2024 is shaping up to be an interesting year for non-round watches. More recently, the women’s Longines Mini DolceVita is available for the first time in 18k gold. The collection was only released last year, but Longines has wasted no time expanding it to appeal to all sorts of watch enthusiasts. Longines added double tour straps to the collection earlier this Spring, and we now have four new variations in yellow and rose gold, each with the option of a diamond-encrusted case and a matching brick-link bracelet or an unset case with a black leather strap. The latest offerings introduce a new look to the series and an entirely new, albeit relatively competitive, price bracket.
Longines has been dabbling in shaped watches since 1910, with the DolceVita officially entering the fold in 1997. Since then, it has been the brand’s resident rectangular-shaped watch. With the Mini DolceVita comes a smaller and somewhat differently shaped case, measuring 21.50 mm x 29.00 mm and 6.75mm thick. The Art Deco stepped design on each side of the DolceVita case has been swapped for smoother, more feminine lines. The newer Mini models also introduced us to a brand-new style bracelet made of five rows of square-shaped links. The brancards are decorated with 38 Top Wesselton diamonds on those models, while the models on leather have a diamond-less case. The gold bracelets on the latest November 2024 releases feature 106 staggered links and a triple-security clasp, while the leather models feature an interchangeability system for swapping out the straps and a gold-tongue buckle to match the case.
For me, the DolceVita has always resembled the Cartier Tank but even more so now that the Mini model sports smoother brancards. The “unset” models in gold and leather, in particular, deliver that classic Tank LC aesthetic, while the “set” models, with their five rows of silky links, are arguably more reminiscent of the Cartier Panthère. The concept of the rectangular watch is hardly new, so it isn’t all that surprising that there are so many similarities between the two brands. For example, the Cartier Tank has been in continuous production since 1919, and the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, with its innovative swiveling case, was released in 1931. They were quite common before round wristwatches became the norm and seem to ride an ever-changing wave of trends, waxing and waning in popularity among collectors. We appear to be riding a new wave of rectangular watches, with releases from Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines, and others hitting the market over the past few years.
The dial features a similar flinqué texture, as other rectangular watches on the market, right down to the Roman numerals that follow the right angles of the case, the blued sword-shaped hands, and the square minute track, which is punctuated by a slightly recessed square-shaped small seconds subdial. This design is classic and timeless, but if it isn’t quite your style, previously released editions of the Mini DolceVita are also available with a unique “Cosmo” sector dial. That option just hasn’t been extended to the new gold models as of the writing of this article.
The new Mini DolceVitas are powered by the high-precision L178 quartz movement with a Renata 379 battery. This caliber is the same as used throughout the DolceVita collection and seems like a natural choice for the smaller case size on these new Mini models. I could see myself adding the unset model on leather to my regular rotation. However, not having to set or wind the quartz movement is handy for those who don’t wear gold watches very often. Each watch has 30 meters of water resistance, which is just fine for a timepiece that leans more toward the jewelry watch category. Additionally, the cases are furnished with an AR sapphire crystal.
Gold is a nice addition to the growing Mini DolceVita collection, which was previously only available in steel. It’s an approachable option for anyone interested in buying a smaller yet reliable gold watch that looks great on the wrist. The diamond-less models on leather straps will retail for $5,975 USD, while the diamond models with matching gold bracelets will retail for $25,000 USD. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
