I Finally Bought a Longines...

The Longines Dolce Vita Chronograph (ref. L663.4) from 2001 is one of the most overlooked watches Longines ever made. I bought one for well under market, and the more I wore it, the more I started asking why Longines quietly walked away from it. The answer has everything to do with the Swatch Group's pricing ladder. And it's more calculated than most people realise. This isn't a Heritage Diver or a Conquest. It's a 28mm quartz chronograph on a five-link bracelet, purchased from its original owner complete with the 1997 receipt. It cost £995 new, roughly £2,000 in today's money. Which raises an interesting question: did you get more watch for your money in 2001? In this video I get into why this watch existed, why it was discontinued, and what it tells us about how the Swatch Group thinks about its brand ladder, from Tissot at £300 all the way to Omega at £5,000-plus. I also put it up against my Omega Seamaster from the same era, and explore why this thing looks suspiciously close to a Cartier Tank Française Chronoflex. This video covers the Longines Dolce Vita Chronograph ref. L663.4, an ETA quartz chronograph produced from the late 1990s to the early 2010s. At around £995 new in 2001, it competes in an interesting space against the Cartier Tank Française Chronoflex and the Tag Heuer Formula 1 quartz chronograph. A fascinating piece of neo-vintage Swiss watchmaking for collectors exploring turn-of-the-millennium Longines. #Watches #Longines #WatchReview #WatchCollecting #VintageWatches