LOCMAN ever more active in Japan: great restyling and an exclusive watch for the single-brand boutique of Tokyo

LOCMAN’s flagship shop in Tokyo is located in Namichi Dori, Ginza’s most exclusive street and an excellent showcase of the major brands of worldwide fashion. From yesterday on, the boutique of the well established Italian watchmaking House welcomes the Japanese public in its premises that have been completely renovated by the Italian architect Luca Piatti who had already refurbished the outlets in via Tornabuoni in Florence and Portocervo on the Island of Sardinia in Italy. “For the restyling of the boutique in Tokyo”, Luca Piatti explained, “we tracked the pathway set by the projects of the other single-brand LOCMAN outlets whose differences are due to their respective locations, but which are well recognizable through their strong style indicators typical for the common brand, such as the use of technology-intensive materials combined with more traditional and warmer materials or the use of color as an indicator of LOCMAN’s fashion component”. Thus, the restyling of the Tokyo boutique enhanced the technological matrix of LOCMAN produce within the hypermodern context of the Ginza district. The shop’s façade is covered with gray stone plates contrasting with a stainless-steel band crossing both façades longitudinally. The two large orange outer doors represent LOCMAN’s second soul, i.e. the one related to fashion, Italian style and game Therefore, a great party took place in Namichi Dori to welcome the “new” LOCMAN boutique: the opening, that ended by a dinner and a press conference at the Pinchiorri wine-bar in Tokyo, was attended by the representatives of the main periodicals, numerous delegates of the local administration and Italian embassy as well as illustrious personalities of the Japanese industry. On that occasion LOCMAN presented “Ginza 501”, a rectangular watch with a steel case and a bull’s eye on the caseback displaying the Swiss-made self-winding mechanical movement, realized as a limited series numbered exclusively for the Tokyo boutique and to be sold only later on in the rest of Japan. Sagami Co. Ltd is appointed as sole distributor of LOCMAN’s produce in Japan. This business, having a yearly turnover of appr. 54 billion yen, is acting as a leader group in the Japanese luxury goods sector. Thus, LOCMAN’s expansion in the Far East countries seems to be relentless. Furthermore, this leading firm in the horology sector, that decided to establish its headquarters on the Island of Elba in Italy, opened also strategic offices in Milan, New York and Los Angeles. But its presence is already well consolidated in other great Far-East markets - Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Korea - where LOCMAN signed distribution agreements with high-ranking agents of the luxury sector, such as Pacific Time and Myung Bo Co. LOCMAN is now preparing the penetration of two more areas of great interest – India and China – an undertaking that will be concluded by the end of 2005.