The Swiss watchmaker has dedicated LungoMare, its latest contemporary collection, to the power and the promise of youth, whose fashions, ideas and styles have taken the world by storm. Vividly demonstrating the lifestyle of emerging generations, the collection’s sophisticated stylishness blends the spirit of the age with the depth and variety of Longines’ distinguished historical heritage. Embodied to perfection by such attractive movie personalities as Longines Ambassadors of Elegance Aishwarya Rai and Oleg Menshikov, the new collection was unveiled today on the shores of Lago Maggiore, before a bevy of international and Swiss personalities attending the Locarno International Film Festival.



Swiss watch brand pointedly entrusted the Longines LungoMare’s basic design to a young designer recently graduated from the School of Art of La Chaux-de-Fonds, in western Switzerland’s Jura mountains. Her novel approach to watch styling led to a deft reinterpretation of the classic “circle in a square”, the Longines LungoMare superbly shaped case framing a smart contemporary watch face. The result is a streamlined, gleaming metal form, water-resistant to 100 meters ( 330 feet), sleekly framing a trim, crisply legible dial. It makes a perfect companion piece to the “Carpe diem” generation, intent on making the most of every instant.

The very embodiment of this new spirit of the age, India’s Aishwarya Rai and Oleg Menshikov of Russia, both with a cinematic background, have accepted Longines’ invitation to act as the company’s Ambassadors of Elegance. One of the queens of Bollywood and a rising star on the world stage, Aishwarya Rai was already on hand in Locarno last year to present Rituparno Ghosh’s film “Chockher Bali”. Invited this year by Longines for the LungoMare collection’s official launch, Oleg Menshikov will this coming Wednesday receive the first “Locarno Excellence Award”, presented by the authorities of the Locarno International Film Festival in recognition of an exceptional professional career.

Longines president Walter von Känel sees the summer 2004 as definitely a cinematic time for Longines. First of all, the company is proud to sponsor for the first time the Leopard of Honor Longines of the Locarno International Film Festival, awarded this year to Ermanno Olmi, one of the world’s most talented directors. Then it can count on the many talents of its Ambassador of Elegance Oleg Menshikov, the first-ever winner of the “Locarno Excellence Award” in salute to his entire acting career.

Photos:
Oleg Menshikov and Walter von Känel with
Ernest Francillon, grounder of Longines Watches Co.

Longines LungoMare – Chronograph in polished stainless steel.
Ref. L3.633.4.56.6



Source: Longines Press Release

www.longines.com
Contact: [email protected]

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