Gift Guide: How Longines’ Brand Ambassadors Can Help You Find the Perfect Watch to Give that Special Someone
Let’s play a fun thought exercise to help you choose which Longines brand ambassador best captures your loved one’s watch style.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
Which “Friend” of the brand are you? We’ve all played those impromptu thought games in which you and your pals decide if you are a Joey, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Monica, or Phoebe.
Every generation has a set of pop-culture touchstones they use almost like star signs to gauge personality. These quizzes are very popular (after all, sites like BuzzFeed seem to be fueled by them) because they are so entertaining.
Since the festive season is all about fun, we thought we’d give it a horological spin by using Longines brand ambassadors to help you match someone on your “Nice List” to one of the brand’s timepieces that best suits their personality.
The Perfect Gentleman Henry Cavill
Most noted for bringing Superman to life on the big screen, off-screen, Henry Cavill’s co-stars describe him as the consummate gentleman. In fact, Amy Adams once said, “I expected a lot more swagger from Henry; I don’t know why. But he was actually so humble and so generous.”
However, the British actor’s talents and interests range far beyond portraying the Man of Steel. For instance, he has played Sherlock Holmes in the Enola Holmes series and is also executive producing a movie based on the game “Warhammer 40,000.”
If Cavill embodies the essence of sophistication, the Longines Master Collection Chrono Moonphase is the perfect gentleman’s watch.
The specs say it all: this 40mm stainless steel-cased chronograph moonphase looks super sophisticated thanks to its silver “barleycorn” dial and dark brown alligator strap. It is also dependable, featuring a self-winding mechanical movement beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour and a power reserve of up to 66 hours. Plus, it’s water-resistant to 3 bar and has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.
The Star Next Door Jennifer Lawrence
Like most humans, Academy Award-winning American actor Jennifer Lawrence is a complex case. Starting out in independent films such as Winter’s Bone (2010) and auteur-driven films like David O. Russel’s Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Lawrence’s public persona was seen as a little gawky but relatable.
Then, after signing on to major film franchises The Hunger Games and X-Men, she began to retreat from the public eye. She even recently told The New Yorker, “I look at those [old] interviews, and that person is annoying.” So, if you’re looking for a gift for a Jennifer Lawrence-type, your giftee is complex: self-aware yet unable to hide their true self.
That is why we recommend the Longines Master Collection Moonphase for anyone with an inner Jennifer Lawrence.
A complication is a feature that adds layers beyond basic timekeeping, such as a chiming function or a date display. Several complications are considered tools (hence the term “tool watches”) because, like unidirectional dive bezels and chronographs, they provide information that can be relied on to complete a task. Therefore, the decision to purchase is often influenced by practical concerns.
However, a moonphase complication has no real practical purpose in the modern world; it’s pure poetry. And just like Lawrence wears her heart on her sleeve, a moonphase is pure emotion on the wrist.
The 34mm stainless steel Longines Master Collection Moonphase, with its white mother-of-pearl dial, diamond-set indices, and a red, blue, or beige alligator strap or stainless steel bracelet with triple safety folding clasp and push-piece opening mechanism, also reflects the more elegant, modern-day Lawrence.
The Free Spirit Mikaela Shiffrin
Longines calls its celebrity spokespeople “Ambassadors of Elegance” because, according to the brand, they represent “a unique blend of refinement and authenticity that perfectly embodies the brand’s ethos that elegance is an attitude.” The much-decorated American alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin adds grace to this equation.
The current record holder for most World Cup wins of any alpine skier in history (men or women), Shiffrin is considered one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time. Still, her career has also come with many challenges, sustaining serious injuries after a crash in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, during the 2024 season that took her off the circuit for six weeks and a brutal wipeout in the giant slalom at the FIS World Cup race in Killington, Vermont, at the start of the 2025 season.
Despite these setbacks, Shiffrin never gave up. And on January 30th, 2025, exactly two months after sustaining a puncture wound to her abdomen at the FIS World Cup, she finished 10th at her comeback race in Courchevel, France, proving to the world she was still a force to be reckoned with.
Fittingly, Shiffrin’s watch of choice is the Longines Spirit, a 37mm stainless steel watch that is ready for anything thanks to its timeless sport chic aesthetic. Plus, measuring 11.7mm thick and 19 mm across the lugs, it’s also quite ergonomic, helping the wearer go with the flow – perfect for the person on your list with an indomitable spirit.
The Action Man Eddie Peng
From his genre-defying turns in romantic comedies like All About Women (2010) to reviving the martial-arts genre through his portrayal of a kung fu master in Rise of the Legend (2014), Taiwanese-Canadian actor Eddie Peng is best known for his versatility and tremendous work ethic, with his most notable role, that of Fang Xinwu in the 2016 box office smash Operation Mekong, coming from yet another movie genre, the gritty crime action film.
So, if you know anyone with an Eddie Peng personality, you know they refuse to be typecast, are willing to try new things, and tend to break down barriers, making the Longines Conquest Chronograph the perfect horological companion.
Sports watches have undergone a cultural shift, and timepieces like this oversized chrono are finding their place in the boardroom as well as on the racetrack. Moreover, this Conquest, thanks to its champagne and black colorway, features a retro design aesthetic that pairs well with any wardrobe.
In fact, we can see it working with the Gangster-influenced suits of 2023’s I Did It My Way, or Peng’s minimalist, biker-chic look in the 2024 hit Black Dog, which won the “Un Certain Regard” prize at Cannes.
This 42mm model has a lot of wrist presence, but it is also resilient – a quality that all men and women of action possess. It’s forged from stainless steel and has a hard-wearing ceramic bezel. Meanwhile, its easy-to-read display is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, with several layers of anti-reflective coating on both sides, and is water-resistant to 10 bars.
The Realist Kate Winslet
Arguably one of the greatest actors of our time, Kate Winslet makes no apologies for her artistic choices.
On film, the seven-time Oscar nominee (she won in 2008 for The Reader) and a two-time Emmy winner (for Mildred Pierce and Mare of Easttown) has taken on many personas. Still, these emotionally available characters are always grounded by a certain steely resolve. That’s why we think the Longines Mini DolceVita with a double strap is the perfect watch for Kate Winslet types.
Defined by its rectangular stainless-steel case, this small (21.5mm x 29mm) timepiece packs a lot of visual punch. The dial of the Mini DolceVita features strong Art Deco design elements, including elongated Roman numerals, undulating flinqué guilloché, tempered blued hands, and a small seconds sub-dial at six o’clock. Finally, powered by a steadfast quartz movement, the Mini DolceVita is water-resistant up to 30m.
Winslet is just as celebrated for her modern-day heroines as she was for her early roles in period pieces like Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Hamlet (1996), and the double leather strap adds contemporary opulence to the timepiece. Even if your loved one doesn’t walk many red carpets, we can totally picture this watch paired with an unfussy but chic black cocktail dress for a big night out.
For more information on all the watches the brand has to offer, check out the Longines website.