegant mid-1970s Longines dress watch with a beautifully understated proportions and a standout textured “silk / linen” gold-tone dial. The dial surface is the main attraction here: a fine woven texture that catches light softly and gives the watch a refined, fabric-like shimmer without becoming flashy. Combined with the slim baton markers, minimalist handset, and rounded-square case shape, it delivers exactly the kind of vintage luxury that defines classic Longines dress pieces.

This example is a very attractive and honest vintage watch. The dial remains especially beautiful, with its texture clearly visible and the printing/logo well preserved. The gold-plated case shows age-related wear and plating loss in places (visible around edges/lugs, see photos), which is typical for a worn 1970s plated dress watch and part of its vintage character. The stainless steel caseback is correctly marked, and the movement is a clean Longines in-house manual calibre.

Specifications

• Brand: Longines
• Model: “Golden Silk”
• Reference: 847-4158 (caseback) / calibre family 847
• Year: 1976 (movement serial #53315072)
• Movement: Longines L847.4 in-house manual winding, shockproof, 17 jewels
• Case: Gold-plated (20-micron hallmark between lugs)
• Caseback: Stainless steel back
• Crystal: Mineral glass, shaped
• Dial: Gold-tone textured “silk” pattern dial
• Markers: Applied baton hour markers
• Hands: Slim baton hands
• Functions: Hours, minutes (manual winding)
• Strap: Genuine leather strap

About silk / linen dials trend

Textured dials such as linen, silk, shantung, or woven-finish surfaces were a distinctive design language of many vintage dress watches from the 1960s–1980s. Instead of relying on complications or case protection, these watches created visual depth through subtle surface finishing – especially effective in gold-tone executions like this Longines. Today, modern luxury watchmaking has clearly returned to this idea: contemporary high-end brands increasingly use textured, grained, brushed, hammered, and fabric-inspired dial finishes to add character and light play while keeping the design clean and elegant. In that sense, vintage pieces like this Longines feel especially current – they offer the original expression of a trend that has become highly desirable again in modern watch design.

Servicing and Warranty

• Fully serviced with disassembly in our Bristol shop
• Mechanics in full working order
• 12-month movement warranty
• Warranty Terms and Conditions
• No water resistance warranty