DolceVita

The roots of the DolceVita go back to the 1920s, when Longines, like many manufactures of the time, produced rectangular-cased wristwatches that reflected the geometric, stylized taste of the Art Déco movement then dominant in European decorative arts. It is from this aesthetic heritage, rediscovered and reinterpreted, that Longines drew in 1997 to launch the modern DolceVita collection, presented by the brand as inspired "by a model from the 1920s" while from the start claiming its own identity, distinct from a mere philological homage to the past.

The name itself, which in Italian literally means "the sweet life," evokes not so much a specific model as an entire cultural atmosphere: that of European cinema and high society in the 1950s, a time when the term "dolce vita" — made famous a few years later by Italian cinema as well — conveyed effortless luxury, glamour and elegance. True to this suggestion, the collection was conceived mainly for a female audience, with steel or gold cases featuring a slightly convex profile — a curvature designed to sit better on the wrist than the more rigidly angular lines of many other rectangular cases — dials with Roman numerals, blued hands, and a dial-finishing technique called "flinqué," capable of creating subtle plays of light and depth on the surface.

Over the years the DolceVita has gradually expanded: men's executions of larger dimensions have arrived, along with automatic movements — including caliber L592, which equips the 27.7 x 43.8 mm men's version, with 40 hours of power reserve — and gold versions set with diamond pavé that move some models into the territory of fine jewelry. In 2023 Longines introduced the Mini DolceVita, a compact 21.5 x 29 mm version designed for extremely versatile everyday use, confirming how the rectangular design remains, more than twenty-five years after the relaunch, one of the most solid recognition elements in the Longines catalogue, able to adapt to different eras and tastes without losing its own identity.