LOCMAN Italy - Orologeria Italiana

In 1988, the first fully handcrafted LOCMAN watch was created, featuring gold elements and briar wood, a precious material native to the Island of Elba and the Mediterranean scrubland.

In 1990, Carlo Crocco, owner of HUBLOT, the prestigious Geneva-based brand now part of the LVMH Group, acquired an equity stake and became LOCMAN’s global distributor. For the Elba-based company, this represented a major opportunity for growth.

From 1996 onwards, LOCMAN expanded its production headquarters in Marina di Campo, just steps from the sea. Two long-standing friends, Giuseppe Pea from Brescia and Ben Feigenbaum from Miami, joined the company’s shareholder structure. Around the same time, Marco Mantovani met Gloria, who soon became his wife and close collaborator. Watch sales grew significantly, particularly in the United States.

Distinctive design, innovative colours and the use of cutting-edge materials, including aluminium — sometimes enhanced with diamonds — became the key to LOCMAN’s international success. Demand quickly exceeded production capacity, and “Made in Elba” watches became highly sought-after objects, worn and photographed on the wrists of international stars including Jennifer Lopez, Sharon Stone, Nicole Kidman and Elton John.

In 2001, HOPA S.p.A., one of Italy’s leading financial companies at the time and a major shareholder in Telecom Italia and other large industrial groups, acquired a stake in LOCMAN. The transaction marked an important turning point for the company, strengthening its governance and supporting its investment plan and international development.

In 2002, LOCMAN introduced its first titanium models. The 1970 model was unveiled with a polished titanium case, an innovative material destined to reshape the sector. Alongside titanium’s traditional qualities—lightness, biocompatibility and corrosion resistance—it offered an exceptional brilliance, giving it a lustre comparable to platinum. In the same year, LOCMAN became an official supplier to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and was later selected by President Berlusconi for diplomatic gifts presented to Heads of State and international delegations.

Investment in new technologies continued to grow, and at the Basel International Watch and Jewellery Show in 2003, LOCMAN presented the world’s first watch with a carbon-fibre case.

From 2006 onwards, LOCMAN strengthened its collaborations with the Italian Armed Forces, creating exclusive limited editions dedicated to the Italian Air Force, the Folgore Paratroopers Brigade and the Italian Navy. These collections quickly became cult objects among military-watch enthusiasts. This tradition also gave rise to more recent editions dedicated to the World Tour of the Amerigo Vespucci Training Ship and the Frecce Tricolori National Aerobatic Team.

In 2009, LOCMAN acquired full ownership of three companies in which it already held stakes: GENESI, its production unit; the SCUOLA ITALIANA DI OROLOGERIA, its in-house training academy; and MATERIE FUTURE, dedicated to the study and application of composite materials in watchmaking. The SCUOLA ITALIANA and MATERIE FUTURE divisions were subsequently brought together under the S.I.O. brand, the company’s technical division.

These developments led to the creation of the Stealth Titanium and Carbon collection, widely appreciated by the public. In 2010, LOCMAN launched the new Montecristo model, marking another milestone in terms of recognition and manufacturing quality. With its sporting and marine-inspired character, Montecristo established itself as a true icon of Italian watchmaking.

2010 also marked LOCMAN’s debut in the eyewear industry. Thanks to the use of high-quality, high-tech materials and innovative design, LOCMAN’s Eyewear line has carved out a niche in the medical eyewear market.

In 2011, LOCMAN further strengthened its third-party watch manufacturing activity. Its collaboration with the POMELLATO Group, a leader in the jewellery sector, was consolidated as the company entrusted LOCMAN with the production of new watch lines. Andrea Morante, Chief Executive Officer of POMELLATO, joined LOCMAN’s shareholder structure after POMELLATO was acquired by the French KERING Group in 2013.

In 2014, LOCMAN helped establish the FONDAZIONE ISOLA D’ELBA, a non-profit association dedicated to environmental protection and the social enhancement of the island, with Marco Mantovani appointed as its President.

In the following years, LOCMAN strengthened its presence in the Far East, particularly in Japan, through its subsidiary LOCMAN Japan.

At the end of 2016, Italian rock icon Vasco Rossi became the face of LOCMAN Eyewear. The following summer, on the stage of Modena Park—the concert with the largest paying audience in the world—Vasco wore LOCMAN V 111 eyewear.

In 2017, LOCMAN entered into a partnership with DUCATI. The two Italian excellences signed an agreement for the production of watches bearing the name of the Borgo Panigale motorcycle manufacturer.

In 2019, LOCMAN entrusted the production and development of its eyewear division to the American company FGX INTERNATIONAL, part of the EssilorLuxottica Group, a leader in the sector. In the same year, LOCMAN began its partnership with MAREVIVO, donating part of the proceeds to support the protection and preservation of the sea.

In 2021, after five years of research and development, OISA 1937 was established in Pavia: the historic Italian manufacturer of mechanical movements was brought back to life after more than 40 years by LOCMAN and other prestigious partners. In 2022, the new OISA Five Bridges hand-wound mechanical movement was unveiled, marking an extraordinary achievement for Italian watchmaking.

The prestigious Decimo Canto Collection was created through the collaboration between Sandro Fratini, one of the world’s leading watch collectors and founder of the L’O brand, and Marco Mantovani, President of LOCMAN.

We do not count seconds; we create emotions. For 40 years, every LOCMAN watch has been born in Italy, where time intertwines with design, light and freedom.