Watch Paparazzi

Politician Mario Draghi spotted wearing Longines

The photograph was taken at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, where Mario Draghi accepted the presidential mandate to form a new Italian government — a moment that drew international attention given Draghi's towering reputation as the former ECB president who, in 2012, pledged to do 'whatever it takes' to save the euro. On his wrist, largely unnoticed amid the political theatre, sat a Longines Flagship Automatic in yellow gold: a choice as understated as the man himself.

The Longines Flagship Automatic reference L4.746.8.72.0 is built around an 18-carat yellow gold case measuring 38.5mm in diameter, keeping proportions firmly classical. The silver-toned dial — referred to by Longines as argenté — carries applied gold hour markers and a small seconds subdial at six o'clock, a layout that consciously echoes mid-century Swiss watchmaking. Power comes from the manufacture calibre L636, a self-winding movement with a 54-hour power reserve, operating at 28,800 vph. The movement is COSC-adjacent in quality, though not formally certified, and sits behind a solid caseback that preserves the watch's formal silhouette.

The Flagship collection was introduced in 1957 as Longines' flagship dress line — hence the name — and has remained in continuous production in various iterations ever since. The yellow gold variant occupies the top of the Flagship hierarchy and represents a deliberate nod to traditional horology: no date window, no chronograph, no concessions to sport utility. It is a watch for people who understand watchmaking well enough not to need to prove it.

Draghi's choice is entirely coherent with his public persona. Consistently photographed in dark, impeccably cut suits, he is not a man who wears watches as status signals. The Longines Flagship in gold is expensive enough to reflect his standing, yet restrained enough to avoid ostentation — a credibility watch for a credibility politician.

At a retail price of approximately €3,930, the Longines Flagship Automatic L4.746.8.72.0 occupies an interesting market position: it costs more than most entry-level Swiss automatics yet remains well below the mainstream luxury threshold. On the grey market, yellow gold Flagship examples trade close to retail, reflecting steady but unspeculative demand from dress-watch traditionalists rather than flippers.