Are Locman watches good quality and worth buying?+
Locman built its name on materials rather than marketing. Its watches are made from titanium, carbon fibre and aluminium, which keep the cases light, tough and comfortable on the wrist. As an Italian house with its own design-led identity, it sits in an accessible spot rather than the rarefied Swiss tier, so the appeal is character and lightness for the money rather than mechanical prestige. If you want an Italian watch that feels modern on the wrist, Locman is worth a look.
Why does Locman use titanium and carbon fibre in its watches?+
Those materials are the brand's signature. Titanium is strong yet light and gentle against the skin, while carbon fibre adds resilience without weight, and Locman builds its watches from titanium, carbon fibre and aluminium rather than relying on steel alone. The result is a watch you tend to forget you are wearing, which is exactly the lightweight, contemporary feel the brand is known for.
What does the name Locman mean?+
The name is a blend of its founders' surnames, Locci and Mantovani. Marco Mantovani had grown up around his father's leather business and began designing leather goods, first of all a watch strap, taking it with his partner Fulvio Locci to the Basel watch fair. So the name itself is a small piece of the partnership story stitched together from two founders.
Where are Locman watches made?+
On Elba, the Tuscan island in the archipelago off the Italian coast. Locman was founded there, and even today the design and production of its watches is still carried out entirely on the island. That island origin is unusual in watchmaking and is a genuine part of the brand's identity rather than a marketing flourish.
Did Locman really start with a leather strap rather than a watch?+
Yes, and it fits the family backstory. Mantovani's father ran a leather company, and that environment inspired Marco to begin designing leather goods, the first being a leather strap, before the watch brand itself took shape. Locman remains an Italian wristwatch and leather accessories company, so leather is part of its DNA, not an afterthought.
Has Locman ever made special or limited-edition watches?+
It has. In 2007, to mark the launch of the new Fiat 500, Locman produced a limited series of 500 watches inspired by the car, a neat piece of Italian design meeting Italian design. The brand has also produced models in cooperation with the armed forces, making watches for the Navy and the Air Force.
Is the school of watchmaking connected to Locman real?+
Yes. In 2006 Locman founded SIO, the Italian School of Watchmaking, with its headquarters in Marina di Campo on Elba. That investment in training watchmakers on the same island where the brand produces its pieces underlines how seriously Locman takes keeping watchmaking craft alive locally.
Why does Locman also sell glasses and bags now?+
The brand has deliberately broadened beyond watches. By 2020 Locman had combined its signature with other products such as bags and glasses, helped by its purchase of the Magia Eyewear group in 2016. So a Locman label today can sit on more than a wrist, while the watches remain the heart of the house.
Which celebrities helped put Locman on the map?+
In its early years Locman was not widely known in the watch world, until Hollywood actors and sports stars started wearing them. Sharon Stone and Jennifer Lopez, along with footballer David Beckham, were among those who brought attention to the brand and helped it become recognised in watchmaking. That visibility was a turning point for an island company finding a global audience.
Is Locman an established company or a small workshop?+
It is a properly established Italian manufacturer with a real footprint. Locman reports a turnover of more than 20 million euros, around 70 employees, and a distribution network spanning Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Japan. So while the Elba origin gives it a boutique, hand-finished character, the business behind it reaches well beyond the island.
