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Longines Mini DolceVita 21.5mm X 29mm Ladies Watch Silver Stainless Steel
Ref. L52004756
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Stepping up in Longines's range
The DolceVita line traces back to 1997, but the rectangular tank proportions behind it reach further — to Longines' own archive from the late 1920s. That heritage shapes everything about this watch: the geometry, the Roman numerals painted directly onto the ivory dial, the blued-steel hands that sit in deliberate contrast against it. At 6.75mm thick, it disappears under a cuff in the way that very few dress watches manage, sitting flush rather than proud on the wrist. The bracelet is supple enough to follow the wrist naturally, and the folding clasp with its push-piece release feels considered rather than incidental — as does the ability to fine-tune the fit by removing individual pin-links rather than relying on coarse half-links. The L178 carries an end-of-life indicator: when the battery runs low, the seconds hand begins jumping in four-second intervals, giving clear warning well before the movement stops. On a watch worn to occasions rather than daily, that is more useful than it sounds.
- Reference
- L52004756
- Brand
- Longines
- Collection
- DolceVita
- Case size
- 29mm
- Case thickness
- 6.75mm
- Lug width
- 16mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Rectangular
- Dial
- Ivory
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- L178
- Functions
- Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 29mm
- Origin
- Swiss made
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 Stainless Steel Watches (2,366), Watches Under 37mm (1,073), Women's Watches (1,011) and Rectangular & Square Watches (225).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 29mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- 29mm lug-to-lug keeps the 29mm case wearable
- 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
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | L52004756 |  5985-SCS-00653 |  MWW33B000009 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,750 | £1,795 | £1,899 |
| Case size | 29mm | 29mm | 29mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Fabric strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch |
|
|
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.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
What size strap does it take?
16mm. 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 29mm, which suits wrists from roughly 15cm (6 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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