LONGINES was founded in Soimia, Switzerland in 1832

In 1832, Auguste Agassiz came to Soimia (Saint -lmier) worked in a small watch shop in a small village. Soon he took over the entire shop and renamed it "Agassiz & Compagnie". Agassiz's nephew Ernest Francillon inherited his business 20 years later. Francillon had a unique vision. His idea was to concentrate all the mechanical production and assembly of timepieces and other multiple production steps in the same factory to establish a comprehensive production process. So two adjoining plots of land on the right bank of the River Suze, known locally as Les Longines, were purchased.

In 1867, Francillon established the first Longines watch factory and produced the first key-controlled pocket watch, winning the bronze medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris, France. The first Longines watch was born.