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Longines Elegant Collection 30mm Ladies Watch White Stainless Steel
Ref. L43304116
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Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The Elegant Collection arrived in 2014 as Longines' clearest statement of its own design values — not a sport model softened for the wrist, nor a dress watch dressed up, but something deliberately poised between the two. This reference pairs the white matt dial with the steel bracelet, the most restrained of the four variants, and the combination reads accordingly: quiet, consistent, nothing asking for attention it has not earned. At 30mm with a 36mm lug-to-lug span, it sits flat and close to the wrist, helped by the modest 8.5mm profile. The moonphase sits at six o'clock beneath Roman numerals that are painted rather than applied, keeping the dial surface low and even. The L296.2 also carries an end-of-life indicator — a small practical virtue, since it gives fair warning before the battery fails rather than announcing it by stopping.
- Reference
- L43304116
- Brand
- Longines
- Case size
- 30mm
- Case thickness
- 8.5mm
- Lug width
- 14mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- White
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- L296.2
- Functions
- Date, Moonphase
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Green
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 36mm
- Weight
- 70.9g
Learn more about Longines
Auguste Agassiz began trading watches in Saint-Imier in 1832, but the modern company dates from 1860, when his nephew Ernest Francillon built a factory in the meadows beside the Suze — the longines of the local dialect — and consolidated the scattered outworkers of the region under one roof.
Longines registered its winged hourglass in 1889. It is the oldest watch trademark still in continuous use.
The company's identity was built on precision and on timing things in public. It supplied chronographs for the first modern Olympic events it timed in 1896, timed the 1912 Federal Gymnastics Festival with a broken-wire mechanism accurate to a hundredth of a second, and developed the photo-finish camera and the quartz timing devices used across twentieth-century athletics.
Its aviation associations are equally deep. Longines instruments were carried by Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic in 1927, and the Hour Angle watch, designed to Lindbergh's own specification to simplify longitude calculation, remains in the catalogue. Amelia Earhart and Howard Hughes both navigated by Longines.
The house was among the most decorated at nineteenth-century observatory trials, holding numerous precision records. Since joining the Swatch Group in 1983 it has occupied the accessible-heritage position: exclusive ETA-based movements, archive-driven designs through the Heritage line, and volume that makes it one of the group's most important brands.
- 1860
- Ernest Francillon builds the factory at Les Longines.
- 1889
- The winged hourglass is registered — the oldest watch trademark in use.
- 1912
- Broken-wire timing achieves hundredth-second accuracy.
- 1927
- Lindbergh crosses the Atlantic with Longines instruments.
- 1983
- Becomes part of the Swatch Group.
Also in 4 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,007), Stainless Steel Watches (2,833), Watches Under 37mm (1,509) and Women's Watches (1,465).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 30mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Longines's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Longines Elegant Collection alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | L43304116 | YA163501 | R48913743 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,200 | £1,310 | £1,300 |
| Case size | 30mm | 30mm | 30mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat size strap does it take?
14mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 36mm, which suits wrists from roughly 15cm (6 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb list it at £1,200, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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