Longines’ Tiny And Mighty Mini DolceVita Just Got A Lot More Luxurious

Back in 2023, Longines shrank down its rectangular DolceVita collection into itsy-bitsy 21.50mm x 29mm proportions, and thus, the Mini DolceVita was born. Twenty-twenty-four has been the year of riffing on the line’s established melody with newly redesigned strap pairings and, now, new metal finishings to choose from. Just this morning, Longines launched four distinctive new Minis, including in 18K yellow or pink gold adorned with diamonds and paired with a matching gold bracelet, along with two models in pink or yellow gold paired with a black leather strap. 

While the DolceVita was launched in its contemporary context in 1997, the roots of the line can be traced all the way back to 1927 in its rectangular wristwatch format. Further back still, the brand began experimenting with square and rectangular shapes as early as 1910.

Being able to chart this history is what makes seeing the line in its modern context fun – at least to nerds like me. In addition to the DolceVita’s signature rectangular case shape, which reached peak popularity across the watchmaking world in the late ‘20s and ‘30s, it’s fun to see what details have been translated across time, like the blued hands and the sector-dial format, even to the brand’s tiniest contemporary make. 

With this latest gold adventure for the Mini DolceVita, Longines is leaning into the line's potential as fine jewelry pieces. Small and with a lot of potential for bracelet stacking and accessorizing, this jewelry-oriented take is also leveraging the brand's extensive legacy — in this case, evoking the jewelry watches produced as early as the 19th century. That being said, these pieces are all crafted in 18K gold, and I will warn you that it has 18K gold pricing to match. Yes, both of the diamond-set models with matching gold bracelets are a whopping $25,000 each. But as something of a salve,  I will remind you that the line’s most entry-level offering, which would be the steel bracelet models on leather straps, is still available for a solid $1,600. Phew. 

Each of these four golden models is paired with the line’s geometric “flinqué” style dial, forgoing the “Cosmo Dial” variation that is available across the steel models. I will say that this omission doesn’t leave one wanting for anything and the undulating guilloché motifs suit the aesthetic sensibilities of the gold in a way that the minimalistic, playful style of the Cosmo dial wouldn’t. While speaking of style, I will say I was happy to see Longines offer a yellow-gold option, rather than just supplying the rose gold that the larger watch industry seems to be obsessed with. Though I have been swayed by some rose-gold makes, my eye always favors yellow gold by default. 

Given its teeny proportions, you won’t be surprised that the Mini DolceVita is powered by a quartz movement – the L178 quartz movement, to be precise. Much to my chagrin, you really can't find a mechanical movement for a watch this small on the market today, though I'm holding out hope that one brand will eventually reinstate the practice.  Additionally, this piece is water resistant up to 30 meters. It’s also important to note that these models are compatible with a number of watch straps and can easily be swapped out for others, including the triple leather strap, that the brand makes.  

Candidly, I am something of a fangirl when it comes to the DolceVita, and most enthusiastically in its minified variations. I’ve said it before and I’ll surely say it again: Longines over recent years has been able to successfully translate its history into something relevant to the 21st century – especially when it comes to crafting dynamic, varied, and exciting pieces that speak to the increasing demand for more women-centric and unisex-friendly watch options. Beyond the Mini DolceVita line, I’m thinking of the various takes on the Conquest line, along with the Legend Diver and other model families that have been executed in Longines' true-to-vintage sizing, which typically falls well within Goldilocks standards. 

Returning focus to the subject at hand, I appreciate Longines’ dedication to making its Mini line as versatile as possible. Since its release, the Mini DolceVita has been at the top of my list of options for watch newbies in the market for their first big watch purpose for this reason. Pick one model on the bracelet and get a couple of straps, and you're set with a great-looking, high-quality timepiece that can be worn with just about anything. It’s a pretty compelling gateway drug into teeny-tiny watch madness. 

These pieces are available now. Pricing starts at $5,975 for the non-diamond models on leather strap, and $25,000 for the diamond models on bracelet.