Longines Mini DolceVita Review: Classic Design, Contemporary Luxury

If there’s anything you should know about me, it's that small watches are essentially my kryptonite. My affinity for the teeny and tiny isn’t abating anytime soon, and luckily, we’ve seen the watch industry, in recent years, begin to catch up to my own (and many others') desire for small watches. From Bulgari’s new tiny movement to the recent Minification of the Royal Oak, all signs point to watchmakers meeting the rising demand for small watches. But Longines was slightly ahead of the curve in serving up what the tiny watch enthusiast community had been asking for, delivering the deliciously bite-sized Mini DolceVita  officially in 2023, and has expanded on this offering in the years following the launch. Obviously, I’ve long been bitten by the Mini DolceVita bug, and down below, I’ll be sharing what keeps me coming back to it beyond its petite frame.

[toc-section heading="History and Context"]

Longines early 20th-century design archive

One thing that gets under my skin is when people automatically apply “Tank Dupe” to any and every watch with a rectangular case. Longines, like many other watchmakers, began making rectangular-shaped watches in the early 20th Century – like, in the 1910s, early. In the brand’s early archive, there are quite literally dozens of different rectangular watches along with other geometric shapes, reflecting the style and aesthetics of Art Deco. So, though the Cartier Tank is, inarguably, the most iconic rectangular case design, it was not the first or the only watch of its kind out there when it hit the market in 1919. 

The 1920s watch that helped inspire the DolceVita collection

At its core, the DolceVita collection as a whole is not a 1:1 vintage reissue. Debuting in 1997, the DolceVita collection is, instead, an homage to the brand’s early watchmaking history. Effectively, Longines synthesized key design elements from its Art Deco era into a modern homage to the brand’s own historical catalog. From the start, this has been a collection that has offered a lot of unisex appeal, offering multiple case sizes, and options from the minimal and unadorned to those with a more explicitly jewelry-oriented approach. Though the brand has experimented with case designs over the years (especially in the late 1990s and early 2000s), largely, the collection has leaned on a gently curved, rectangular shape with a slightly convex bezel and elongated, sloping lugs. 

Standard Longines DolceVita

As I alluded to before, we were first introduced to the Longines DolceVita Mini in 2023. At its debut, the brand offered its new, preciously petite model in a few different iterations, including a silver “flinquee” style dial, a more laid-back sector dial, and a few cheerfully colorful options as well. The brand has continued its expansion on the line with precious metals, varying degrees of diamond setting, and has also added other bracelet options (in the two-tone and precious metal renditions) beyond the “bars of chocolate” style bracelet at launch. At the time of writing, it does seem that the brand has begun phasing out the pastel-hued DolceVita Minis for the time being, as they have mysteriously vanished from its own website. 

[toc-section heading="Case and Wear"]

So, just how “mini” is the DolceVita Mini, you ask? Across the board, no matter the dial variation, the sizing has been codified to be 21.5mm wide by 29mm in length. There is no bezel to speak of, which has the effect of making the dial feel free and open. To walk my “not all rectangular watches are Tank Dupes” argument backwards a hair, I will concede that, yes, the Mini DolceVita does exude more of a Tank-esque vibe than the standard-sized DolceVita models. But, for me, the soft curvature of the case and lugs, paired with the brand’s own history, is enough to separate the two watches in my mind. 

Part of this collection's greatest strength, in my opinion, is that its styling versatility is baked right into the line. Consideration for this element is often what’s lacking to me in the modern array of women’s watches. One of the main contributing factors to this is that, in addition to various bracelet and strap options, switching between straps is painless. Longines has baked its own interchangeable system right in. This creates much less friction from the wearer’s perspective in that, not only are there some pretty unique strap options, like the triple wrapped straps, but you can also pop them on and off without thinking too much about it – or, heaven forbid, whipping out a tool. This kind of detail makes the watch easily adaptable to the life of its wearer, rather than creating a problem that gets in the way of using and enjoying the watch. That being said, one major gripe I have with this watch is that the bracelet options aren’t nearly as convenient. The bracelets do have a push-piece opening mechanism and have a safety folding clasp, but still.

[toc-section heading="Dial"]

In the dial department, there are two main variations to choose from. I’ll begin with my favorite, the silver “Flinque” dial. This one strikes as the slightly more opulent option with its undulating guilloche-like pattern finish. Large painted blue Roman numerals mark the hours, and we have the very Art Deco railroad minutes track just beneath. At six o’clock, we have a square running seconds subdial, which has a slightly different textural finish that adds a nice contrast. The hour and minutes hands, along with the tiny hand in the running seconds, are all done in blued steel. 

The other dial option in the line has been dubbed by the brand as the “Cosmo,” which is more cosmopolitan than any sort of reference to outer space. This dial variation is a bit more streamlined and minimalistic, but it isn’t boring by any means. Instead, we have a sector design, with black Roman numerals positioned in the largest section, a railroad minutes track beneath, and then a circular running seconds subdial overlapping the two at six o’clock. The Longines logo under twelve pulls a bit more focus on the Cosmo dial, which isn’t a bad thing, and actually helps add some visual harmony to the overall design.

[toc-section heading="Movement"]

It should come as no surprise that the Mini DolceVita is powered by quartz. To get specific, it is the caliber L178 with a Renata 379 battery. This falls right in line with teeny tiny watch territory, but it will be interesting to see if the brand will ever equip its smallest DolceVita with a mechanical movement one day.

[toc-section heading="Final Thoughts"]

I will concede that I’m already the target audience for this kind of thing. But I will say it's one thing to make a tiny watch, and another to make one that’s just tiny for the sake of being tiny. Though I think anyone could rock a Mini DolceVita, this is obviously one made primarily with a female consumer in mind, and Longines handled that in a highly considered, compelling way. It’s a watch that one can easily imagine adapting to one’s wardrobe and life demands, with expansive style possibilities that help it feel fresh over time. With pricing starting at $1,850, it's kind of become my go-to pick for those who want one classic yet versatile watch that fits in seamlessly with their life, and aren’t necessarily looking to build an exhaustive collection. To put it into perspective, the current Tank Must de Cartier (which I also love, don’t get it twisted) retails for twice the price, uses a quartz movement, and has the same 30-meter water resistance. With the Longines Mini DolceVita, you’re getting comparable style and historical relevance at a lower barrier to entry – at least if you stay out of precious metal and diamond territory. You can learn more at longines.com