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Longines Mini DolceVita 21.5mm X 29mm Ladies Watch Mother Of Pearl
Ref. L52004876
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Stepping up in the same dial colour
The DolceVita line traces its rectangular case back to a Longines design from 1927, and the Mini carries that proportion into a format that sits closer to a bracelet than a conventional watch — 21.5 by 29mm, and at 6.8mm thick, almost flat against the wrist. It is a size that disappears under a cuff and reappears as jewellery when the sleeve is rolled back. The dial is where the work is concentrated. One hundred and sixty-three Top Wesselton diamonds are set in a snow configuration across the case border, with mother-of-pearl filling the spaces between — a combination that shifts considerably under different light, from quietly iridescent indoors to sharply bright in direct sun. Blued steel hands and blue-painted Roman numerals provide a cool, deliberate contrast to all of that shimmer, and keep the dial readable in a way that a purely decorative treatment would not. The triple-safety folding clasp with push-piece release is a considered addition at this scale: it sits flush, adds no unnecessary bulk, and makes daily wear straightforward without interrupting the line of the bracelet.
- Reference
- L52004876
- Brand
- Longines
- Collection
- DolceVita
- Case size
- 29mm
- Case thickness
- 6.8mm
- Lug width
- 16mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Rectangular
- Dial
- Mother-of-pearl
- 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
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Origin
- Swiss made
- Gem set
- Yes
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 6 collections
This watch appears in the Longines DolceVita range (50), Back in Stock (4,417), Stainless Steel Watches (2,943), Watches Under 37mm (1,558), Women's Watches (1,512) and Rectangular & Square Watches (410).
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 29mm 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 Mini DolceVita alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | L52004876 | R20140712 | 5985-P5S-00859 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,350 | £2,350 | £1,995 |
| Case size | 29mm | 31mm | 29mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Ceramic bracelet | 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.
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?
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.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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