ReviewDouble The Elegance: Presenting Longines’s DolceVita X YVY Collection

Good design, today, isn’t only about aesthetics but also what makes a product sustainable, adaptable and versatile. This philosophy is what Longines embody with their new DolceVita collection, in collaboration with Swiss designer Yvonne Reichmuth.

The classic rectangular timepiece gets a bold new look with a seemingly simple yet striking upgrade. Instead of a regular leather strap, the new series is defined by beautifully crafted double leather straps, bound together with discreet loops. They’re also easily separable, allowing the wearer to sport the secondary strap by itself as an accessory.

Leather and an equestrian lifestyle

Longines’s DolceVita—the word literally translates to ‘the good life’ or ‘the sweet life’ in Italian—collection was first introduced in 1997, inspired by an earlier model from the 1920s. With a rectangular case in steel and 18-carat rose gold case, Roman numerals on the dial and a bracelet strap, what stood out was the elegant flinqué pattern on the dial. Since then, the DolceVita has undergone many transformations while remaining true to its core concept—an expression of the good life.

This brown model comes with or without diamonds on the case

The new DolceVita comes in two sizes—23.3mm by 37mm or 20.8mm by 32mm

The latest collection has leather straps created by award-winning designer Yvonne Reichmuth, who studied fashion design in Zurich and leather processing in Florence, Italy. Founder of the design firm YVY, Reichmuth’s designs have been worn by numerous celebrities, and featured in many editorials. Her brand uses only vegetable dyes, natural tannin extracts, and leather that is a by-product of the food industry.

The straps are made from leather which is a by-product of the food industry

The leather is cut and shaped with precision

Rivets being attached to the black strap. This is what will later give the black model a sporty look

Straps are hand-stitched

They’re also easily separable, allowing the wearer to sport the secondary strap by itself as an accessory

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The inspiration for this DolceVita YVY collection was Longines’s long association with equestrian sports. The double leather straps are reminiscent of an equestrian bridle. Much like the connection between a horse and its rider, the leather straps are meant to establish the bond between watch and wearer. The combination of the straps and classic Roman numerals on the rectangular dials give the timepiece a bold yet sophisticated look.

Finesse in versatile forms

This new DolceVita comes in two sizes—23.3mm by 37mm or 20.8mm by 32mm. Powered by quartz movements that run the central hours and minutes and small seconds, the variants are distinguished by the dials. The black lacquered dial has polished steel hands, and comes paired with a black leather strap harnessed to a thinner one. Enhanced with rivets, this is what lends the watch a sporty look. On the lighter side, the ‘soft haze’ beige model has an opaline dial, with applied steel markers, and silver-polished steel hands. The ‘deep sun’ model’s brown strap offsets the iconic DolceVita flinqué dial with painted Roman numerals. This brown number in steel comes with or without diamonds on the case.

The brown strap offsets the iconic DolceVita flinqué dial with painted Roman numerals

The beige model has an opaline dial, with applied steel markers, and silver-polished steel hands

The black lacquered dial has polished steel hands

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Making the watch more versatile is the quick-switch system that allows the wearer to change between straps easily. Moreover, with the dynamic quality of the separable straps, the DolceVita X YVY series offers twice the elegance.